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

[Mark68]

8 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Alcohol played a big part is his death 

Alcohol without the opioids would have been just a drunken bender.

Alcohol WITH the opioids led to choking on his own vomit. Don't blame the alcohol. Alcohol did not cause his death. Alcohol + opioids did.

[Lou]

17 minutes ago, Troll Daddy said:

Jose was very diplomatic in saying that he is perplexed about the whole situation. 

does anyone else find it hard to believe that Jose actually used the word perplexed?

[T.G.]

I always assumed most of you on AW were on drugs.

[Taylor]

1 minute ago, True Grich said:

I always assumed most of you on AW were on drugs.

The only drug we're on is stupidity.

[beatlesrule]

44 minutes ago, True Grich said:

I always assumed most of you on AW were on drugs.

 

[AngelsLakersFan]

4 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Addiction is nothing to F*ck around with. I myself have (and continue to) deal with addiction to controlled drugs for Anxiety, as well as alcohol and even food for depression. I'm not at all comparing my situation to Tyler's or anyone else's for that matter.

I just know from experience that addiction sucks and while the blame can ultimately be placed on the individual (I blame no one but myself for my addictive problems), it's far more complicated than "well just stop doing that".

I want to be healthy, both mentally and physically. I hate relying on drugs to be able to Facking go out anywhere. I also hate sitting at home and drinking and eating because it's safe and easy. But I do it every day of every week. I want to live a normal Facking life. 

I'm mentally ill. I imagine anyone with an addiction has SOME form of mental illness. You don't do it because you want to, you do it because you need to. That's the issue right there. 

I can't imagine what Skaggs or Kay went through. Or maybe I can. Fortunately my addictions haven't killed me yet. Unfortunately for Skaggs...

He deserves a lot of blame. He put so much of this on himself. But why? He didn't just decide one day that Oxy was the coolest. He took that shit for a reason. Maybe a big part of it was physical. But there was unquestionably a part that was mental. After all, these drugs don't just make you feel good physically.

I don't want to speak against your experience in any way, nor do I want to pretend that I know about Tyler's. That said I don't think this describes real addicts as much as it describes people with mental conditions that can be 'treated' with substances. Many of us, myself included, suffer from anxiety or depression which are very often brought on by our own actions and which can and do compound each other. It's easy to shut this off with substances, which can have the side effect of making things worse. This is a tragic and difficult feedback loop to break, but I don't see it as true addiction. 

My sister is a self identified addict. She suffers from noticeable, diagnosed mental illness. Having a front row seat to her struggles is eye opening. Her addictions are ever present but rarely specific. She had a run of two overdoses on hard drugs earlier this year, which has prompted her to stop using them all together. She's confided in me that she did those drugs because she wanted to, not because she had to, and her fear of death compelled her to stop. In the time since she stopped doing those drugs her reoccurring eating disorder has become noticeable, she's lost a couple dozen pounds off a frame that didn't need to lose any. Before the hard drugs it was alcohol, and before that it was excessive exercise (an irrational infatuation with reaching 'negative daily calories'). This is the mindset of an addict. You find a drug user living on the street and I'm sure you'll hear a similar story. 

Someone like Tyler may have struggled with something no one really understood, but as far as we know he took his turn in the rotation every fifth day, maintained strong relationships and had an entire organization and family shocked by his death. This is not how things turn out for most addicts. Most addicts OD without any friends or family left to care for them, having spent their last dollars to get high. Chemical dependency and negative feedback loops are tough to break but they are treatable, and with a desire to get better and a willingness to put in that effort you can. 

[DowningRules]

6 hours ago, Stradling said:

So I spent the day at a Celebrity charity event to raise money to help prevent drug addiction.  The celebrities that were there were not really A listers.  The most known guy was Michael Madsen.  Hearing the stories is heart-breaking.  The guitarist for KORN was there telling his story.  In the last 2 plus years they’ve  raised over $4 million.  To be apart of that today then to read this it’s just a kick in the gut.   Obviously Kay needs to be fired.   I’m sure Mead has already been questioned by police.  At the end of the day it’s Skaggs fault, however enablers have no place in any organization.  

Michael Madson was in an episode of Miami Vice. I believe it was the episode entitled “Whatever Works.” I talked to him about it once. He was very proud of the fact that he did his own stunts in that episode.

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, DowningRules said:

Michael Madson was in an episode of Miami Vice. I believe it was the episode entitled “Whatever Works.” I talked to him about it once. He was very proud of the fact that he did his own stunts in that episode.

"Michael Soren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor and poet. He appeared in the show Miami Vice as Sally Alvarado, head of a drug and prostitution ring (along with Lupo Ramirez, played by Burt Young) in the episode "Give a Little, Take a Little""

[Biergott]

6 hours ago, tdawg87 said:

Addiction is nothing to F*ck around with. I myself have (and continue to) deal with addiction to controlled drugs for Anxiety, as well as alcohol and even food for depression. I'm not at all comparing my situation to Tyler's or anyone else's for that matter.

I just know from experience that addiction sucks and while the blame can ultimately be placed on the individual (I blame no one but myself for my addictive problems), it's far more complicated than "well just stop doing that".

I want to be healthy, both mentally and physically. I hate relying on drugs to be able to Facking go out anywhere. I also hate sitting at home and drinking and eating because it's safe and easy. But I do it every day of every week. I want to live a normal Facking life. 

I'm mentally ill. I imagine anyone with an addiction has SOME form of mental illness. You don't do it because you want to, you do it because you need to. That's the issue right there. 

