The Angels have maintained the spontaneous fan memorial to Nick Adenhart all season outside of the stadium.
This is an open thread to discuss your ideas on how to honor Nick Adenhart's memory at the stadium in perpetuity.
Would it not behoove the club to consider making any such memorial also honor the three other players (Dick Wantz, Mike Miley and Lyman Bostock) who died while on the club's active roster?
0 recs | 41 comments
For Starters
I think we should keep the Adenhart memorial on the outfield wall.
ryanfea - October 27, 2009
Maybe expand it to include Miley, Wantz and Bostock.
halofan4life - October 27, 2009
Each of these guys is a different story.
The biggest impacts to me in order were Adenhart, Bostock, Miley, Wantz, and even Donnie Moore (I know, you wrote "active roster, and Moore was not part of the active roster when he took his own life). I barely remember Miley, and I don’t recall Wantz.
Adenhart was unique in so many aspects;
1) A highly touted phenom slowly but surely rounding into prime.
2) A call up to the bigs in 2008 that didn’t pan out so well. Can you still see the look of fear or desperation in his eyes when he pitched in ‘08? I remember him saying…he couldn’t get the game to slow down. So he went back to the minors to grow a bit more.
3) The blossoming of his maturity and talent in spring training earlier this year. I attended a game in March where he faced the Brewers. He looked so much more confident and assured.
4) The lone start against the A’s this year, followed by…
This is in no way intended as a slight to any of the others. But the fate of Adenhart is truly unique and definitely deserving of some permanent recognition. Perhaps the others deserve some recognition, but I would not mix it into an Adenhart memorial. Nick deserves a fully separate and permanent memorial.
sothball - October 27, 2009
But wasn't Bostock ready to burst out at the seams so to speak in terms of coming into his prime?
halofan4life - October 27, 2009
That's why I wrote hat each was a unique story
Bostock had already achieved a measure of success with Minnesota, and signed as a FA with the Angels. His death – aside from being as senseless as Adenhart’s – was as much an emotional blow as Adenhart. The difference to me is Lyman had at least some time to play the game…to show his ability. Adenhart was killed just as he was…about to show what he could do? That to me is the greater tragedy. We will never know just how good he could have been.
Again, this isn’t to cheapen the death of any of the others. But to group them together into one memorial I think lessens the unique tragedy and memory of Nick.
sothball - October 27, 2009
Ok. Thank you for carifying that further.
halofan4life - October 27, 2009
Who was it
That was killed by gun fire? Was it Lyman?
Angelfan1983 - October 28, 2009
Yep.
red floyd - October 28, 2009
I think a collective memorial would be very nice.
A permanent monument under the caps, perhaps.
As for Adenhart, my personal take is that with the season conclusion, it is time to move forward. Hence the change back to my normal avatar, from my memorial tribue avatar.
Stirrups - October 27, 2009
Agreed
and it should include all “fallen” Angels, however I do not want to see the memorial as a statue. A pillar, plaque, or another type of monument should be classy and respectful to the memories of Nick, Lyman, and the others. Nick meant something to all of us Halo fans, but for as senseless as Lyman’s death was, I’ll venture to say the hurt hasn’t been identical to the Angel family. Each man brought something special to the organization, but they are just men and just as likely to have fallen victim to senseless tragedy as any of us, so perhaps the non-baseball player sides of these men should be represented in the memorial somehow.
Slasher52 - October 27, 2009
Yes.
Gotta turn the page at some point.
A plaque would be a fantastic idea, at some location in the ballpark,..Nick hit home the hardest for me, but that is purely relative. All these deaths are very sad and tragic, and each needs to be honored equally.
clover_black - October 27, 2009
Quote from Tim Mead in the article about this at the Angels official website
“We want Nick to be a part of this as Mr. Autry is, as Jimmie Reese is — forever,” Mead said. “How we choose to signify that will be the appropriate thing.”
ryanfea - October 27, 2009
retiring number 34?
Sorbo182 - October 27, 2009
I think something simple with an eternal flame lit would be appropriate.
And have it be accessible to the fans so that they could continue to lay momentos around it or on it.
44FAN - October 27, 2009
I can't imagine anything going wrong with fans setting things on an eternal flame.
clover_black - October 27, 2009
Put it at the top of the A
I’ve never seen anyone put their stuff up there.
TheTypingFiend - October 27, 2009
I meant on the memorial, not on the flame itself smart ass.
44FAN - October 27, 2009
I respectfully suggest a statue of Nick
and an unofficial retiring of his number.
rspencer - October 27, 2009
what do you mean by unofficial?
just not giving number 34 out anymore but not putting on the wall with the retired numbers?
