The Tragic Death Of Nick Adenhart and How Baseball Needs To Send a Message

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

“I can drive.”

How many times have you heard people say that, even though they have had too much to drink? It is an all too common occurrence in America.

Too many people think they are capable of driving, ignoring the fact that they are impaired. You may have driven home drunk before and not been caught.

You may have not endangered your life or the life of another. On Thursday morning, April 9, 2009, drunk driving claimed another life, Nick Adenhart's.

Nick Adenhart was a pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Baseball America listed him the top prospect in the Angels' farm system.

In all of the minors, he was ranked 68th by Baseball America. He had started three games last year, but posted a 9.00 ERA. He was then demoted to the minor leagues.

But instead of regressing due to this setback, he worked diligently to improve himself and get back to the Big Leagues.

This spring training, his effort got him a spot in the Angels' starting rotation. It is always a risk to put a rookie pitcher into a Major League starting rotation, but, in his first start of the season, he did not disappoint.

He pitched six innings of shutout baseball. I did not watch the game in its entirety, but I did see the highlights of his performance. What struck me was his poise and his demeanor when he was in jams in the first and the fifth inning.

He looked unflappable as he pitched his way out of trouble. In a tight ball game, he kept his cool and delivered when it mattered. That is what being an Major League pitcher is all about.

Sadly, after a dream-fulfilling outing, Nick Adenhart was killed Thursday morning.

This is more than a tragic story. It is a sickening story that a young man with his whole life ahead of him was killed due to the reckless actions of another man. Andrew Gallo, a repeat offender, was convicted of DUI in 2006 and was arrested in 2007 for drunk and disorderly conduct.

He was driving with a suspended license. This man did not even have the decency to own up to his error. Instead of staying at the scene like a man, he fled like a coward.

Along with being a coward, Gallo is a murderer. Coward and murderer characterize Andrew Gallo perfectly, and I challenge anyone to refute that.

He is facing three murder charges and is looking at a lengthy jail sentence. However, drunk driving is an all too common thing when it comes to athletes, because they do not pay for their actions.

 I remember when Leonard Little killed Susan Gutweiler in 1998. His blood alcohol level was more that double the statutory limit in the state of Missouri. He pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

In many states, that merits at a lengthy prison sentence. However, Little only received 90 days of jail time, 1,000 hours of community service, and was placed on four years of probation.

Even after killing someone due to his drunk driving, Leonard Little was again arrested for DWI and speeding in 2004. He failed three sobriety tests and smelled of alcohol.

In being characterized as a persistent offender, he was charged with a felony. However, he was acquitted and only found guilty of a misdemeanor speeding charge.

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