LA Angels Wednesday News Crash: Opioid Crisis

Good morning Angels fans, how are you today?

This is heavy stuff and goes into a lot of detail, I won’t blame anyone for skipping links today.

Trial News

TLDR: prosecution says that Kay gave Skaggs fentanyl and that killed Skaggs, defense says that while Kay is a drug dealer, Skaggs could have gotten the drugs from anywhere and that Skaggs could have accidently killed himself with mixing oxycodone and alcohol.

Matt Harvey Testifies

As the trial with Eric Kay continues, things look worse for the Angels. Matt Harvey was given immunity to testify and would have pleaded the 5th otherwise. He talked about using cocaine. Matt got oxy from Skaggs, said it is a common oxy players use, and gave oxy to Skaggs before a start to feel loose. When Skaggs got drugs from Harvey, he gave about 6 or 7 to Skaggs when asked but that Skaggs got the rest from Kay. Matt said that Skaggs had another source when Kay was in rehab but didn’t get much. Harvey got drugs from Kay himself the day before the trip to Texas since he didn’t go, when he woke up the next day and heard about Skaggs’ death he threw it out. Matt flew to Texas immediately and noticed Kay was on edge.

Yeesh, and that was just the start for Matt Harvey. He was cross examined and said he never told his teams he was using cocaine since they never asked. Matt didn’t know how much Skaggs used exactly. Harvey did know that Skaggs got something from someone in Santa Monica. The defense asked if Skaggs could have gotten some at the airport instead of Kay that day. But the biggest bombshell from Matt Harvey was about the culture of MLB, said that he thought he was being a good teammate since players constantly try to stay on the field. Matt also got some from a hockey player. Harvey said that Skaggs would do it in the restroom. Mixing this stuff with alcohol could kill you and the defense points out that Skaggs did drink the night before his death. Harvey said Skaggs couldn’t get pills when Kay was in rehab.

CJ Cron

Another former Angel testified, CJ Cron. Cron only knew that Skaggs took them and got them from Kay. Although he admitted that he got some from Kay as well. Cron would get them even after leaving the Angels. When CJ Cron came to Anaheim, he would get some from Kay. He was the only one Cron would go to for oxy. Cron texted Skaggs and asked for some from Kay, he didn’t know if Skaggs had another dealer. It seemed that Cron and Skaggs didn’t have another reliable source for the drugs found in Skaggs’ system upon his death.

CJ was cross examined as well and said that Skaggs is who introduced him to Kay. He admitted to not taking the oxy mid game. Cron said that Kay was a good guy who would get things for players. He admitted to not know if Kay gave Skaggs the oxy that killed him that day.

Mike Morin

A third player got opioids from Kay, Mike Morin. Seemed that these transactions took place in California, so the trial may be deemed to not be any business of the Texas government. Morin learned how to snort drugs in college and never did it with Skaggs. He also said that Skaggs was off of it in May, months before he died.

Mike was also cross examined, and said that Kay didn’t profit off the drugs. Skaggs never told Mike that he had someone in Santa Monica. Mike Morin said he knew everything about Skaggs, so someone is lying.

Cam Bedrosian

Even subsoil got oxy from Kay. Cam said he had no other source. He said that while travelling through the airport, no one interacts with the team. Cam was scared when he learnt of Skaggs’ death. He was cross examined, and admitted that a family member or a friend could have met at the airport. Cam said he told the police he didn’t know anything when Skaggs died and he wasn’t lying.

Medical Professionals

Now it was time for the medical experts to weigh in. Dr. Stacy Hail said that it was fentanyl that killed Skaggs. She explained what overdosing looks like and how Skaggs’ death was not that. Fentanyl is 100 times more potent than oxycodone, what Skaggs and the other players have used. Says that the fentanyl was the cause of death. How sure is this doctor? She said that if fentanyl was the only thing he took, he would have still died. While it may be possible Skaggs died some other way, the presence of fentanyl means it is unlikely. The jury will have to decide if Kay gave Skaggs the fentanyl or not in Texas.

