It’s that maybe in some small way this will help people realize what an enormous problem drunk driving is. We can make the punishments harsher or step up DUI patrols but none of that is going to make the changes in societal attitudes that need to be made to actually stop people from getting behind the wheel. It’s easy to point the finger at the other driver and say he was so irresponsible and reckless in his actions and he was, but that’s not exactly productive in making sure this doesn’t happen again. You have to point that finger right back at yourself to make some progress here, because if you’ve gotten drunk chances are you’ve probably driven drunk before at some point in your life too, and what stopped you from accidentally killing someone? I doubt this guy got behind the wheel tonight thinking he was going to do anything but get home and sleep it off but that’s not how it turned out, maybe when you drove drunk you thought the same thing, and it was only blind, dumb luck that prevented you from plowing into someone and ending their life and forever altering the lives of everyone who loved them.

Taylor was a player that I watched and loved from U of Miami despite my hate of the team itself. I just simple loved how he played the game of football. Forget the loaded draft class that included Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, the only player I wanted was Taylor. The Seahawks picked late in the draft so there was no way they could pick him without sacrificing at least two drafts so I was stuck watching him on the Redskins, another one of my most hated teams. Despite this, once again, I was able to overcome some of my previous bias and watch I player I thoroughly enjoyed not only watching play, but truly enjoying the game. I loved the way he played and watched him his whole career. I am young enough and lucky enough that I have never had anyone truly close to me die, but Sean Taylor’s death was the first time I ever cried over losing someone. In 2005, I had tickets two rows up from the Seahawks first half end zone against the Redskins, I was equally excited to see Sean Taylor for the first time in person as I was to see what I was confident to be the Seahawks first playoff win in 20 years.

I never got fully into Adenhart, but like so many top prospects, especially those within the division, I followed his progression loosely. I was excited to finally get the chance to see him in person on Opening Day, much more so than watching another stinker by Silva. I watched parts of his game against the A’s, but not enough to satisfy me. Before I went to bed Wednesday, one my last thoughts was about a game Adenhart would pitch in. When I woke up Thursday morning, I was hit with the news and it plagued my day. I didn’t cry over his death like I did Taylor’s, but I’m sure it will slow me down for the next few days, but not the weeks that Taylor’s death did.

This is the connection to sports that we have, these are people that we never met and probably never would. The closest interaction I’ve ever had with an athlete was when I met Rickey Henderson and presented him with a picture of him hitting a home run in his first M’s at bat. He insisted on getting me to sign it for him as well as him signing a picture I was keeping for myself. I will probably never have a closer interaction with another athlete and yet, their death can take me to tears and affect my life.

Like Jeff, Nick didn’t mean all that much to me prior to his death. I followed him, but not more so than many before him and yet it’s a strange feeling to see him pass, especially given the circumstances. This is a person who we will never see their full potential and it’s at no fault of their own. That’s what really hurts. Neither Taylor nor Adenhart had any control of the situation that ended their life. It’s just difficult to see happen. If it’s this rough for me, I can’t image where his family is right now.

I can’t remember somebody with a story like this. The perfect storm of somebody’s life. Reaching a benchmark in your chosen profession. Showing your talents to the world in a successful manner… and then dying. It’s like if Heath Ledger had died right after the premier of A Knight’s Tale or 10 Things I Hate About You or The Patriot. “Here, I am world. I’m ready for you to be ready for me. Here’s what I can do… and now I’m gone.”

As a human being… you owe it to yourself to find the press conference with Scott Boras… and he couldn’t make it through it. You may not think highly of Boras… but I saw all the humanity i needed to maybe cut him a little slack from here on out. The part where he talks about telling his father to be in Anaheim and all the interactions between him and Nick and his father and the people on the Angels… I couldn’t make it through it.

and I appreciate the stuff you write about non-baseball issues as much or maybe more than the stuff you write about baseball. I had the same initial feeling of “man that’s really shitty,” but I originally just kind of left it at that, but then it hit me what really happened. The fact that I myself am 22 years old really kind of hit home for me, and watching him talk about the fire he has for the MLB just hours before he died was kind of a surreal thing.

if anything good can come of this, it’s talented writers like yourself and Mr. Posnanski who remind us to remember our loved ones and never take them for granted.

There’s a lot of evil in this world. Perhaps sometimes it takes something like this to wake us up and remind us that there are greater problems out there than our own to help solve and to live our own lives to the fullest each and every day.

RIP, Nick Adenhart. You’ll be missed by everyone.

The worst thing is how much of a jerk I am. My first thought was: This might help the Mariners make the playoffs!