PLEASANT GROVE — The first thing Nick Adenhart did each night upon returning to Rick Miller's Pleasant Grove home was spend a little play time with Miller's three young children.

Adenhart, 18 years old at the time, stayed with the Millers during his three-week tenure with the Orem Owlz late in the summer of 2005. It was his first minor league stop following his rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery and his first experience of life as a professional baseball player away from his family home in Maryland.

"He always had time for my kids," Miller said. "The first thing he'd do when he came in our home was pick them up or play with them."

Miller, a season-ticket holder since the Los Angeles Angels' rookie-league team moved to Utah, takes in a handful of Owlz players each year. But in the short time that each spends in the Miller home, they quickly become family.

"It's hard not to get to know these kids, because when they're in our home they're just like one of our kids. And that's really what Nick was, a kid," Miller said.

Around 11 a.m. Thursday, while Miller was at work, he received two simultaneous text messages and a telephone call from a family friend informing him that Adenhart had been killed shortly after midnight in a traffic accident a few miles from Angels Stadium, where the 22-year-old rookie only hours earlier had tossed six shutout innings against the Oakland A's.

Miller watched Wednesday's game on TV and was proud of how far his former tenant had progressed. Friends, family and even some from the Owlz organization called the Millers on Thursday with condolences.

"It's been a really tough day," Miller said Thursday evening. "I had a hard time telling my wife because I knew how she'd take it. It's also been tough on my kids as well because each one remembers him."

Adenhart slept on an air mattress in front of the children's toy box.

"He was a real polite person, had kind of a Southern style to him with a lot of 'yes sirs' and 'no sirs.' He was always pleasant to be around and very easygoing," Miller said.

Last season, when Adenhart was with the Salt Lake Bees, Miller approached him as he was charting pitches behind home plate. Even though three years had passed, Adenhart quickly recognized Miller, stood up and gave his former landlord a big hug.

"I thought that was pretty cool," Miller said.

Miller was aching Thursday to contact Adenhart's parents but couldn't find a way to reach them. He hopes, however, that eventually he'll get to pass his condolences along.

"I'd love to be able to tell them what a kind and thoughtful young man that they raised and how much we enjoyed having him in our home," he said.

E-MAIL: jimr@desnews.com