The Official Tyler Skaggs Trial (News & Notes) Thread (Eric Kay found GUILTY on both charges)

[Blarg]

He upped his game. 

[Jay]

19 hours ago, Adam said:

percocets are great

I prefer vicodin.

[failos]

2 hours ago, Jay said:

I prefer vicodin.

Never understood the appeal (unless you actually need them). Painkillers make me nauseous.

[SlappyUtilityMIF]

On 2/10/2022 at 4:13 PM, Blarg said:

Skaggs was a drug addict long before Harvey was on the team. 

And if you remember that Wedding Video that was taken down off Youtube he popped something during his Toast with his Grooms Men when they did the Fire Ball Shots... I'm not gonna vilify anyone. But, shit happens, the daily grind of the game, constant traveling, time away from family, aches & pains have sent many to drugs, or alcohol and or both. Hell he could have had some light depression due to his injury history?! Usually, the Class Clown is the one hiding behind a mask of humor.

Should the Halos Org have known something was up? Maybe.... Some people learn to hide stuff well.

[Blarg]

His family knew. They didn't inform the Angels.

[Blarg]

Ralston Schmidt had nothing to do with this.

Allegedly. 

[tdawg87]

Fortunately, Skaggs is no longer a drug addict.

[Jason]

11 hours ago, failos said:

Never understood the appeal (unless you actually need them). Painkillers make me nauseous.

I’ve never had anything stronger than cough syrup with codeine and it made me sick 

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:17 PM, Blarg said:

I agree with you on this.

Reports were the Skaggs family knew Tyler was addicted to opioids from his elbow surgery. They are claiming the Angels should have known but never informed them of said addiction. That makes them ethically the responsible party. I don't see how it can be any other way. But I am sure Cals would have an argument for the grieving family.

Tyler Skaggs' mother testifies he had opioid issue in 2013 - Los Angeles Times

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2022-02-09/angels-tyler-skaggs-mother-testimony-opioid-issue-2013-eric-kay

On the first full day of testimony in the trial of Eric Kay, a former Angels employee charged with giving pitcher Tyler Skaggs the drugs that led to his death, Debbie Hetman testified that her son admitted he had an “issue” with Percocet nearly six years before he was found dead in a suburban Dallas hotel room in July 2019.

Hetman spent 50 minutes on the witness stand in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. Shortly into her testimony she said Skaggs informed the family of his problem after the 2013 season and went to a family physician to seek help. Percocet, an opioid, is a mixture of oxycodone and acetaminophen.

Hetman testified that Skaggs was prescribed medication to “wean off” the drug, but Skaggs chose not to take it. Instead, she said, he quit “cold turkey.”

“It was probably the most painful thing he’d been through,” Hetman said.

Hetman said her son’s situation improved, but she also testified the addiction remained enough of a concern that Skaggs wasn’t prescribed opioids after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2014.

Hetman said she and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery, met to tell Skaggs he wouldn’t be prescribed “anything stronger” than Tylenol 3, a pain reliever with acetaminophen and codeine — another opioid....

[ten ocho recon scout]

19 hours ago, Jason said:

I’ve never had anything stronger than cough syrup with codeine and it made me sick 

Lean purple drank?

[ten ocho recon scout]

18 hours ago, Ace-Of-Diamonds said:

Tyler Skaggs' mother testifies he had opioid issue in 2013 - Los Angeles Times

https://www.latimes.com/sports/angels/story/2022-02-09/angels-tyler-skaggs-mother-testimony-opioid-issue-2013-eric-kay

On the first full day of testimony in the trial of Eric Kay, a former Angels employee charged with giving pitcher Tyler Skaggs the drugs that led to his death, Debbie Hetman testified that her son admitted he had an “issue” with Percocet nearly six years before he was found dead in a suburban Dallas hotel room in July 2019.

Hetman spent 50 minutes on the witness stand in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. Shortly into her testimony she said Skaggs informed the family of his problem after the 2013 season and went to a family physician to seek help. Percocet, an opioid, is a mixture of oxycodone and acetaminophen.

Hetman testified that Skaggs was prescribed medication to “wean off” the drug, but Skaggs chose not to take it. Instead, she said, he quit “cold turkey.”

“It was probably the most painful thing he’d been through,” Hetman said.

Hetman said her son’s situation improved, but she also testified the addiction remained enough of a concern that Skaggs wasn’t prescribed opioids after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2014.

Hetman said she and Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery, met to tell Skaggs he wouldn’t be prescribed “anything stronger” than Tylenol 3, a pain reliever with acetaminophen and codeine — another opioid....

