Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs passes away

[OnTheBlack]

Very sad to see someone so young suddenly pass away unexpectedly. I read an article that said foul play and suicide had been ruled out.

 

As far as announcing a cause of death, it's a tricky conversation. On one hand, an MLB player is a public figure, and the public arguably has a right to know what happened. At the same time, one has to respect the privacy and wishes of the family.

 

 

I'll make that argument.

 

He played baseball. He didn't run for office, he wasn't out promoting movies and putting himself out there trying to get people to buy his product, he played the game he loved.

 

If he overdosed on drugs(absolutely zero reason for me to say this, just a hypothetical). What good does that do the public other than fulfill their morbid curiosity?

 

I think if he died of a heart condition, if he died to a aneurysm, I'd kinda LIKE to see them make that public, but there is still real argument for why they should feel "compelled" to disclose his COD?

 

He was 27, people with whom he had limited interactions with him genuinely liked/loved the guy and I haven't heard about any skeletons in his closet and I hope if anyone else has, they keep it to themselves. We don't have to know anything more than a young man died and it is made all the sader by the fact that he was doing something special with his life and had an impact on so many people's life.

[OnTheBlack]

The Santa Monica Observer was apparently prepared to run a story suggesting Tyler Skaggs died of an opioid overdose, but pulled it before it was published due to threats from local police and the Angels organization.

It was posted online last week before being pulled. It didn’t suggest they had any type of inside knowledge whatsoever, they were speculating on reasons why young people can pass away. It was very reckless as well as bizarrely worded/written.

 

 

Well, that's irresponsible.

 

I'm also curious why Dan Rather has an opinion on this. I used to think he kinda got the short end of the stick, but all the same, I see zero reason for him to open up his mouth about how his COD should be made pubic.

 

I get the opiate epidemic. I've struggled with it just a little bit. Lots of surgeries, lots of injuries and they handed out pain pills. Actually got Oxy Contin 80 MG's over a 3 month people for period(270 total, taken as needed).

 

By the time I got done, I was still young and I didn't know what withdrawl felt like. I was so sick and so miserable that if I hadn't been so naive at the time, I'd have called anyone I knew and tried to get my hands on whatever would have made that pain go away.

 

As it is, I spent 3-4 days in bed, went to my regular doctor, told him, he said I could go to rehab or if I felt comfortable, that I was mostly through the worst part and he give me things to minimize the affects. Some xanax so I could sleep, and then a mix of stuff like ensure, and whatever, I don't remember.

 

But this was before the whole thing was really becoming mainstream.

 

So I understand wanting to get more information out there about how you can die and you can die far easier now than 15 years ago when I was taking the pills if you swich over because of the fentanyl.

 

 

 

But if you have ZERO CLUE that had ANYTHING to do with the death of this young man, don't start an article speculating. It doesn't do anyone ANY good. Frankly, even if you do know, the benefit of revealing this information is negligible to the harm it would cause the family.

[The stache]

Yeah, this is terrible. Tyler Skaggs died about 15 minutes from where I live, in Southlake. I feel awful for his family, friends and teammates. His new wife, most of all.

 

I don't know what it is with the Angels. Tragedy just seems to follow the team, and show up every so often. Lyman Bostock, Nick Adenhart, Tyler Skaggs. Let's not forget Donnie Moore, who committed suicide soon after he retired from baseball. He never recovered after giving up the home run to Dave Henderson in the '86 ALCS. Injuries derailed his career, but mentally, he blamed himself on costing the Angels their first pennant.

[Smichaelis9]

Yeah, this is terrible. Tyler Skaggs died about 15 minutes from where I live, in Southlake. I feel awful for his family, friends and teammates. His new wife, most of all.

 

I don't know what it is with the Angels. Tragedy just seems to follow the team, and show up every so often. Lyman Bostock, Nick Adenhart, Tyler Skaggs. Let's not forget Donnie Moore, who committed suicide soon after he retired from baseball. He never recovered after giving up the home run to Dave Henderson in the '86 ALCS. Injuries derailed his career, but mentally, he blamed himself on costing the Angels their first pennant.

