By MIKE MASTOVICH
The Tribune-Democrat
JOHNSTOWN
April 10, 2009 12:05 am
—
Dean Albany felt a sense of satisfaction as he shut off his television early Thursday morning before going to sleep.
The former AAABA Tournament manager from Baltimore had just watched one of his “boys” toss six shutout innings in the major leagues during a Wednesday night game on the West Coast. The three-hour time difference cost Albany some sleep, but he was too pleased to mind.
A few hours later, everything changed.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart died at age 22 after a driver ran a red light and crashed into the vehicle in which Adenhart was a passenger. Police said the driver fled the scene, and after being apprehended, was reportedly over the legal blood alcohol level.
“I went to bed last night with a smile on my face thinking about how much Nick’s progressed and how great of a big league pitcher he’s going to be for the next 15 years, only to wake up to that phone call,” said an obviously shaken Albany during a Thursday afternoon telephone interview. “I literally shut off my TV after the sixth inning, brushed my teeth, went to bed and got up to that phone call.”
Albany recently stepped down as Baltimore’s AAABA manager in order to assume a GM role with the six-time defending champion franchise. But he remains close to his former players and their families.
Adenhart pitched as a 16-year-old in the 2003 AAABA Tournament. That year, his Youse’s Maryland Orioles won the tournament championship in Johns-town, starting a string of six consecutive AAABA Tournament crowns for the Baltimore team.
“He was a very young,
16-year-old mature kid (in 2003),” Albany said. “He realized he had all the talent in the world, but he realized it wasn’t about him. Nick realized it was about the team, and he would do anything to help the team. The guys on the team loved him. You’d have to be on the bench to understand. For a young kid who was a starting pitcher at 15, 16 years old, most of them would get bored because they’d only pitch every so often. But he was always working on things. He liked being around the guys. He was just one of the guys.”
His AAABA Tournament success – including Baltimore wins during his starts against Philadelphia and Washington
– was only the beginning for the 6-foot-4 right-hander.
The youngster progressed through the minors and made his major league debut last season. This spring, Adenhart earned the No. 3 spot in the Los Angeles Angels’ starting rotation. He pitched Wednesday night against the Oakland Athletics in Anaheim.
“He was incredible (Wednesday),” Albany said. “Last year he was the youngest pitcher in baseball. He was on an early pace. It really wasn’t that long ago that Nick was playing for us. Now he was the third starter for the Angels, a team that’s going to be a contender.”
The Angels’ game against Oakland on Thursday night was postponed.
The tragedy stunned players, managers and fans throughout the major leagues.
“A young man realizes his dream of making the big leagues, pitches six shutout innings, drives home and he’s gone,” New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “Your heart goes out to that young man and his family. It makes you realize how precious life is. You have to be happy to wake up every day.”
Adenhart is survived by his parents, Jim and Janet. His father attended Wednesday’s game to see his son’s season debut.
“His father flew out here from Baltimore to watch him start last night, so his father is here, obviously going through a great deal of grief,” Angels spokesman Tim Mead said Thursday.
“He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring and compassionate people,” the Adenhart family said in a statement released through the team.
“The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick’s loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone’s hearts forever.”
Adenhart was among a group of former AAABA Tournament players to make their mark in the major leagues recently. Last season, Adenhart joined former Baltimore pitcher Gavin Floyd of the White Sox, former Washington pitcher Joe Saunders of the Angels and former Baltimore MVP Kevin Hart of the Cubs as relatively young former AAABA players in the majors.
“I’m astounded, and really disheartened, by the news that we’ve lost an outstanding player who played for Baltimore and was involved in the AAABA,” said AAABA Executive Director Bob Wolfe of Zanesville. “He’s another one of the great players who played in Johnstown and made it to the big leagues. It’s a real tragedy that this young man didn’t have a chance to go on and have a great career in the big leagues. It doesn’t seem right at times that things are taken away from us because of someone else’s stupidity.”
Johnstown Oldtimers President George Arcurio III remembered Adenhart having a solid 2003 tournament.
“It’s a really sad situation. You never know what will happen,” Arcurio said. “He did very well when he was here. I know Dean Albany was very close to him. Some of the other big-time managers in the tournament had some really high hopes for him and his career. This is a big blow to Major League Baseball and organizations like ours. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick’s family, friends and teammates.”
Albany said he still was in disbelief Thursday night.
“It’s tough on everybody,” Albany said. “It’s no secret that Nick Adenhart and Gavin Floyd are two prized possessions to come out of our organization during the last five or six years. They were two of the best pitchers I’ve seen in my life. But even taking out the baseball, this kid was a good kid. Even if he didn’t have baseball he would have done something great in his life. To see him snatched away like that is a shock.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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