1 July 2019 — The baseball world mourned the tragic loss of Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. In a Dallas suburb, he was found deceased in a hotel room just hours before he was supposed to take over the mound against the Texas Rangers. Apparently, it was an accidental overdose involving fentanyl, oxycodone, and alcohol. Now, 6 years down the line, a former Houston Astros player, who currently plays for the Cincinnati Reds, is being accused of playing a role in the events that contributed to Skaggs’ death. How did it all turn so dark, so fast?
It’s all surfacing as a part of a civil lawsuit filed by Skaggs’ family. The family sued the MLB team—the Los Angeles Angels—in a California court. They claimed that the team didn’t do enough to protect Tyler. The team was also accused of being partly responsible for Skaggs’ passing. For the damages caused, the Angels were demanded $210 million.
The civil suit prompted the team to file a motion for the accusations against them to be dismissed. Little did we expect, in that very filing, Ryan Hamil—Skaggs’ former agent’s testimony was included as well.
That filing draws all the attention to a name that isn’t always central to the public narrative of this case. And it’s none other than Reds’ pitcher Wade Miley. Hamil testifies, “He said he had been using—I believe it was Percocets—and he said he got them through Wade Miley.”
Jul 2, 2019; Arlington, TX, USA; Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno speaks during a press conference about the death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs before the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Hamil now works as a baseball agent for Creative Artists Agency. He stated that he had been worried about Skaggs’ dr-g use since 2013. Per a report published by the New York Times, Hamil even had a word with Skaggs’ family about his concerns. At that time, Skaggs was a pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In fact, Skaggs himself admitted about his Percocet consumption. It’s a kind of a painkiller and he got them from his then teammate—Wade Miley.
For the record, this isn’t the first time Miley’s name has surfaced in connection to such a case. He was also connected to the case of Eric Kay—the former Angels’ communications director who is now serving 22 years behind bars. Kay was accused of supplying the drugs that led to Skaggs’ passing.
The prosecutors recorded one of Kay’s phone calls from prison, through which it came to light that Miley was also one of the sources for Skaggs’ drug consumption. It was the phone call between Kay and his mother.
Even right now, Skaggs’ family is actively fighting this case. And these revelations simply reflect how Skaggs’ death carries layers of complexity, which are just beginning to surface.
Texts and testimony reveal Skaggs’ fight with drug addiction
In the Los Angeles Angels’ defense, they claim that Skaggs knowingly sought out and consumed illegal drugs. Apparently, they believe it’s his own decisions that led to his death.
According to Angels’ legal team, Skaggs had a history of opioid abuse that goes back almost a decade. “Skaggs’s undisputed, repeated misconduct—soliciting and using illegal opiates for almost a decade until they finally killed him—constitutes unclean hands that bars Plaintiffs’ negligence claims as a matter of law,” the filing says.
As per Mike Theodora, who happens to be the team attorney, “It is significant that Tyler Skaggs struggled with addiction for nearly a decade and knowingly used drugs from multiple different unsecured and illegal sources.” In support of this stance, the Angels publicly disclosed many confidential messages that were exchanged between Skaggs and his teammates.
Back in June 2017, Skaggs texted his teammate—Mike Morin—asking for drugs. “Talked to EK (Eric Kay) can I buy one from you since you cleaned the guy out,” the text read. And well, even a few days before his death, around June 2019, he texted Matt Harvey, saying, “Can I get 2 lol.”
In Kay’s trial, there were four players who testified to receiving pills from Kay. These players were Cam Bedrosian, C.J. Cron, Harvey, and Morin, who also revealed that Skaggs often acted as a go-between.
Coming to Skaggs’ medical records, they showcased that he was consuming five Percocets a day by September 2013. There’s no end to the evidence. In fact, in 2015, he jokingly admitted to his then girlfriend Carli that he’s a drug addict. The text read, “I’m a drug addict lol.” And now, this message is being used by the Angels to cite as evidence that Skaggs had a serious addiction.
What is your stance on this case?
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