R.I.P. Nick Adenhart of the Los Angeles Angels

So apparently my blog has now become one grand obituary. The latest death isn't a suicide and isn't shrouded in mystery though. It's the result of an incompetent piece of shit who ran a red light.

Nick Adenhart was going somewhere in life. He was one of the best pitching prospects in the game and had great potential to have a long and successful career in baseball. Now all that's gone because of one bad decision.

"Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed in a felony hit-and-run car accident in Fullerton, California early this morning -- hours after he pitched in a game last night.

Cops say someone driving a minivan blew through a red light, causing the Mitsubishi that Adenhart and three others were riding in to hit a light pole. Three of the four people in the Mitsubishi were killed in the crash -- Nick, another man and a woman -- while the fourth person remains in the hospital.

Cops say the person driving the van fled the scene -- but was later caught and charged with felony hit-and-run. The suspect is also being treated for injuries in a local hospital.

We're told one of the other men killed in the crash was also affiliated with the Angels organization.

Nick was 22 years old.

FYI -- Nick pitched his ass off last night, striking out 5 guys in 6 scoreless innings. His performance was hailed by sportswriters as a "brilliant effort by a 22-year-old right-hander making his fourth Major League start."

He had only pitched in 3 games last year and was going to finally get his chance as a starter in 2009. In fact, he pitched brilliantly last night before he died (6 innings, 5 strikeouts, no runs). He was also ranked as the 35th top prospect of 50 at mlb.com.

I'm glad to say that I was in attendance at one of his 4 major league appearances last year when he pitched against the Chicago White Sox. That game will be the only one he ever won in the majors. Very, very sad.