Angels employee details team's knowledge of Tyler Skaggs' drug use to DEA

[Chuck]

Just now, Sean-Regan said:

Between the Braves stuff and Dodgers a few years ago - and wasn’t it the Astros who got hacking into the Cardinals proprietary data? - it’ll blow over. If this kind of stuff is fairly common in MLB, the only reason it might have an effect is if the publicity makes it so. Hard to tell at the moment.

[stormngt]

1 hour ago, Chuckster70 said:

Yeah man, this is bad. We need to sign Joe Maddon and start making some positive waves, including the trade market and as soon as FA begins make a nice splash or two. 

The Question who takes the blame it do we have just a few fall guys?

Is Eppler involved?  Management?  How widespread knowledge had there been!

[Inside Pitch]

3 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

I dunno. Would you have been less offended if it was a picture of a dude drinking a beer? For many, weed is no different than that: a now (mostly) legal  plant that people use to unwind, relax, chill, etc.

Maybe the timing wasn't great, and I'm not interested in defending (or blaming) anyone. I just don't think posting a picture of Chris Tucker smoking a joint is all that offensive.

You need not waste your time lecturing others about acceptable drug usage and what drugs or how people choose to do on their own time to unwind ..  I couldn't care less.   That's not my issue.  

I do however think this guy blithely joking like this days after he helped a guy into the grave paints him in very a poor light.  Had it been booze, pot -- a gif of the guy from Airplane talking about he picked the wrong week to quit smoking, sniffing glue, amphetamines , etc etc -- it all would have been extremely crass given his involvement.  You don't have a problem with -- that's great.  I think it's beyond tasteless, you don't have to agree, and if you feel superior because you don't -- that's fine too.   

Hope that clears it up and for my part ends the discussion.

 

[GrittyVeterans]

4 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

Between the Braves stuff and Dodgers a few years ago - and wasn’t it the Astros who got hacking into the Cardinals proprietary data? - it’ll blow over. If this kind of stuff is fairly common in MLB, the only reason it might have an effect is if the publicity makes it so. Hard to tell at the moment.

Except for the fact that someone died because of this. I don't see the parallel to hacking you are making

[Tank]

1 hour ago, tdawg87 said:

This is going to suck. Wonder if this will have an impact on free agent signings....

If this were a issue unique only to the Angels, then yes it would. However, I doubt this issue is in any way, shape, or form limited to Anaheim.

[Angelsjunky]

1 minute ago, Inside Pitch said:

You need not waste your time lecturing others about acceptable drug usage and what drugs or how people choose to do on their own time to unwind ..  I couldn't care less.   That's not my issue.  

I do however think this guy blithely joking like this days after he helped a guy into the grave paints him in very a poor light.  Had it been booze, pot -- a gif of the guy from Airplane talking about he picked the wrong week to quit smoking, sniffing glue, amphetamines , etc etc -- it all would have been extremely crass given his involvement.  You don't have a problem with -- that's great.  I think it's beyond tasteless, you don't have to agree, and if you feel superior because you don't -- that's fine too.   

Hope that clears it up and for my part ends the discussion.

 

Are you really closing the door on your way out? Come one, don't be pissy. I get it - it probably wasn't well-considered timing on his part. I just dislike scapegoating. 

[GrittyVeterans]

11 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

So you think Skaggs wouldn't have found drugs elsewhere? And if you want to blame someone for not getting Skaggs help, I'm guessing you're going to find a list of dozens of people who would share that blame - probably including most, if not all, of the team roster. 

I'm not saying that people shouldn't be punished and/or fired. I'm saying that it isn't anyone's fault that Skaggs is dead, other than Skaggs himself. Evidently others are complicit, but I'm not going to blame anyone other than Skaggs for his problem, and even then I don't feel inclined to blame...It is a tragedy.

You have missed the point entirely. It's the JOB of the organization to protect its players. If they KNEW Skaggs was using, they are supposed to come forward about it and get him the rehab he needs. That's being a decent human and a classy organization!

 

What a bullshit argument "Skaggs would have found the drugs somewhere else" is. You should be ashamed

[Blarg]

4 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

So you think Skaggs wouldn't have found drugs elsewhere? And if you want to blame someone for not getting Skaggs help, I'm guessing you're going to find a list of dozens of people who would share that blame - probably including most, if not all, of the team roster. 

I'm not saying that people shouldn't be punished and/or fired. I'm saying that it isn't anyone's fault that Skaggs is dead, other than Skaggs himself. Evidently others are complicit, but I'm not going to blame anyone other than Skaggs for his problem, and even then I don't feel inclined to blame...It is a tragedy.

Your dozens of hypothetical people are neither named or a direct cause of Skaggs death. This fuck face has the franchise in his conservatorship and choose to not only risk his life and the Angels reputation with his drug abuse but facilitated in supllying Skaggs with illegal narcotics and ultimately led to his demise. That demise will cost the Angels untold millions in a wrongful death lawsuit.

There is a chain of responsibility here and it is criminal in it's form. And this asshole is the target for who is to blame. This isn't some sociology topic, a discussion of society and it's current condition, how opiods are not the users fault. So save all the bullshit for your classroom of idiot kids that lap up excuse making.

[Angelsjunky]

3 minutes ago, stormngt said:

The Question who takes the blame it do we have just a few fall guys?

Is Eppler involved?  Management?  How widespread knowledge had there been!

Let's see. 25 guys (plus or mine a dozen or two more, at different points in the season) spend eight months together in a shared endeavor, working a playing together, a lot of that in the same hotel. 

If anyone on the roster didn't know that Skaggs at least had a penchant for partying a little harder than most, I'd be very surprised.

[Spirit]

12 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

And here I thought the hot topic today was going to be Johnny Washington. 

