Post by TheShadow on May 5, 2009 15:11:31 GMT -5
www.insidebayarea.com
By Cam Inman
Staff columnist
OAKLAND
THE NO. 34 jersey of late pitcher Nick Adenhart hangs alone in a locker at the far corner of the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse here at the Coliseum.
Not only is that red shirt brought wherever the Angels play since his fatal car accident last month, his locker in Anaheim remains virtually how he left it.
Such memorials — ghost lockers, if you will — aren't necessarily unusual in sports. They're a tremendous symbol of respect. But how appropriate is their constant presence and how long should they last?
There is no correct answer. Everyone mourns differently. Every legacy is different. Every honor is obviously well intentioned, but it also might be received differently depending upon each individual.
Should there be any concern that saving a deceased player a locker might eventually weigh too much on the minds of young athletes? Might those reminders become too painful?
The Raiders face similar questions this week as they prepare for their first minicamp since linebacker Marquis Cooper was lost at sea some two months ago.
Perhaps Cooper will be memorialized by having his jersey and a photo placed inside a locker at the team's Alameda facility. Free safety Eric Turner received that tribute — among others — after he died in 2000 from stomach cancer. Turner's locker stayed vacant throughout that season.
Death is a sensitive subject, and while it isn't exactly a taboo one, it can be uncomfortable to address. But sports teams are intent on honoring colleagues in a way most of
most of us can't totally grasp. We don't see our co-workers' office cubicles getting encased in glass after deaths, do we?
"I guess it all depends on how you handle death. It's a personal thing," A's first baseman Jason Giambi said before Monday night's game. "They obviously enjoyed having Nick around, and if they feel they still have him around, that's awesome."
Adenhart died mere hours after pitching against the A's on April 8. He was 22.
"It's something we'll live with every day," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's not about us. It's about Jim and Janet losing a son. We'll support the family every way we can. We're going to carry Nick's memory and accomplishments forward. (The locker) is one small way to honor and respectfully show how we feel to his family."
Of course it is. But what if that locker becomes counterproductive to the Angels' tender mind-set?
"It's not about us. I told you, it's not about us," Scioscia said. "It's about supporting Nick's family."
The family of slain Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams granted permission last weekend for Williams' former number (27) to come out of its two-year hiatus, at the request of first-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno.
So exactly how long is enough to honor someone? One year? Two? Five? Ten? Infinity?
Williams' locker, by the way, wasn't preserved, and it even was given to his replacement, Dre' Bly.
The 49ers have two glass-encased lockers at their Santa Clara facility, one honoring former offensive lineman Thomas Herrion (who suddenly passed away after a 2005 exhibition game) and the other for offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick (who died of cancer in 2000).
McKittrick's is in the coaches' private locker room, complete with his trademark hat, other gear and a photo of him with ex-49ers coaches Bill Walsh, George Seifert and Steve Mariucci. Herrion's locker has been much more visible. It was near the doors that players exit to the practice field before getting moved during the facility's current renovation. It's stayed intact, however, and includes an action photo, a jersey, sunflower seeds, tape, helmet, pads and even foot spray.
Cal football has honored Joe Roth with a glass-encased locker since 2001. Two years after Roth died in 1977, the Yankees lost Thurman Munson, whose locker was maintained for 30 years before it moved this year into their new stadium's museum.
The Angels aren't about to distance themselves from Adenhart's memory, nor should they. While his jersey has a home in road clubhouses, massive tributes remain back home. Shrines of flowers and mementos still exist outside Angel Stadium and at the Fullerton crash site.
"As a human being, that's what you want in life, that you affected other people's lives," Giambi said.
Maintaining a lost teammate's locker is one way to pay tribute. How that's done varies from team to team, from one legacy to the next.
By Cam Inman
Staff columnist
OAKLAND
THE NO. 34 jersey of late pitcher Nick Adenhart hangs alone in a locker at the far corner of the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse here at the Coliseum.
Not only is that red shirt brought wherever the Angels play since his fatal car accident last month, his locker in Anaheim remains virtually how he left it.
Such memorials — ghost lockers, if you will — aren't necessarily unusual in sports. They're a tremendous symbol of respect. But how appropriate is their constant presence and how long should they last?
There is no correct answer. Everyone mourns differently. Every legacy is different. Every honor is obviously well intentioned, but it also might be received differently depending upon each individual.
Should there be any concern that saving a deceased player a locker might eventually weigh too much on the minds of young athletes? Might those reminders become too painful?
The Raiders face similar questions this week as they prepare for their first minicamp since linebacker Marquis Cooper was lost at sea some two months ago.
Perhaps Cooper will be memorialized by having his jersey and a photo placed inside a locker at the team's Alameda facility. Free safety Eric Turner received that tribute — among others — after he died in 2000 from stomach cancer. Turner's locker stayed vacant throughout that season.
Death is a sensitive subject, and while it isn't exactly a taboo one, it can be uncomfortable to address. But sports teams are intent on honoring colleagues in a way most of
most of us can't totally grasp. We don't see our co-workers' office cubicles getting encased in glass after deaths, do we?
"I guess it all depends on how you handle death. It's a personal thing," A's first baseman Jason Giambi said before Monday night's game. "They obviously enjoyed having Nick around, and if they feel they still have him around, that's awesome."
Adenhart died mere hours after pitching against the A's on April 8. He was 22.
"It's something we'll live with every day," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's not about us. It's about Jim and Janet losing a son. We'll support the family every way we can. We're going to carry Nick's memory and accomplishments forward. (The locker) is one small way to honor and respectfully show how we feel to his family."
Of course it is. But what if that locker becomes counterproductive to the Angels' tender mind-set?
"It's not about us. I told you, it's not about us," Scioscia said. "It's about supporting Nick's family."
The family of slain Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams granted permission last weekend for Williams' former number (27) to come out of its two-year hiatus, at the request of first-round draft pick Knowshon Moreno.
So exactly how long is enough to honor someone? One year? Two? Five? Ten? Infinity?
Williams' locker, by the way, wasn't preserved, and it even was given to his replacement, Dre' Bly.
The 49ers have two glass-encased lockers at their Santa Clara facility, one honoring former offensive lineman Thomas Herrion (who suddenly passed away after a 2005 exhibition game) and the other for offensive line coach Bobb McKittrick (who died of cancer in 2000).
McKittrick's is in the coaches' private locker room, complete with his trademark hat, other gear and a photo of him with ex-49ers coaches Bill Walsh, George Seifert and Steve Mariucci. Herrion's locker has been much more visible. It was near the doors that players exit to the practice field before getting moved during the facility's current renovation. It's stayed intact, however, and includes an action photo, a jersey, sunflower seeds, tape, helmet, pads and even foot spray.
Cal football has honored Joe Roth with a glass-encased locker since 2001. Two years after Roth died in 1977, the Yankees lost Thurman Munson, whose locker was maintained for 30 years before it moved this year into their new stadium's museum.
The Angels aren't about to distance themselves from Adenhart's memory, nor should they. While his jersey has a home in road clubhouses, massive tributes remain back home. Shrines of flowers and mementos still exist outside Angel Stadium and at the Fullerton crash site.
"As a human being, that's what you want in life, that you affected other people's lives," Giambi said.
Maintaining a lost teammate's locker is one way to pay tribute. How that's done varies from team to team, from one legacy to the next.