Coping with the loss of Tyler Skaggs

Spoiler alert: There is no easy answer. This is not an answer article. Or a piece on “how to”. I’m not a therapist and one size doesn’t always fit all. Everyone grieves in their own way. Everyone eventually moves on in their own way. Moving on doesn’t mean forgetting. The Show will go on... eventually... but it won’t be the same. It doesn’t have to be. It shouldn’t be. There is a Tyler Skaggs sized hole in all of us.

Death is never easy, especially when someone dies “too young”. Let’s face it - 27 is too young. It’s odd how the passing of someone you aren’t really close to can have such an impact on your life. A few years ago when Prince died - I cried. I had met him. I knew his sister and his brother on an an acquaintance level. But Prince and I weren’t friends. We weren’t family. I was a fan.

When you are a fan of someone, or a team, those players and people feel almost like family. Sure at times you rag on their performances, it’s what fans do. Of course at times like this, none of that matters. Yesterday I was in shock. For a while. Then tears came. Then still a bit of shock. I don’t even know what “stage” I’m in but I’ve definitely been through shock and denial.

There are a lot of questions like “How did it happen” or just “why?” But there are not always answers. In the case of how it happened, it’s sometimes easier to work through the grieving process when you have an answer. We will probably have that in time, but not now. It doesn’t matter right now. No need to speculate or wonder. We will find out in due time.

At some point the team, this site, friends & family have to ask how do you move on from such a tragedy? Tyler Skaggs’ shoes will never gain be filled in the Angels Clubhouse but in the coming days they may have to ask how do they replace an arm on the roster. It’s a reality they have to face - eventually. The difficult of running an organization and a clubhouse and getting back to your job will hit Billy Eppler and the team and managers the most. That first time they step on to a field to play will be hard. We don’t even know yet if that will be today since there has been no official announcement if today’s game will go on.

Here on this site we have had to ask ourselves a lot of questions. Yesterday when the news broke, the podcast Rick and I recorded on Sunday night was in the middle of publishing. I stopped that because it wasn’t the time. Jeff has some prospect interviews in queue but we have not yet published those. When is the time? Perhaps today. Perhaps tomorrow. It’s hard to say this site will get back to “normal” because what is normal? However, I hope this site IS a place were people feel a sense of “familiar”. Hopefully you all come here to feel a sense of comfort.

Yes, at some point soon our regular articles, podcasts, and banter will resume. But for now we honor and remember Tyler Skaggs. Tyler Skaggs the pitcher, the person, husband, the friend. That guy. Our own Steelgolf went to the Big A and snapped some photos (below).

When the Angels do take the field again, hopefully they will be donning #45 patches on their jerseys. A touching tribute to a life gone too soon.

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