Carli Skaggs

Skaggs’ widow was now forced to testify. Carli said that Tyler was pressured to do well because of missed time due to injuries. She did not know Kay at all. Also, she did not know he used opioids at all before he died. The defense said that she texted her husband about having a drinking problem, a text she reminded them that he couldn’t reply to since he was dead.

Drug Diversion Expert

Susannah Herkert, former DEA was called up next. Prosecution wants it so that no one could have given Skaggs any drugs at the airport while the defense said someone could. She says that access is restricted and that the DEA office is right there. Prosecution rests their case, Eric kay is charged with distributing opioids and causing the death of Tyler Skaggs. That was it for Tuesday.

Other News

In lighter news, Pitchers and Catchers were supposed to report Tuesday. Wait, that still sucks!

Ryan Zimmerman announces retirement. That guy has played for the Nats since the Expos became the Nats!

The Atlanta Braves are getting in on this whole Metaverse thing. Zucc is even worse than Mafred really.

MLB teams didn’t like the limited number of minor league players the new system has caused. The fact that Manfred is trying to make that pool smaller can cause friction…

The players union will support the players who decide to play in other leagues. More players in Japan! Maybe.

MLB the Show will show off stuff starting the 17th! Might be the only baseball we get…

Anything I missed? Please post below, especially anything happy.

61 Comments
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KellyW
Newbie
2 years ago

Scary and sad.

bradllee424
Trusted Member
2 years ago

Very sad and scary situation. The bad part is that it isn’t just isolated to a few baseball players. It is an urgent problem in this country that needs to be addressed and taken care of immediately.

Mia
Legend
Mia
2 years ago

A guy is dead, a bunch of guys we watched night in night out are also involved in illegal drug use in some way. Addiction/substance abuse is such a complicated topic that none of us can really say anything definitively on the topic at play here.

I’m just really fucking sad that this has happened, that a mother lost a son, a wife lost a husband. And we had just better make sure whatever culture was in place to make this acceptable is changed. Because our entrainment is not worth abusing opioids.

Sharkysurf
Member
2 years ago

This trial explains a lot about the Angels pitching and ultimate winning problems for a decade. Time to clean house.

fyasko51
Trusted Member
2 years ago

It was only a matter of time that an athlete would OD on opioids. Unfortunately, it happened to Skaggs. As stated before, the Angels are not the only organization that has players using opioids but they will take the fall for the rest of the league. Everyone that knew has to held accountable, from Arte, to the coaches, one way or another. This is just the beginning. Its been embarrassing to be an Angels fan for the last decade with all the turmoil that has happened. This is just the cherry on top of a dysfunctional organization. As much as I love the Halos, this is just sad.

BruinsAngelsKings
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  fyasko51

Can Arte be forced to sell the team as a result of the fallout from this? I read an article indicating that the Miami Dolphins owner may be forced to sell if the tanking allegations are proven to be true.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

I highly doubt it unless it is proven that Arte buys guys cheaply on one year deals planning to pump them full of pain pills so they can play.

The Dolphins owner is more in the line of Pete Rose. You can’t have people in power actively trying to lose. Granted Rose was to pay off mob bookies and one can argue the Dolphins were trying to win long term. But losing on purpose is antithesis to what teams and leagues try to sell fans.

...Rev Halofan
Editor
Trusted Member
2 years ago

Might be the toughest links ever posted. Thanks JHW.

Anyone saying “Every team does it” …Astros much?

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  ...Rev Halofan

The difference between this and the Astros is the I’d bet every team has guys pitching on pain pills. The Astros took cheating much further than anyone else to our knowledge.

That said, we should always strive to be the best organization in baseball not suffer all the same ills as the others.

steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

I guarantee Harvey was doing pills on the Mets. Was anyone else on that team? Probably

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Link coming tomorrow. Terry Collins suggested that there was at least one other guy who needed to “clean up his off-the-field situation.” They had Harvey being counseled by their “mental skills coach.”

