Shocking and Tragic Deaths of Sportsman (Part 2)
The players mentioned in the first part of this article are not by any means more significant than the rest whose lives have been taken too early, their deatsh have all had equal impacts on the world. Those were merely the more recent,but all will be forever
remembered.
Robert Enke was an amazing goalkeeper. He had won eight international cups for the international German team within two years and was part of a team that was the runner up in Euro 2008. When his daughter, Lara, died in 2006, Enke could not cope with the
loss. After years of depression and anxiety, Enke committed suicide on November 10, 2009, by standing in front of a train in Eilvese, Neustadt am Rübenberge. He was 32 years old. Many international matches held a moment of silence following the loss, and the
German national team cancelled their game against Chile, in his memory. Enke was supposed to play in that match, but was medically unfit to do so. More than 40,000 fans attended his memorial service.
Mark Steven Fidrych, also known as “The Bird,” won the rookie of AL Rookie of the Year award in 1976. He was well known for his strange antics on the mound, such as smoothing out the dirt and talking to the ball. Fidrych was chosen for the All-Star Game
twice and it came as a shock when he passed away. Although he retired in 1981 after a undiagnosed torn rotator cuff, Fidrych was also a kind man and helped his other teammates out. On April 13, 2009, Fidrych was found dead under his truck, after he was apparently
caught in the power takeoff shaft of his truck, which he had been performing maintenance on. In 2002, Fidrych was initiated into the Baseball Reliquary’s Shrine of the Eternals. He was 54 years old.
Daniel Jarque Gonzalez was a center defender for the RCD Espanyol team. Jarque was found dead in his hotel room from a heart attack. He was 26 years old when he died on August 8, 2009. He had been on the phone with his girlfriend, who was pregnant with the
couples’ child, when he had the heart attack and was found when she reported him missing to his roommate. He was named team captain one month before his death and was honored in the 2010 World Cup final by his close friend, Andres Iniesta, who revealed his
undershirt which read “Dani Jarque siempre con nosotros,” meaning “Dani Jarque, always with us.”
The night of Nicholas Adenhart’s season debut was both a good and very bad one. He gave up only seven hits with no runs and struck out five batters in six innings. Adenhart played for the Anaheim Angels, and this was his first time as a starting pitcher.
However, his celebrations would be short-lived. Shortly after midnight on April 9, 2009, Adenhart was riding as one of three passengers in a Mitsubishi Elcipse. A drunk driver ran a red light and broadsided the Eclipse, sending it flying into a telephone pole.
The driver and one of the passengers of the Eclipse were pronounced dead at the scene, while Adenhart and the third passenger were taken to Irvine Medical Center. Adenhart died at the hospital, while the fourth occupant of the car survived internal decapitation
with a five-hour surgery. He was 22 years old at the time of death. Adenhart was honored by the Angels, the Salt Lake Bees, and his family. The Angels started the Nick Adenhart Pitcher of the Year award, in his memory, while his family established the Nick
Adenhart Memorial Foundation, which supports youth baseball.
These incredible and aspiring players were grave losses for both their teams and fans and will be forever remembered. While they are gone, their spirits and contributions to their respective sports will remain forever. Other players who were taken too soon
will be discussed in the next article.
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