Young Adenhart death breaks Angels' hearts

ANAHEIM, California – Los Angeles Angels players and fans honored 23-year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart in a pre-game ceremony Friday after the young pitcher was killed by a suspected drunk driver.

Teammates Torii Hunter and John Lackey stood on the pitcher’s mound at Angel Stadium, each holding Adenhart’s jersey, their caps off and heads bowed.

The rest of the Angels took their places along the third-base line, while the Boston Red Sox lined up on the first-base side. The pregame music went quiet and a hush fell over the crowd.

Adenhart and two of his friends were killed about 36 hours earlier in a car crash after being broadsided in a collision.

Andrew Thomas Gallo, a 22-year-old from San Gabriel, was charged with three counts of murder by the Orange County district attorney on Friday. He ran a red light in his minivan and hit the car carrying Adenhart and his friends, police said.

Hours later, Adenhart’s face appeared on the stadium’s video board, followed by clips of him pitching Wednesday against Oakland in the best game of his brief major league career.

After the ceremony, Lackey carried Adenhart’s jersey back to the dugout, while Hunter jogged to center field, headed to the picture of Adenhart on the wall. Hunter touched the photo, then took his usual position to start the game.        (AP)