Last edited 2 years ago by Charles Sutton
Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

Who thinks the Angels need a mental skills coach?

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Charles Sutton

My biggest question is, how did Arte Moreno force Matt Harvey to use drugs while Harvey was still on the Mets? Also, how did Moreno force Lenny Dykstra to be Lenny Dykstra back in the 80s and 90s? Ultra plus also, because he’s so cheap, does Arte only buy the drugs that are super cheap? Drugs that are a weird color, mixed with Ovaltine, with funky hairs on them and names like Fantanyl?

Ol’ Cheapnevil. He’s certainly the robot spider in the center of this web. I wonder where the torture basement he has Ohtani tied up in is located…. Redlands. It’s Redlands.

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Every team has an Eric Kay.

FungoAle
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  steelgolf

Agree, Harvey was nicknamed the Dark Knight mostly due to propensity for late night party habits. Dude flamed out fast.

steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

Flamed out too fast. Too much partying. And now finding out he has/had a penchant for Percocet, that is not conducive to becoming a great pitcher with a long career.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

It’s time to clean house from top down and fill all positions with top quality people. Enough of the cronies, enough of cutting corners to overspend on names to look good. It’s time to start with a new direction of others wanting to emulate our Angels and how we do things to winning. Time to clean out the past and move forward with a new future.

GO ANGELS !!!!

DMAGZ13
Trusted Member
2 years ago

Serious question but why isn’t Skaggs and his druggy friends getting the same “treatment” as Josh Hamilton? I mean the only thing separating them is Skaggs seemed likable and Hamilton was asshole #1. I guess the contract? In all seriousness, Hamilton sucked a lot of life out of the franchise, but Skaggs is part of the “wasting Trout’s prime years” Garret Richards too. Fuck all these people.

Also I noticed that they are scrubbing Skaggs’ social media presence off IG. Probably to hide more of his behavior.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  DMAGZ13

Without proper leadership from the top in the offices of decision markers, from having a couple of leaders on the same page in the clubhouse to lead and be respected, to have those who are in the know bring those things to the surface to be dealt with properly this team will suffer.

If Arte is willing to allow others to lead and make the right calls in changing out the Presidents and Vice Presidents and those at the top and show them the door, we will not be winners.

Arte will look smart if he makes the right moves, but not so much if he stays with the same ways that don’t work. If he stays his course, he really needs to sell, that his billions and ride out into the sunrise back to Arizona.

YOUknowulovetheIE
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  DMAGZ13

Didn’t hamilton also abuse his child?

Charles Sutton
Editor
Super Member
2 years ago

Yep. I don’t think he is allowed to be alone with her anymore.

FungoAle
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Charles Sutton

That is really pathetic.

bradllee424
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  DMAGZ13

I now wish the Angels would have stayed away from Skaggs in the very beginning. He like Hamilton were toxic to this organization.

steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago

How did Skaggs’ wife not know he had a pill problem but his mom did know he had a problem with Percocet? If she did know about this past issue, how did she not notice it more recently. it has been my experience that addicts ALWAYS give themselves away, if you are around them enough.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  steelgolf

See, if you really really want to sue someone then the mind is capable of just about anything.

steelgolf
Super Member
2 years ago

Yep.

MarineLayer
Super Member
2 years ago

I’m watching the Rams parade and I couldn’t be happier. Well, I would be happier if I was watching an Angels parade this November.

Congrats to the Rams. Awesome win!!

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago

Agreement will be made by Monday, mark it down

WallyChuckChili
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

Which month?

FungoAle
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I just hope they retract some of those retard-ish rules Manfred inserted in 2020.

cookmeister
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

dang, couldn’t think of a better word eh

red floyd
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  FungoAle

I’ve heard rumors that the ghost runner on 2B in extras is going away.

‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished.

Last edited 2 years ago by red floyd
rspencer
Trusted Member
2 years ago
Reply to  red floyd

Alas, poor Ghostrunner! I knew him well.

red floyd
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

Monday, June 13, 2022

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  cookmeister

I’m writing that in my calendar.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

What this should be: the beginning of cracking down on opiate abuse in baseball.

