Teammates pay tribute to Skaggs
Late Angels pitcher, 27, was competitive and witty
LOS ANGELES — Tyler Skaggs stood in front of an Angels logo a week ago, flanked by star teammate Shohei Ohtani and a translator. They were filming a video to drum up All-Star support for another teammate, Tommy La Stella. Ohtani dutifully extolled the virtues of La Stella as Skaggs stood nearby wearing a grin.
“And,” Skaggs said when Ohtani’s translation was complete, “he’s pretty hairy.”
Skaggs, the 27-year-old Angels pitcher found dead in his hotel room in Southlake, Texas, brimmed with a confidence that he leavened with a dry wit. He grew up an Angels fan in Santa Monica and joined the organization as a first-round draft pick.
Skaggs battled injuries throughout his career, but his belief in himself never slackened. Last year on Players Weekend, Major League Baseball’s annual event honoring youth sports, he wore the nickname “SWAGGY” across his back, and he competed with demonstrative verve.
The death of Skaggs stunned the sport and left the industry in mourning. The Southlake Police Department did not offer a cause of death but indicated neither foul play nor suicide was suspected. A game between the Angels and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington was postponed.
“Tyler was one of the bright, young lights in this world,” former Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We all feel the pain of his loss and pray for some comfort to his family.”
Skaggs was approaching the prime of life — healthy on the mound, and newly wed to his wife, Carli, in December. For the Angels, there was the sickening symmetry of a decade ago, when 22year-old pitcher Nick Adenhart was killed by a drunk driver. The organization released a statement during the afternoon that read, in part, “Tyler has, and always will be, an important part of the Angels Family.” His teammates relayed their grief and shock.
“Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now,” outfielder Mike Trout wrote. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families. Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts . . . We love you, 45.”
“We lost an amazing human being,” pitcher Parker Bridwell wrote.
“I know he was very close with his mom,” general manager Billy Eppler said. “They raised a great son, and it showed with how people gravitated toward him. He always found the good side of everything, the good side of people.”
The baseball fraternity echoed those sentiments. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper said the lefthanded Skaggs possessed the best arm of any pitcher he faced in amateur baseball. Former teammate Huston Street recalled Skaggs’ blend of certainty and calm. Another former Angel, Jered Weaver, described Skaggs as the “ultimate competitor.”
The fiery nature of Skaggs was apparent in one of his final games. When Angels manager Brad Ausmus made a move to remove Skaggs during an outing against the Toronto Blue Jays, a quiet clash ensued. Ausmus suggested Skaggs’ time on the mound was coming to an end.
“Why is someone warming up?” Skaggs asked Ausmus. “This is my game. That shouldn’t happen. Hang up the phone.”
Skaggs developed some of his fire under the tutelage of his mother, Debbie Skaggs, who was a physical education teacher and softball coach at Santa Monica High.
“She’s really hard on me,” Skaggs told The Times in 2008. “Even now, she says I should get straight A’s. She makes me do my curveball drill. She says, ‘Go run around the block until you get tired.’ ”
The exertion proved fruitful. As a senior, Skaggs received an invitation to a pre-draft workout at Angel Stadium. Mike Butcher, the team’s pitching coach, watched with scouting director Eddie Bane as Skaggs flung curveballs and sliders.
Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was found dead in his hotel room only hours before the opener of a four-game series with the Texas Rangers and three days before the 27-year-old left-hander was scheduled to make his next start.
“You’re the one searching the country,” Butcher told Bane, “but are there any 17-year-olds better than this one right here?”
The Angels selected Skaggs with the 40th pick in the 2009 draft. He joined one of the most decorated draft classes in franchise history, chosen in the same year as Trout, pitcher Garrett Richards and outfielder Randal Grichuk.
Los Angeles Times staff writers Maria Torres, Mike DiGiovanna, Bill Plaschke and Bill Shaikin contributed to this story.