Sorbo182 - October 27, 2009
I don't think #34 should be used by the Angels anymore...
Officially or unofficially…both Nick and Donnie Moore had that number….and honestly, what player would want it?
hbhalofan - October 27, 2009
Donnie Moore was 37
ladybug - October 27, 2009
details bug
that pretty close
Moondoggy - October 28, 2009
Yes
Retire it officially ten years or so from now, maybe, but not now.
rspencer - October 28, 2009
You are correct--my bad
didn’t look at picture I dug out carefully enough.
hbhalofan - October 27, 2009
How about giving him a permanent locker
like put hit jersey and all his stuff in there, and put a glass casing over it. On the outside the picture on the wall is awesome and he always be with u out there flying over the field.
angelskid2210 - October 27, 2009
creeeeeepy...
bc56274 - October 28, 2009
retire the number
Angels_48 - October 27, 2009
Not to sound heartless, but it's time to move on.
I thought it got a little tacky at the end of the year, when MLB was talking up his death on their baseball commercials. Like they were going to win the World Series because one of their teammates died. I thought, in a way, it kind of cheapened his horrific tragedy.
An aunt of mine used to keep her mother’s ashes in an urn on her mantle. I could understand it helping the healing process, but to keep it up too long seemed kind of bizarre in a way. I think keeping his picture on the centerfield wall would be equally creepy. 2009 was the year of Nick, but now it’s time to move on.
I hope that didn’t come across as ultra-insensitive, it wasn’t my intention.
bc56274 - October 28, 2009
there are many opinions on this subject
and you took a great risk in voicing what might be an unpopular opinion.
You did so with the utmost respect so no harm can be taken even with those who disagree with you. Props.
Rev Halofan - October 28, 2009
agreed
and you said nothing harmful like f you, you’re stupid, etc
Halos in DE - October 28, 2009
I agree
it’s not like you are proposing a memorial plack in the Budweiser Pavilion.
However the irony there would be that it would serve as a constant reminder to those who are throwing down a brew or two to be Responsible!!!
Dono Romantico - October 28, 2009
+1
I agree with your opinion… we will not forget, but we also don’t need CONSTANT reminders.
A statue, however, would be an honorable way of memorializing Nick’s memory. I think it should be prominently displayed out in front of the stadium and not off to the side inside the gates like Autry or Michelle Carew’s statues.
Downing Rules - October 28, 2009
I really think number retiring at start of season next year
is both appropriate and respectful. Don’t want to go over the top, and you don’t want a bust or an effigy that are generally tacky. Number retiring is perfect.
linkbruin - October 28, 2009
Gotta disagree with you re tacky comment
if by “effigy” you mean a statue. There’s a statue of Rod Carew’s daughter Michelle, whose long struggle with cancer was one of the Angels community’s concerns for several years. I don’t think that’s tacky; I think it’s nice.
rspencer - October 28, 2009
Agree to disagree
Effigies always look funny to me, and they seem like they’re trying to be too real if that makes sense.
linkbruin - October 28, 2009
That's cool
If it’s cool with you that I’m a Trojan. The cardinal and gold kind, that is. ;-)
rspencer - October 29, 2009
I graduated
So I’m a lot more ok with the cardinal and gold now. I’ll never root for you guys, but you’re ok by me.
linkbruin - October 29, 2009
I'm related to Bruins myself
So I’m the same way. I root for the Bruins when not playing the Trojans (or SJ State, my parents’ Alma Mater).
rspencer - October 29, 2009
I watched the Real Sports with Bryant Gumble
piece last night and you want to talk about tear jerking, wow. That was such a good piece and with all do respect to everybody that has helped me get passed it. I think this whole team is now going to be passed it and they will keep the memorial on the wall up, but other than that I think they are just going to go out and play ball.
The ones that should never forget and will never forget are his mom and dad. They were both in so many pieces it was hard to watch. His dad gos to the little league field every night and talks to him just to get help himself out. Mr. Adenhart is going to keep Nick with all the Angels.
RIP #34
angelskid2210 - October 28, 2009
my idea
cut out his locker and give it to the family. instead of replacing the locker, leave it as an empty space and have a Fallen Angels memorial in its place (something like a painting or a big 34 and the other numbers on it).
by unofficial retire, it means the players do not chose a number (like they do for Salmon and Finley – according to wikipedia), like it was officially retired, but in actuality it is not.
Halos in DE - October 28, 2009
That's really sad about Dick Wantz
I’d never even heard of him
Higz - October 28, 2009
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