What this will be: pinned on one incident and swept under the rug as quickly as possible.

Jessica DeLine
Admin
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

You know Manfred well.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

I think back to that picture of the team arriving in Texas all dressed in cowboy gear. There was a sense of fun and togetherness. That picture seems eerie set against this trial testimony.

Anyone who thinks this issue is limited to the Angels is deluding themselves. Like seeing a cockroach in your kitchen, this opioid issue is clearly rampant in baseball. The Kay trial is just the cockroach you can see.

Would opioid use not be a better subject for the Union and the owners to be addressing rather than who gets what of billions of dollars of revenue? Baseball clearly has a serious drug abuse problem. As a fan, it frustrates me that the Union and owners stay focused on money grubbing as opposed to this much more significant issue.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  Fansince1971

I think both sides know they will need to address it. But if you are in the middle of divorce counseling with your wife over finances and too much time away for work, both tough issues to sort out and adjust for in life, you don’t then add the issue of her drinking too much pink wine every night. Also, the trial’s not done yet and both sides probably want to see how everything plays out. Plus also I think both sides agree this is a problem that needs fixing, it’s just the methods that will be an issue.

They’ll likely address this when the CBA’s done and they can talk a bunch of dreamy bullshit about presenting a unified front against the evils of opioid abuse and the REAL terrorist threat, err I mean, REAL incredibly rich assholes that everyone should ACTUALLY be hating, big pharma.

…. as we all keep losing loved ones to fentanyl laced drugs made in soup pots in the hills of Sinaloa over campfires with chemicals bought in bulk from China.

All of this reminds me of my own fat ass. The only way to really stop drug abuse in America, or cookie abuse in my stomach, is for us to stop using them. I know “big Pharma” has a big part of the blame pie to eat on this. But I also know that I knew three people who died from lighting up and smoking fentanyl patches back in 2006 and none of them were “in pain”. If there’s a market, someone’s gonna fill it.

DMAGZ13
Trusted Member
2 years ago

Exactly . The people cooking this stuff are just meeting basic demand. It’s Econ 101. I guarantee you the people actually putting it together are also human trafficked or victims themselves. Kill the demand.

The problem is that the owners and execs are also probably druggies too.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago

Loved the pink wine reference 🤣

If I were the PR advisor for MLB, I would be suggesting a joint statement at this time to the effect that this opioid issue in baseball is bigger than the labor negotiations and that, despite their differences, the Union and owners would work together on the problem. It might garner some much needed fan support for these a-holes.

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago

Everybody on the entire team knew Skaggs was on drugs…EVERYBODY.

So what happened to all of that supposed Albert Pujols veteran leadership.

Not blaming anybody because Tyler put the pills in his mouth on his own.

But somebody at some point should have cornered Tyler to try to help him.

If I learned anything in AA it is you cant tell the alcoholic addict anything.

I got sober 36 years ago because somebody said you’re going to F’ing die.

RexFregosi
Super Member
2 years ago

i’ll blame Albert for a lot of things but not this, mainly because pitchers are a separate tribe on the club.

This century, pitching leadership went from Lackey > Weaver > Clowns.

There’s definitely been a lack of snarl on the mound recently.

Fansince1971
Legend
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Lack of snarl because they were tripping balls.

And I don’t believe the opioid use was limited to pitchers. In fact, we know it was not because Cron was not a pitcher.

Last edited 2 years ago by Fansince1971
matthiasstephan
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

So, is this on Nagy and Radinsky? Or do we date this behavior before 2017 (Weaver moves on to San Diego)?

This is not just the players involved, but the team needs to seriously address the problem – both to put a healthy, competitive team on the field, but also for the inevitable PR fallout (you know the media makes this a team culture thing, and not a MLB culture thing).

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

As I said not blaming anybody…only pointing out the obvious.