Luis Valbuena passed last year as well after finishing the season an Angel as well

[markedman5]

 

[JimH5]

The possible connection to an Angels employee is the real surprise. It could be a teammate or coach, or a lower level person...I guess we'll find out.

 

I hope this serves as a wakeup call for the rest of the league.

[jerichoholicninja]

The possible connection to an Angels employee is the real surprise. It could be a teammate or coach, or a lower level person...I guess we'll find out.

 

I hope this serves as a wakeup call for the rest of the league.

 

I think the obvious answer would be someone on the training staff. Probably not the head guy but someone in that area.

[jason21nl]

It's crazy to think that an employee might be responsible for supplying everything but I bet he didn't force it down Tyler.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's crazy to think that an employee might be responsible for supplying everything but I bet he didn't force it down Tyler.

 

I bet no one would think that either, which makes it not very necessary to mention. Can we do one of these without the person that has to come in and remind everyone that he made a bad choice? Does anyone not know that? It wouldn't change the fact there is blame to go around.

 

As far as the earlier topic of why this needs to be public: Now you know. Because it wouldn't be that much of a leap to find out someone or some people are supplying MLB players with these drugs illegally.

[jason21nl]

There's consequences for actions. Some are far worse than others. The family is essentially placing blame on someone else by saying it was out of character for someone that worked so hard. Mistake or not he chose to do this. Just like a drunk driver chooses to get behind the wheel.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There's consequences for actions.

 

Really? I'm pretty sure everyone knows that. There would also be consequences for illegally supplying drugs, so if this person did that, they should also face them.

 

His family just lost their kid. He's dead, he's not coming back. I find their reaction pretty normal, and what would you have them do? "Well, Tyler made his choice. I hope the drug dealer moves on from this and becomes a stronger person."

 

That drunk driving analogy is pretty terrible. I can go to Pick n Save and buy a handle of Vodka, chug it in the parking lot and go home. There's no crime there other than the one I committed.

[AKCheesehead]

There's consequences for actions. Some are far worse than others. The family is essentially placing blame on someone else by saying it was out of character for someone that worked so hard. Mistake or not he chose to do this. Just like a drunk driver chooses to get behind the wheel.

 

If a person buys somebody a drink or shares a hit of their smoke with them, and that person makes bad catastrophic decisions later on, that's one thing. On the other hand, in my opinion, the only reason to supply somebody with fentanyl is if you're deliberately trying to kill them.

[adambr2]

There's consequences for actions.

 

Really? I'm pretty sure everyone knows that. There would also be consequences for illegally supplying drugs, so if this person did that, they should also face them.

 

His family just lost their kid. He's dead, he's not coming back. I find their reaction pretty normal, and what would you have them do? "Well, Tyler made his choice. I hope the drug dealer moves on from this and becomes a stronger person."

 

That drunk driving analogy is pretty terrible. I can go to Pick n Save and buy a handle of Vodka, chug it in the parking lot and go home. There's no crime there other than the one I committed.

 

But if you struck and killed a pedestrian on your way home you'd probably be serving 10-15 years, just like that. There's certainly some blame to go around, but Skaggs did pay for poor choices. Obviously, I feel awful for his family regardless, and I'm sure this doesn't make it easier.

 

I don't see that them saying it was out of character is blaming someone else for it. I'm sure it's devastating news for them.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

The family is essentially placing blame on someone else by saying it was out of character for someone that worked so hard.

 

I could do some lines tonight and overdose and it would still be out of character for me because I've never done it. Not seeing how that's "essentially placing blame on someone else."

[jason21nl]

They should absolutely find the person supplying the drugs. I see this all the time. The dealer will receive incredible amount of hate (which he should) but people forget that Tyler was the one who probably sought out the drugs. I have very little sympathy for those that choose to go down that path. I feel sad for the family.

