Taken Too Soon

One of the key components that draws all of us as fans to sports is the emotional connection to our favorite player or our favorite team. We are ecstatic when there is a win or a championship and devastated when there is a loss. It is this emotional connection that hits us hard when one of those favorite players or a player from our favorite team is taken too soon. Just like in life, it is something we are not prepared for or able to comprehend. It has occurred far too often in the major sports to those that were still in their playing prime for a multitude of reasons, some accidental, even some intentional. Let’s look at the more prominent examples and reflect on those we wish we could have back.

The focus is on the major sports (baseball ran earlier; hockey comes next) and players that had yet to retire. Numerous examples exist of players that passed for a multitude of reasons very soon after retirement, most recently pitcher Roy Halladay in a plane crash, but the focus here will be those that were still playing and thus, unexpected. Another note is from a collecting standpoint; there tends to be a spike in a player’s value soon after their death similarly to the achievement of a