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

(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

For the Gutweiler family, where was their justice? How many families could Leonard Little have destroyed in 2004? Yet, all he got was an eight-game suspension, only 90 days in jail, and he continued to play football until 2008. Does it surprise you that so many athletes drive drunk?

Donte Stallworth is being charged with DUI manslaughter. But, how long will he be put in jail? Will he walk away from court with just a slap on the wrist, like Leonard Little? I hope not.

The Reyes family deserves better than that. Just like the Gutweiler family deserved better. Because in the eyes of the law all men are equal.

Regardless of the money you have or the status you hold, in a courtroom, you must be judged as any other person.

Now, I am a Yankees fan. I am a fan of Joba Chamberlain. He is an important player for the Yankees' drive to a 27th World Series win. Despite that, he should not be playing for the Yankees right now. He should be suspended.

Earlier this year, he pleaded guilty of driving under the influence. He was sentenced to nine months probation, a $400 fine, and his license was suspended for 60 days.

But, he will pitch for the Yankees as if nothing happened. How much damage could Joba Chamberlain have done due to his foolish and careless actions?

In this tragedy, Bud Selig and MLBPA need to come together to end the drunk driving of MLB players. Severe suspensions need to be in place to discourage drunk driving.

If a person is guilty of DUI or DWI, they should be suspended for half the season. If they cause injury to anyone that does not lead to death or debilitation, they should be suspended for the whole season.

If their reckless actions led to the death or paralysis or they convicted a second time, they should never be allowed on a baseball field again.

Players will then think twice about driving drunk because they could lose their careers and cost their teams a chance to win the World Series.

There can be no tolerance for these kind of actions. None. If you want to show these athletes leniency, then go to the Gutweiler family or the Reyes family and tell them that.

I do not want to make Nick Adenhart in to a martyr. He did not choose to give his life to this cause. He was a victim. Nor do I want to make the two others who died or those injured into martyrs. They were victims.

His family and the other families are victims of something that occurs too often. It is time for the MLB, along with all of the sports world to take a stand against drunk driving.

They must show no tolerance for these irresponsible and life-threatening actions. We, as fans, must show no tolerance.

We are too tolerant to those who commit DUIs. We still go to the games to watch these players and spend our money that goes to towards their contracts.

Our tolerance gives rise to the deaths of innocent people. Our tolerance gives rise to tears of grieving mothers and anger of loving fathers. Our tolerance gives rise to the shattering of families with no one around to pick up the pieces. How can you tolerate that?

I wish to apologize for not knowing the names of the other victims involved. More specifically, I would like to apologize to the victims' families and friends.

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