Three months before his death, Los Angeles Angels pitcherTyler Skaggsopened up with his wife about their lives, their recent wedding and their dreams of starting a family.
“Tyler wants his children to be able to see him pitch,” wife Carli Skaggs toldWealth Managementin a joint April interview.
The piece, published April 3, noted the couple had recently bought a house in Tyler’s hometown in California and they were growing their “rainy day fund.”
On Monday Tyler wasfound dead in his Southlake, Texas, hotel roomjust before the Angels were scheduled to take on the Texas Rangers for the first game of a four-game series. He had pitched for the team on June 29, just two days earlier. He was 27 years old.
In the April interview with Wealth Management, which focused on their financial planning, the couple spoke about the roadblocks that had led up to their wedding ceremony.
“This was important to us. But it was nothing compared to the way people’s lives were being impacted,” Tyler said of the deadly fires, adding, “A thousand things go into planning a wedding, but no one ever plans on their venue burning.”
Tyler Skaggs.Ric Tapia/Getty Images
Their wedding went on, and Carli said they “were very lucky” to do so, despite the devastation.
In a photo posted to Tyler’sInstagram account, he is shown beaming with Carli as they sit at a table during the wedding. A sign saying “better together” hangs behind them.
“Things happen unexpectedly that you have no control over, like in our case,” Carli told Wealth Management. “But it’s about how you react and having a positive attitude. I believe you’ll always find a way to make things work out.”
According to his posts, Tyler firstpopped the questionin Bora Bora, a small Pacific island northwest of Tahiti, on Nov. 9, 2017.
Carli also spoke about the stress that came with being the spouse of a professional athlete who was often on the road.
“Being a so-called ‘baseball wife’ has a stress all its own,” she told Wealth Management. “Since Tyler’s regularly on the move, we lack that traditional stability.”
The number 45 was also painted onto the pitcher’s mound to honor him throughout the game, while some fans held up signs.
One read “Forever our ‘Angel,’ ” with his number and the team’s logo.
source: people.com
