Tribute: Angels haven’t forgotten Nick Adenhart

It's impossible to be an Angels fan in 2009 and not be reminded of the Nick Adenhart tragedy. The team continues to play a video tribute before every home game.
Fans found a variety of outlets for their grief. Some left poems, others scrawled messages on caps, pennants or jerseys.
Fans also dropped off other memorabilia, including Nick Adenhart's rookie baseball card.
One way for fans to express their grief was to lay flowers at the stadium memorial.
Fans began visiting Angel Stadium early on the morning of Nick Adenhart's accident, April 9. Soon, a makeshift memorial to the pitcher formed outside the main gates to the stadium.
Other sports teams expressed their regrets. Here is a billboard from across the street at the Ducks' building, the Honda Center.
The Angels would carry Nick Adenhart's jersey with them to every city they visited in 2009.They hung it in each of the visiting dugouts.
Veterans John Lackey and Torii Hunter represented Angels players by carrying Nick Adenhart's No. 34 jersey out to the mound during the ceremony.
Mike Scioscia doesn't often show his emotions in public. The weight of losing his youngest player caught up to him by the time of the on-field ceremony.
After postponing their April 9 game against the Oakland A's due to Nick Adenhart's death, the Angels resumed the series the following night with a special ceremony.
Few baseball fans have seen this side of super-agent Scott Boras. The steely negotiator couldn't contain his emotions while talking about the death of his young client.
The Angels and Nick Adenhart's agent, Scott Boras, went into crisis mode after the accident. They held a highly emotional joint news conference hours after the accident.
Though he wouldn't get the decision, Nick Adenhart was dazzling in his 2009 debut, holding the Oakland A's scoreless through six innings on the night of April 8. He would die in a hospital bed in the wee hours of the following morning.
Nick Adenhart showed his youth in the only road outing of his career. He couldn't get out of the fifth inning on May 6, 2008 in Kansas City.Adenhart walked four batters.
Nick Adenhart earned his first major league win on May 12, 2008 vs. the Chicago White Sox. He gave up four runs on nine hits.It was only his second start in the big leagues.
When Nick Adenhart was called up to the Angels on May 1, 2008, he became the youngest active pitcher in the major leagues.

By Orange County Register | Orange County Register

PUBLISHED: August 20, 2009 at 3:00 a.m. | UPDATED: July 2, 2019 at 7:58 a.m.

To see our tribute to Nick Adenhart, click to the right on the photo.

The Angels have played through the pain of Nick Adenhart’s death. They have built one of the best records in baseball in the months since his fatal car wreck.

If only it were that easy for his family.

Adenhart’s father, Jim, told the Register last week he is taking grief classes, but remains troubled by dreams involving his son. Nick Adenhart and two other young people died April 9 when a drunk driver hit their vehicle. Nick Adenhart would have turned 23 today.

A memorial continues to stand outside the gates of Angel Stadium and it will be there at least through the end of this season. The team still keeps a locker dedicated to Adenhart, and the players say they still think of him often.

The team also has partnered with UC Irvine Medical Center for a blood drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday outside Gate 6. Fans who donate blood will get two free tickets to a future Angels game.

Columnist Jeff Miller came up with an idea to honor the fallen Angel.

We invite our readers to scroll through our photo tribute to Nick and to express themselves in the comments section below.