I must confess that I knew very little about Nick Adenhart before turning on ESPN today and learning of his tragic death in a senseless car accident. But whether you knew about the young pitcher or not, his passing had to give you pause.

Adenhart was only 22 years old...his entire life ahead of him. What makes his death doubly sad- he pitched brilliantly the night before for the Angels. He was reaching the heights he was aiming for in his career.

And then, just like that, his life is over.

Whether you're 22 or 82, you likely know someone who's been injured or killed in a car accident. Drunk driving accident, perhaps less likely. But we know that life is fragile for all of us. It could just as easily been one of us driving along that night, helpless against the tide of a big car running a red light...unable to prevent the worst from happening.

Almost exactly a year ago, a driver in Milwaukee tried to beat me through an intersection while I had the right of way and smashed into the front of my car. Thank goodness, the worst of it was three broken bones in my left hand. It could have been so much worse. But the news of Nick Adenhart brought me back to that day and the shock of that moment.

Perhaps, it did the same for you.

For me, the most moving moment of the day, was seeing the reaction of his agent, Scott Boras, a man mostly hated in baseball circles for his cutthroat bargaining and driving up of baseball salaries across the majors. But to see Boras barely able to compose himself and weeping at the press conference...it was something I won't soon forget. Adenhart was obviously a man loved by many....and now we won't get to see why.

This is something that doesn't affect box scores, lineups or standings. This affects us all.

Any of us could have been Nick Adenhart. I hope and pray that his family finds peace, in this darkest of times.

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