Three weeks after his death, Angel's pitcher Tyler Skaggs was memorialized at Saint Monica's Catholic Church.
Admission was by invitation, and the memorial service wasn't publicized in advance. The private memorial will be aired tonight at 7 PM on Fox Sports Network. Busses brought in the Angels, who are not playing a scheduled game today.
"There will be no body. Tyler was cremated, and his ashes have already been scattered," explained one of the ushers.
The former santa monica high school pitcher died on July 1, overnight in a hotel room in Texas. The Angels had played there the day before. Authorities have not released his cause of death.
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney urged those at a private memorial service to remember a moment.
"Take a moment, close your eyes and think of a story or even an image that reminds you of all the good times you had with Ty," Heaney said. "Take that memory and hold it in your hearts and in your minds. That is his lasting gift to everyone here."
The mourners remembered Skaggs as a beloved son, husband, teammate and friend whose upbeat personality brought joy to everyone around him. The altar was flanked by two large red-and-white floral arrangements prominently featuring No. 45, Skaggs' uniform number.
Hundreds of attendees laughed and cried at the eulogies from 14 speakers. Several family members related stories of Skaggs as a precocious, upbeat kid who just happened to grow into a world-class athlete.
"To Tyler's parents and family, what an incredible job you did raising such a wonderful person," said Padres pitcher Garrett Richards, a longtime teammate who was drafted by the Angels along with Skaggs in 2009. "Carli, your husband had a big smile, but an even bigger heart. He truly cared about people. I feel so honored to have known and spent as much time with him as I did. He impacted me in so many areas of my life. Rest in peace, Skaggy."
The final speaker was Carli Skaggs, the pitcher's wife, who made a last-minute decision to share poignant memories of her life since their marriage last winter.
"I didn't think I'd be able to do it," Carli Skaggs said. "Tyler gave me some strength."
The current Angels and owner Arte Moreno were joined by former team members including longtime manager Mike Scioscia, Jered Weaver, Richards, David Freese and Matt Shoemaker. They were joined by Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, Jack Flaherty of the St. Louis Cardinals and former major leaguer Trevor Plouffe, all Los Angeles-area natives and friends of Skaggs.
Baseball players were seen hugging each other and each other's wives as people walked past the press and into the 100-year-old church. A large photo of Tyler Skaggs and his wife Carli, was visible on the steps of the church. The couple had been married just nine months ago.
Skagg's 28th birthday would have been July 13th.
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