Late Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs and his wife talked about their future plans as newlyweds just three months before his death as former teammate Mike Trout paid tribute on Friday to his dear friend.
The sports world was shocked to learn the news on Monday that the 27-year-old pitcher was found dead in his hotel room in Texas.
Investigators have yet to reveal the cause of death, though no foul play or suicide is suspected.
In an interview with the web site Wealth Management, Skaggs and his wife talked about how their wedding was nearly upended two weeks before the big day because of the wildfires which devoured parts of Malibu in late 2018.
Tyler Skaggs and his wife, Carli, are pictured in the above undated file photo
The couple gave an interview in April in which they talk about how their wedding hall in Malibu was nearly destroyed by wildfire just two weeks before the date
‘We were very lucky,’ his wife, Carli, said at the time. The couple said the near-cancellation taught them to be ready for unexpected events that can derail plans in an instant
Tyler and Carli said they were planning to have children and had recently bought a home in Santa Monica
‘This was important to us,’ Tyler Skaggs told the site in April.
‘But it was nothing compared to the way people’s lives were being impacted.’
The couple eventually had their wedding at Calamigos Ranch, the Malibu catering hall which was nearly burned to the ground.
‘We were very lucky,’ his wife, Carli, said at the time.
The couple said the near-cancellation taught them to be ready for unexpected events that can derail plans in an instant.
‘A thousand things go into planning a wedding, but no one ever plans on their venue burning,’ Tyler Skaggs said.
The fire had destroyed much of the grounds around the catering hall as well as several buildings, but the wedding room was spared.
The fires also made a number of roads impassable.
‘Five days before the wedding, we learned the guest ranch would not be available due to the fire,’ Carli said.
‘The fires were followed by the threat of rain, which meant mudslides were a possibility.’
Fortunately, the wedding went off without a hitch.
Mike Trout (left), Skaggs’s teammate on the Angels, invited Skaggs (right) to the NFC Championship game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in January 2018
The couple also discussed their plans to start a family and the challenges which that entails.
‘Being a so-called baseball wife has a stress all its own,’ Carli is quoted as saying.
‘Since Tyler’s regularly on the move, we lack that traditional stability.’
They had recently purchased a home in Santa Monica, according to the site.
‘Tyler wants his children to be able to see him pitch,’ Carli said.
When talking about the challenges they face as a couple, she said: ‘Things happen unexpectedly that you have no control over, like in our case.
‘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.’
Tyler Skaggs was remembered as a ‘friend’ and a ‘brother’ by his former teammate, Trout.
‘We just gotta get through it,’ Trout told PhillyVoice.
‘Skaggs was an unbelievable person. It was tough playing out there today, like (manager Brad Ausmus) said earlier, Skaggs wouldn’t have wanted us to take another day off.
‘All these guys in here, I see these guys as more than my family.’
Trout and Skaggs were so close that the star third baseman managed to convert his buddy, a Minnesota Vikings fan, to a support of his hometown Philadelphia Eagles, NBC Sports Philadelphia reported.
Skaggs, 27, was found dead in his hotel room in Texas on Monday. Authorities have yet to announce a cause of death
The two men are seen at the NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in January 2018.
As the Eagles went on to an inspiring victory over the Vikings, Trout says of Skaggs: ‘He started cheering for the Eagles. They turned him into a fan.’
After learning the news of his friend’s death, Trout tweeted: ‘Words cannot express the deep sadness we feel right now.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Carli and their families.
‘Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts… we love you, 45.’