 

Oh, buddy.  Have you met us?

 

 

[Vegas Halo Fan]

9 minutes ago, Sean-Regan said:

Between the Braves stuff and Dodgers a few years ago - and wasn’t it the Astros who got hacking into the Cardinals proprietary data?

It was the Astros who got hacked. The former scouting director for the Cardinals was sentenced to four years in federal prison for the hack.

[Angelsjunky]

1 minute ago, GrittyVeterans said:

You have missed the point entirely. It's the JOB of the organization to protect its players. If they KNEW Skaggs was using, they are supposed to come forward about it and get him the rehab he needs. That's being a decent human and a classy organization!

 

What a bullshit argument "Skaggs would have found the drugs somewhere else" is. You should be ashamed

LOL, what are you, my pastor?

Again, I'm not saying that punishment--including firing--shouldn't be doled out. But that if you want to point the finger at people for knowing and not doing anything about it, then you might as well blame everyone - including his teammates.

[mmc]

22 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Then pick another.

In sickness and in health, buddy.

I know you don’t ever seem to be able to do it, but there’s nothing wrong with admitting when shit is fucked up.  The baseball world laughs at us, we are the joke of the league, and stuff is only getting worse for us.

[tdawg87]

I think...this is going to be a good thread.

[Smedley]

25 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Opiate abuse is a nation-wide epidemic. 

This. It happened to us, but it could have easily happened to about any company, organization, team, church group, anything. I have worked with guys who bragged about being "a pharmacy" and could get you anything you wanted. I also worked for a pro football team where pretty much every white guy on the team was buying steroids from the same guy. This doesn't mean the Angels suck as an organization. It means they were the unfortunate ones. The same stuff that killed Tyler killed Prince, 'Tom Petty, and others. 

[Vlad27Trout27]

This is going to be much worst. it's pretty clear someone is lying. Kay just named the people. while the Angels said that they were unaware of this..... Does not look good.

[Angelsjunky]

3 minutes ago, Blarg said:

Your dozens of hypothetical people are neither named or a direct cause of Skaggs death. This F*ck face has the franchise in his conservatorship and choose to not only risk his life and the Angels reputation with his drug abuse but facilitated in supllying Skaggs with illegal narcotics and ultimately led to his demise. That demise will cost the Angels untold millions in a wrongful death lawsuit.

There is a chain of responsibility here and it is criminal in it's form. And this asshole is the target for who is to blame. This isn't some sociology topic, a discussion of society and it's current condition, how opiods are not the users fault. So save all the bullshit for your classroom of idiot kids that lap up excuse making.

I take it you're a bit upset? 

It isn't so clear-cut, Blarg. I know people want to find singular individuals to blame, but these sorts of things aren't so simple or tidy. There's no clear line where on one side these people are to blame and on the other, these people are completely innocent.

[GrittyVeterans]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

LOL, what are you, my pastor?

Again, I'm not saying that punishment--including firing--shouldn't be doled out. But that if you want to point the finger at people for knowing and not doing anything about it, then you might as well blame everyone - including his teammates.

Bogus. In your last post you just said "it isn't anyone's fault Skaggs is dead, other than Skaggs himself"

So which is it buddy? You are going around in circles and look like a fool in this thread

[tdawg87]

Just now, mymerlincat said:

I know you don’t ever seem to be able to do it, but there’s nothing wrong with admitting when shit is fucked up.  The baseball world laughs at us, we are the joke of the league, and stuff is only getting worse for us.

We all know shit is fucked up, man. 

Also I literally could not care less what "the baseball world" thinks of this team/organization. They've been in that position since I started following the team in 94.

[Spirit]

1 minute ago, tdawg87 said:

I think...this is going to be a good thread.

 

[Angelsjunky]

2 minutes ago, mymerlincat said:

I know you don’t ever seem to be able to do it, but there’s nothing wrong with admitting when shit is fucked up.  The baseball world laughs at us, we are the joke of the league, and stuff is only getting worse for us.

Yes, our org has problems - but so does every org. If not now, then later. There are plenty of orgs in worse shape than the Angels. Hard to consider a team with Trout, Ohtani, Adell, etc as "the joke of the league."

[Angelsjunky]

1 minute ago, GrittyVeterans said:

Bogus. In your last post you just said "it isn't anyone's fault Skaggs is dead, other than Skaggs himself"

So which is it buddy? You are going around in circles and look like a fool in this thread

Don't blame me if you aren't able to grasp complexity and paradox.

It is both: Ultimately, only Skaggs is responsible for his own actions -- that's called being a grown-up. But also: tons of people are involved - and it goes beyond any one person that you want to single out and blame. 

[Angelsjunky]

3 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

Yes, our org has problems - but so does every org. If not now, then later. There are plenty of orgs in worse shape than the Angels. Hard to consider a team with Trout, Ohtani, Adell, etc as "the joke of the league."

Out of curiosity, how is this a troll post, @GrittyVeterans? Or are you just being petulant?

[GrittyVeterans]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

Don't blame me if you aren't able to grasp complexity and paradox.

It is both: Ultimately, only Skaggs is responsible for his own actions -- that's called being a grown-up. But also: tons of people are involved - and it goes beyond any one person that you want to single out and blame. 

So basically you are arguing just to argue and be a little twat who tries to cover all his bases at the end. Could have led off with that and saved us all time

[GrittyVeterans]

Just now, Angelsjunky said:

Out of curiosity, how is this a troll post, @GrittyVeterans? Or are you just being petulant?

Because they are the joke of the league right now. Between this, the Hamilton thing, the Dipoto debacle, Pujols, the list goes on and on and on. Far more good than bad. A few great talents doesn't change that