Yesterday Once More

2009-09-30 - 12:52 p.m.

We're going to set the WAYBAC machine and go back to yesterday's post for a bit.

If you haven't done so, please go read it and then come back.

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Back? Okay, good.

There has been commentary elsewhere about Nick Adenhart's jersey being doused in beer and cheap champagne during the Angels' celebration Monday night. Since Adenhart died in a car accident due to an allegedly drunk driver, some have questioned the appropriateness of doing that.

According to a story in today's OC Register:

Angels vice president for communications Tim Mead said the team received supportive communications from Adenhart's family, as well as from the family of another victim of the collision, Henry Pearson, and the lone survivor, Jon Wilhite.

Mead said the families "congratulated this organization on what's transpired and were very, very appreciative of the continuation of recognizing Nick and the mentioning of all four involved by some of our players."

Wilhite's father, Tony, said he cautions his family frequently about the perils of drunk driving, but that he had no problem with the Angels' form of celebration.

"I wasn't upset by it. It seemed kind of different, but there was no harm meant at all," Wilhite said. "I know the love they have for Nick and everyone else. I know it's there, because I saw it."

Columnist Jeff Miller says the following in his own article:

What the Angels did Monday upon clinching the American League West was, in fact, straight from those wounded hearts.

They poured booze over each other in silly celebration, and then poured more over Adenhart's jersey in sober tribute.

Think of it this way: If Adenhart had been in that clubhouse with them, his jersey would have been just as soaked as it wound up being in his absence.

In a very deep way then, he was in that room. Once again. Just like he has been all season. Just another Angel, Adenhart's locker remaining intact, his jersey hanging in the dugout - home and away.

As grossly inappropriate as it might have appeared - and, trust us, we were initially stunned - what the Angels did wasn't an act of indecency but an act of inclusion, a blind and unadulterated embrace of a lost teammate.

What they did upon reaching their first goal was the same thing they did throughout the pursuit. They included Nick Adenhart.

[...]

As Manager Mike Scioscia said afterward: "These guys want to pay tribute to Nick in any way they can. They've felt that way all season."

He never really has left this team, Adenhart literally woven into the Angels' fabric on a patch each player wears over his heart.

That's how I took it, and how the families of those involved took it.

If there's any other question of "what were they thinking", then look at this:

If you thought they were disrespecting him in their revelry, you didn't see any of the Angels who approached his locker late Monday night - music still pounding and suds still exploding - and bowed their heads in prayer.

Like I said...this team is a class act.

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Oh, one more thing before I go.

I got the chance to be on the Angel Talk radio show last night. I asked the host, Angels broadcaster Terry Smith, if there were any plans that he knew of to retire Adenhart's number.

Smith told me that, although the Angels will keep Adenhart's memory alive with a pitcher's award named after him, there were no plans "at this time" to retire Adenhart's number.

Okay. I just hope they keep that mural up.

(Image originally posted at MonkeyWithAHalo.com)

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All right. That's it for now.

Be seeing you.

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