 

If that makes me a jerk then so be it but I've had friends killed because people made bad decisions.

[BigAlBarampGrill]

They say that addiction is a family disease and often times not only the addict but his/her also lives in denial.

[JimH5]

It's ridiculously irresponsible to speculate who supplied what, what Skaggs knew, and then to cast blame and responsibility for stuff none of us knows anything about.

[jason21nl]

It's ridiculously irresponsible to speculate who supplied what, what Skaggs knew, and then to cast blame and responsibility for stuff none of us knows anything about.

 

If it turns out that something happened and drugs entered his body other than his own doing I'll apologize. 15 years around law enforcement will bet you that's not the case.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

There's consequences for actions.

 

Really? I'm pretty sure everyone knows that. There would also be consequences for illegally supplying drugs, so if this person did that, they should also face them.

 

His family just lost their kid. He's dead, he's not coming back. I find their reaction pretty normal, and what would you have them do? "Well, Tyler made his choice. I hope the drug dealer moves on from this and becomes a stronger person."

 

That drunk driving analogy is pretty terrible. I can go to Pick n Save and buy a handle of Vodka, chug it in the parking lot and go home. There's no crime there other than the one I committed.

 

But if you struck and killed a pedestrian on your way home you'd probably be serving 10-15 years, just like that. There's certainly some blame to go around, but Skaggs did pay for poor choices. Obviously, I feel awful for his family regardless, and I'm sure this doesn't make it easier.

 

I don't see that them saying it was out of character is blaming someone else for it. I'm sure it's devastating news for them.

 

My point wasn't about not hitting a pedestrian. It's that the crime can be committed without anyone else breaking the law. That's probably not the case here, where you first need to find someone else doing something probably against the law.

 

I'm not seeing anything really egregious about the family statement. It's basically Tyler made a mistake and we have an attorney for the potential civil suit, I'd guess?

 

Everyone knows he was dumb to do what he did. It literally makes no difference in assigning blame to this other party. Nobody is making the argument that he didn't seek out the drugs or make a series of bad choices. It's nauseating to see that point brought up every time some celebrity overdoses. We all get it - you're really not being a hard ass or going against the grain. Drugs are bad and he shouldn't have been using them? Gee, whoa.

 

He is dead so it is difficult to blame him in court.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

It's ridiculously irresponsible to speculate who supplied what, what Skaggs knew, and then to cast blame and responsibility for stuff none of us knows anything about.

 

If it turns out that something happened and drugs entered his body other than his own doing I'll apologize. 15 years around law enforcement will bet you that's not the case.

 

Pretty sure that's not at all what he meant. More like, we have no clue how he got them. It could have been a doctor, he could have had access he shouldn't have had, he could've stolen them. It could have been a damn clubhouse attendant with a hook up. We have no idea.

[jason21nl]

You'd think that's the case. However it's not. Families very rarely accept any responsibility or blame for their child.

[brooks_quichenick]

The statement from the family with mention of an Angels employee just sounds like a grieving family searching for answers and trying to deal with finding out things about their loved one they either didn't know or don't want to believe.

 

Very sad situation all around, opiates are such a scourge, a very profitable scourge for pharma companies.

[OldSchoolSnapper]

That's how I read it as well. If someone in the org illegally supplied him, I don't see an issue with them filing a civil suit. The courts will look at the facts. Their only other option would be to accept his decisions and move on with their lives, which would be an exceptionally courageous reaction that I wouldn't expect of most people.

[jason21nl]

I guess I read it differently. I hope they find the answers so they can prevent this from happening again.

[Jopal78]

No young man without a crippling disease is going to have a script for Fentanyl especially in the era of the Opioid Crisis where the Federal government scrutinizes providers writing scripts for opioids.. People with laminectomies, knee replacements, amputations get Fentanyl. Not young otherwise healthy pro athletes.

 

He partied too hard and probably was ignorant that opioids slow your respiration rate, and accidentally offed himself. Too bad, but fairly common in today’s world