Diamondbacks are responsible

[eligrba]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:16 PM, Adam said:

percocets are great

I agree.

[eligrba]

I wish all of these involved people would have shown the same level of commitment to help Tyler when he was alive.

[Angelsfan1984]

1 hour ago, eligrba said:

I wish all of these involved people would have shown the same level of commitment to help Tyler when he was alive.

Unfortunately you can only quit if YOU want to. All of the support in the world can only help for so long. I’m sure if they knew to the extent he was addicted someone would have tried something. 

he could pop his pain pill in front of family because of xyz rehab and then off to his room and slam 6 more. Addiction is a dark place. 

[eligrba]

11 minutes ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

Unfortunately you can only quit if YOU want to. All of the support in the world can only help for so long. I’m sure if they knew to the extent he was addicted someone would have tried something. 

he could pop his pain pill in front of family because of xyz rehab and then off to his room and slam 6 more. Addiction is a dark place. 

I have no experience with this. It just seems to me that there were opportunities and resources for an intervention before he died. I am also reminded about the story of Steve Howe.

[Jeff Fletcher]

On 2/10/2022 at 12:10 PM, DCAngelsFan said:

My point - apparently not well-made - is no one forced him to take anything - he knowingly chose to ingest a lethal combination of drugs - he wasn't roofied, and he's not a child. 

That’s why Kay wasn’t charged with murder or manslaughter. 
 

The government isn’t accusing Kay of forcing Skaggs to take the drugs. They are charging him with distribution of drugs that led to a death. 

[bruin5]

2 hours ago, Jeff Fletcher said:

That’s why Kay wasn’t charged with murder or manslaughter. 
 

The government isn’t accusing Kay of forcing Skaggs to take the drugs. They are charging him with distribution of drugs that led to a death. 

And the prosecution has to also show that those pills were distributed in Texas.  I don’t know that they have a witness to corroborate that….yet. 

[eligrba]

There is a report of a potential witness who was standing on a grassy knoll.

[Taylor]

A lot of people are planting their feet firmly in the individual responsibility camp and criticizing the Skaggs family for blaming anyone but Tyler or themselves.

My question is, what would you do if it were your child? Has anyone here experienced one of their children becoming a drug addict? (Genuinely wondering.)

[Blarg]

No law suit since my son would have been at fault. But I would beat the living hell out of Eric Kay. 

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Taylor said:

A lot of people are planting their feet firmly in the individual responsibility camp and criticizing the Skaggs family for blaming anyone but Tyler or themselves.

My question is, what would you do if it were your child? Has anyone here experienced one of their children becoming a drug addict? (Genuinely wondering.)

No children, but have been around a lot of addicts going through treatment. One common theme is that every one of them were adamant that short of tying them down, there is nothing anyone could have done to stop them. 

[Taylor]

6 minutes ago, Lou said:

No children, but have been around a lot of addicts going through treatment. One common theme is that every one of them were adamant that short of tying them down, there is nothing anyone could have done to stop them. 

Yeah, we have some family members who have dealt with addictions their entire lives. Two of them are grown-ass men in their 50s and 60s who have left a wake of destruction in the paths of their addictions but won't even acknowledge they have an issue. It's difficult to have compassion for people who have hurt your loved ones but won't admit it.

I'd like to hope Tyler was young enough where he could have gotten help and turned things around. 

[Lou]

8 minutes ago, Taylor said:

Yeah, we have some family members who have dealt with addictions their entire lives. Two of them are grown-ass men in their 50s and 60s who have left a wake of destruction in the paths of their addictions but won't even acknowledge they have an issue. It's difficult to have compassion for people who have hurt your loved ones but won't admit it.

I'd like to hope Tyler was young enough where he could have gotten help and turned things around. 

Age doesn't discriminate when it comes to addiction. I'm 99% sure Tyler didn't think he was an addict. After all, he was a well-known professional athlete and millionaire. His family knew about his addiction and he wouldn't listen to them. Who was going to convince him?

[Blarg]

Evidently not Eric Kay. 

[mtangelsfan]

3 hours ago, Taylor said:

A lot of people are planting their feet firmly in the individual responsibility camp and criticizing the Skaggs family for blaming anyone but Tyler or themselves.

My question is, what would you do if it were your child? Has anyone here experienced one of their children becoming a drug addict? (Genuinely wondering.)

I don't think that is a fair question.  It assumes that opinions are only valid if held by a certain group.  

I don't blame the Skaggs family, there is plenty of blame to go around, but I don't think it is wrong to have a different opinion.