The Bees plan to honor Adenhart with a moment of silence before tonight's season-opener. His Salt Lake jersey No. 32 will be placed on the team's uniforms and a locker in the clubhouse will be set aside in Adenhart's memory. In addition, the American flag at the stadium will fly at half-mast throughout the opening series.

"I think that will help everybody," said Mitchell. "He's not going to be forgotten, ever. But this, hopefully, will help people move on a little bit."

Adenhart worked his way up the majors after blowing out his elbow as a high school senior. The injury, which dropped him from a projected first-round draft pick to the 14th round, was so severe that it required Tommy John reconstructive surgery.

Following minor league stints in Orem, Cedar Rapids, Rancho Cucamonga and Arkansas, the 2003 Baseball America Youth Player of the Year reached the Triple-A level as a 21-year-old.

Adenhart's promotion to Salt Lake last season put him just one step away from his dream of playing in the majors.

"It's something I've been trying to realize since I was a little kid. So it's exciting," he told the Deseret News last spring. "I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I understand what I can do and what I need to do."

Adenhart got off to a hot start in Salt Lake, going 4-0 with a 0.87 ERA in five April starts. He threw eight scoreless innings in a win over Fresno late in the month. Four days later, on May 1, the right-hander made his big

league debut with the Angels.

On May 12, Adenhart earned his first win in the majors with a victory over the Chicago White Sox. He later returned to Salt Lake and threw a shutout in the Bees' division-clinching win over Portland on Aug. 27.

The game was one of Mitchell's fondest memories of Adenhart, who said he was glad Salt Lake lost the night before so he could take the mound in the title-clinching game.

"That's kind of the way he was. He wanted to pitch in a big game and he was very effective, obviously, in that game," said Mitchell. "We clinched it and he was very happy."

Adenhart finished the season with Salt Lake, where he wound up going 9-13 with a 5.76 ERA. He bounced back from his struggles with a terrific spring, however, posting a 3-0 record with a 3.12 ERA with 18 strikeouts and

only five walks, to earn an opening day spot in the Angels' rotation.

"He came to spring training very focused and prepared," said Mitchell.

In the hours before his death, Adenhart made his fourth career start in the majors. He scattered seven hits and struck out five over six scoreless innings.

Seeing him pitch so well that night and then suddenly being gone the next morning, Mitchell noted, is difficult to comprehend. It's hard to believe such things can happen so fast, he remarked.