Athletes we lost too soon

[slideshow_deploy id=’12092′]We often view our sports figures as super beings. Perhaps that’s why we feel the loss so deeply when their lives are taken away by tragic accidents. It would seem to us that the privilege of being a super being on earth must come with immortality — if only. Every year, at least one sport faces the sudden death of an athlete. As we briefly reflect upon their lives and accomplishments, we can’t help but think of what achievements they could have accomplished if they were still alive today. Here are five lives we lost too way too soon.

Brad Halsey (1981-2014)

The former major league pitcher died recently after falling from a 100-foot cliff near his Texas home. The 100-foot cliff was part of a private property and it appears as if he was on a recreational climbing trip. The 33-year-old was a former New York Yankees and Long Island Ducks pitcher. He was selected by the Yankees in their eighth round of 2002 amateur drafting, and he then pitched for the Ducks in the Atlantic League in 2009. His last professional baseball appearance was with the Yankees Double-A Trenton affiliate in 2011.

Oscar Taveras (1992-2014)

The baseball world recently mourned the tragic loss of Oscar Taveras, the Cardinals’ outfielder, who had a bright future awaiting him. The 22-year-old’s death hit us all by surprise as we learned that he and Ydelia Arvelos, his 18-year-old girlfriend, perished in a horrific car accident in the streets of the Dominican Republic, his place of birth. Taveras’s untimely death brings back the incredible memories of his incredible minor league career. Over the course of his career, he batted a combined .320, .376, .516 (.391 weighted on-base average) and had over 1,860 plate appearances. That’s an honorable 5-year career.

Peter Biaksangzuala (1991-2014)

The 23-year-old Indian soccer player’s life ended a few days after he scored an equalizer for Bethlehem Vengthlang FC against Chanmari West FC a few weeks ago. Little did he know that celebrating his goal on the field would cost him his life. The defensive mid-fielder passed away five days after his somersault goal celebration went wrong on the field. While many of his teammates awaited his recovery, the way he died came as a big shock to people all over the world. The rising soccer star’s dream was to play in the national league.

Sarah Burke (1982-2012)

Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke’s death was another dreadful incident. The 29-year-old’s death came after her vertebral artery was torn in a crash at the bottom of a superpipe during training. This led to severe bleeding in the brain, which caused her to go into cardiac arrest. The six-time Winter X Games champion will be remembered for the legacy she left for women in superpipe skiing, as she lobbied to add superpipe skiing to the Winter Olympic Games program, noting that no new infrastructure would be needed. Her argument eventually won over Olympic officials and the superpipe event was implemented in the Sochi Games this year where she likely would’ve been the gold-medal favorite.

Erica Blasberg (1984-2010)

The 26-year-old Californian golfer was found dead with a plastic bag secured over her head at her Henderson, Nevada home one afternoon. The coroner determined that she died by suicide by asphyxiation with a toxic combination of medications in her system. To this day, there are still doubts as to whether she decided to take her life or whether her doctor had something to do with her death, as he allegedly prescribed the anti-anxiety medication that she took. Her accomplishments included playing for the LPGA tour and earning over 60 trophies in golf.

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