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The baseball world, and more specifically the Mariners family, was shocked and saddened by the untimely death of outfielder Greg Halman on November 21, 2011. For most of us, his passing is just now starting to set in as pitchers and catchers report along with some position players, this week.
Greg might not be in the Mariners clubhouse at the Peoria Sports Complex, but as Greg Johns wrote today on Mariners.com, his spirit and his memory are being carried on by his teammates.
Each player received a Greg Halman shirt courtesy of Mike Carp.
Mike Carp not only lost a friend and a teammate, he lost a brother. Carp arrived in camp and it was clear that he wanted to keep some part of Greg in everybody’s thoughts.
As MLB.com’s Greg Johns wrote here right before the Christmas holiday:
Carp wants people to know who Greg Halman was and what he could have been. He says the 24-year-old had something special about him, a presence and light that lifted everyone around him. And after finally making it to the Majors for 35 games this past season, he was just scratching the surface of what he could be on the diamond.
Carp traveled to Holland along with Dan Cortes, Adam Moore, Alex Liddi and Matt Mangini to support the Halman family through a difficult time. When he arrived, he saw the impact that Greg had on his community.
“His legacy will live on, especially in Holland,” Carp said. “And the people he touched here, he made them better. There will be a lot of people who, I’m not going to say are angry, but will be on a mission now. It’s going to change a lot of people’s lives for the better.
“That was the effect he had. He wanted to make people better. It was never about him, it was about everybody else and what they needed.”
Mike Carp provided these shirts in memory of Greg Halman to all the Mariners players, coaches and staff in Arizona.
Carp also made a personal and permanent addition to himself. Over the offseason, he made the commitment and added some ink, much like the ink that Greg sported on his arms, a sleeve of artwork.
As he told Greg Johns:
“I have him right here,” the 25-year-old said, tapping the new tattoo on his left bicep. “He actually had this on his own arm. So when I went to Holland, his mom gave me a picture of it and I took it to my guy and had it put on in the same spot and everything.
“He’ll be with me for the rest of my life.”
The artwork was inspired by Halman who had many of the same elements that Carp has incorporated into his own canvas.
The “My World” tattoo is an exact replica of the one that Greg had, clearly seeing the stitching of the baseball, and if you look closely enough, you’ll see marks to depict where Greg is in the Netherlands, and where Carp will be in Seattle.
While not completely visible in the slideshow below, Carp has a “G” on one side of the world and an “H” on the other with “No Grind No Shine” (Greg’s favorite saying) also being part of the art that surround the world.
He also included various angels to watch over and take care of Greg.
Greg Halman may be gone but his presence and his light will live on in the Mariners family.
http://marinersblog.mlblogs.com/2012/02/11/greg-halman-friend-remembered-legacy-continued/Love, Wydz