The Angels are in town for a four game series against the Texas Rangers. Yesterday, as everyone was preparing for the game, the news came down that Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs had passed away suddenly. I am a life long Texas Rangers fan, and as such I have never had much love for the Angels. That didn’t matter yesterday.
The tragedy of someone losing a life transcends all sports and rivalry. Sports seem meaningless in a moment like that. We tend to think of athletes as overpaid performers who play a game for a living. Sometimes we forget they are regular people with athletic talent. Regular people who make dear friendships in the game and across team lines. Games don’t seem to matter much at a time like this. There are hurting people in both club houses. The Texas fan base is sad for the Angels and for the Skaggs family. Our hearts hurt as well. No one cares about rivalry or team affiliation right now.
The Rangers and Angels will play a game tonight as scheduled. Fans will come and cheer on their team and players. Players will have a heavy heart and fans will as well. They are all only human after all. If you believe in a higher power, then you should pray for the Angels and for the Skaggs family. We always need to remember that rivalry means nothing when it comes to the human condition. I love the Rangers and I love baseball. Baseball lost a good player and a good person in Tyler Skaggs. The Angels lost a brother and a teammate. Let’s remember that as we go out to the park tonight to cheer on our team.
The rivalry ends when it comes to compassion and to grieving together. I hope the Angels and Angels fans know that we stand with them and pray for them as they go through this difficult time.