I can't imagine what Skaggs or Kay went through. Or maybe I can. Fortunately my addictions haven't killed me yet. Unfortunately for Skaggs...

He deserves a lot of blame. He put so much of this on himself. But why? He didn't just decide one day that Oxy was the coolest. He took that shit for a reason. Maybe a big part of it was physical. But there was unquestionably a part that was mental. After all, these drugs don't just make you feel good physically.

Thanks for sharing.  Sorry to hear about your struggles but glad you’re keeping your head above water and moving forward.  I shared my story in a previous thread and don’t need to do it again, but it’s not a cut and dry as people think.  It’s not a sign of weakness either.  You summed it up really well, sometimes there is actually a true need behind the addiction.  Keep pushing man, it wouldn’t be the same here without you!  

[Puget Sound Angel]

This is only the beginning of the Sh!t Storm.

[yk9001]

5 hours ago, Troll Daddy said:

Jose Mota will be talking on this subject in a few minutes FOX 11

Oh, good god.

[yk9001]

Maybe Gerrit Cole is hopped up on goofballs during his off days, and sees this as a *positive* for signing with the Angels.

 

#glasshalffull

 

[yamsi12]

6 hours ago, RBM said:

You are blaming the wrong asshole.

Blame Tyler Skaggs.

He is the drug addict who ended his life and left all of his loved ones behind.

He is the drug addict who fooled his Mother and his wife.

He is the poor soul that was too weak to take advantage of his given strengths.

He is but he never will be...

[tdawg87]

We fired the pitching coach but we really should have fired the opioid coach.

[ten ocho recon scout]

7 hours ago, Lou said:

"Michael Soren Madsen (born September 25, 1957) is an American actor and poet. He appeared in the show Miami Vice as Sally Alvarado, head of a drug and prostitution ring (along with Lupo Ramirez, played by Burt Young) in the episode "Give a Little, Take a Little""

"We need to cast someone that could pull off a guy named Lupo Ramirez"

'What about Lou Diamond Phillips?'

"No, hes making young guns 2 right now."

'What about burt young?'

[Lou]

2 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

"We need to cast someone that could pull off a guy named Lupo Ramirez"

'What about Lou Diamond Phillips?'

"No, hes making young guns 2 right now."

'What about burt young?'

haha perfect

[stormngt]

I didnt read the entire thread so someone may have already brought this up.

I agree with those who say Skaggs is responsible for his death.  However we need to keep some thing in perspective.  Skaggs was chronically injured throughout his career.   He very well could have become addicted to opioids while be was on prescription.  Once addicted it he progressively went to illegal drugs 

[Lou]

without getting too deep, I think Skaggs just liked to party 

[Jay]

6 minutes ago, stormngt said:

I didnt read the entire thread so someone may have already brought this up.

I agree with those who say Skaggs is responsible for his death.  However we need to keep some thing in perspective.  Skaggs was chronically injured throughout his career.   He very well could have become addicted to opioids while be was on prescription.  Once addicted it he progressively went to illegal drugs 

It's clear at this point, Skaggs liked to get high.

We know about the oxy and alcohol, because that's what they found in his system.

Who knows what other stuff he was into.

It's Skaggs' fault that he died, nobody else's.

[Claude]

11 minutes ago, Lou said:

without getting too deep, I think Skaggs just liked to party 

And I think he was brought up in that type of environment with his “shoot the shit” mom. 

[DowningRules]

42 minutes ago, ten ocho recon scout said:

"We need to cast someone that could pull off a guy named Lupo Ramirez"

'What about Lou Diamond Phillips?'

"No, hes making young guns 2 right now."

'What about burt young?'

Point of fact:  Both Burt Young and Lou Diamond Phillips (Filipino) appeared in separate episodes of Miami Vice. 

If you have the opportunity, watch Lou Diamond Phillips’ episode titles “Red Tape.”  It’s very good. Also stars Annette Benning. The episode was banned in the U.K. for its violent ending, which I found to be brilliant. 

[T.G.]

Kay is on paid leave?

Angels have a zero tolerance policy?

Do these things add up?

[Stradling]

So people who are worried about the Angels getting in some sort of legal trouble or trouble from the league, is it because Kay is an employee of the team and was getting drugs for the player?  Or is it because he said he told Mead and someone else about Skaggs drug problem?   Which one presents the legal or league problem?   Unless Kay texted or emailed about the problem it’s going to be tough to prove.  As for him being an employee of the team, maybe because in most cooperations the title of Director means something.  However in this line of work I doubt it does when compared to a player. 

[nate]

4 minutes ago, Stradling said:

So people who are worried about the Angels getting in some sort of legal trouble or trouble from the league, is it because Kay is an employee of the team and was getting drugs for the player?  Or is it because he said he told Mead and someone else about Skaggs drug problem?   Which one presents the legal or league problem?   Unless Kay texted or emailed about the problem it’s going to be tough to prove.  As for him being an employee of the team, maybe because in most cooperations the title of Director means something.  However in this line of work I doubt it does when compared to a player. 

I am not sure about the team having legal problems unless they can prove some sort of enterprise level drug conspiracy.

The league on the other hand will almost certainly have to levy some serious punishment.  At the very least some huge fines but I wouldn't be surprised if there are also draft pick losses as well.

[stormngt]

46 minutes ago, Lou said:

without getting too deep, I think Skaggs just liked to party 

That's what I dont get.  How does opioids help make your party.  All I wanted to do was sleep when I took mine.