Pujols had influence over all the players and team personnel.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend

No. I need someone to blame. This is America, no one is ever individually responsible for the things they do to themselves.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  RexFregosi

OK. Let’s just be realistic here for a minute. If I were around the same size and build as Lackey/Weaver (maybe even if I wasn’t) and either of them came to me with their “snarl” back when I was doing life wrong to “leadership” me into quitting I would have fucked them up.

I can’t imagine an entitled athlete would be a MORE open minded substance abuser than normal people. I’m almost certain it’s the same as situations many of us have seen. Let the drug abuser know you’re concerned and they need to get help. They say yeah, you’re right, and then shine you on. If you get firm with them and try to be more forceful you get the desperate junkie rage. And hell, even clean and sober, if a guy like Weaver tried to go all “Weaver” on me now over something, the way you seem to think has been “missing”, it would not have ended well.

Do I wish we had 5 Bob Gibsons to send out on the mound and aggression the crap out of our enemies? Hell yeah. But I don’t think that has much to do with curtailing drug abuse on the team.

I have just barely thought about this, but my early inclination is that the union will likely need to have some sort of “advocate” in each club house who watches out for these problems, tries to help guys out, and also reports to the union when there is an issue brewing so that the MLBPA can try to address it internally before it becomes an issue “the brass” has to worry about. This would also help players (who want help) who are having off season surgery and will be in pain. The advocate’s job can be to stay in touch with the injured player, etc.

I do know that a lot of drug abuse happens because people think they no one is noticing what they are doing. I think things would be at least cut back some if the players had a sense someone is noticing, but in a positive way…. but that’s just an early random guess on my part.

Twebur
Legend
2 years ago

Still a ton to learn and understand about the humane Brain. That might be the only way to solve these issues, fixing your personal hardware and software.

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago

Apparently I was done because I listened and didn’t die.

FungoAle
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  RexFregosi

Could not have said it better, “There’s definitely been a lack of snarl on the mound recently.” Loved the attitude that Lackey and Weaver had. They would pitch inside, often. I bet Weaver sent Kyle Seager a hour glass as a retirement present to represent his punkish delays in the batters box.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

Congrats on 36 years. I’ll hit 13 in April.

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Thank you and back at Ya!!

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago

I’m a grateful member of Al-Anon also.

Jeff Joiner
Editor
Legend
2 years ago

That’s cool. I know groups and meetings help a lot of people but they weren’t for me. I needed to be outside, moving, around people where I could look forward not backwards. Hence all my biking, working out, and spoiling my nieces, nephews, and now son.

But whatever works for anybody, I support.

halofansince1978
Super Member
2 years ago
Reply to  Jeff Joiner

Just too bad Mayhem couldn’t make it somehow.

ihearhowie3.0
Super Member
2 years ago

Been saying it for the past week but if Carpino doesn’t eventually take the fall for this, Arte is a total clown.

Yeah I get guys in every sport do this but you need to send a signal things need to change. This is such a smear on the franchise I don’t know how you don’t bring in someone to clean it up from the top down.

gitchogritchoffmypettis
Legend
Reply to  ihearhowie3.0

Yup. Carpino sucked before all of this…. and then there’s this. I don’t feel like he’s responsible for any of it because I don’t believe in trickle down responsibility. He was either in on supplying drugs or he wasn’t. But that’s also beside the point. The over all pile of things he is responsible for have not been going well. He should not have his job.

BruinsAngelsKings
Trusted Member
2 years ago

The proverbial buck has to stop somewhere and it cannot always be people at the bottom. As alluded to by , leadership starts at the top and you need to lead by example not by title or salary.

GrandpaBaseball
Legend
2 years ago

Good morning, a wee bit of the white stuff comi8ng down. No not Kay’s kind of white stuff but the kind called snow. No not that kind of snow either but the real kind that you ski can ski on, make snowman with and toss snowballs with.

Mikeal1st
Trusted Member
2 years ago

We got so much hail last night in the IE the baseball field at the high school looks like it’s covered in snow. The students are having “snowball” fights.