Skaggs recalled, praised at memorial service

Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs was remembered at a memorial service as a beloved son, husband, teammate and friend whose upbeat personality brought joy to everyone around him.

Skaggs’ teammates and family gathered at a Catholic church in his native Santa Monica, California, on Monday to remember Skaggs, who was found dead in his hotel room in Texas on July 1. He died just short of his 28th birthday.

Hundreds of attendees laughed and cried at the eulogies from 14 speakers, including Angels current pitcher Andrew Heaney. The final speaker was Carli Skaggs, the pitcher’s wife.

The current Angels were joined by former team members including manager Mike Scioscia, Jered Weaver, Garrett Richards and David Freese.

Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers also attended the service.

Netting extended: The Chicago White Sox have become the first team in the major leagues to extend protective netting from foul pole to foul pole, starting Monday night against the Miami Marlins.

The extra netting at Guaranteed Rate Field was in place for Chicago’s first home game since the all-star break. The White Sox announced the safety measure last month, a week after a foul ball at the park sent a woman to the hospital with her head bleeding.

On Sunday in Cleveland, another fan was hurt by a foul. Indians star Francisco Lindor said he was told his line drive put a 3-year-old boy in the hospital.

“It’s a great idea,” White Sox pitcher Evan Marshall said. “It’s a shame it wasn’t done sooner and just almost a standard across baseball, I think. Finally the players are speaking out because everybody is tired of seeing people get hit.

“It just sucks the air right out of the game and we see it happen. It’s hard to move on to the next pitch.”