Worst day of my life as an Indians fan. I'd take ten heartbreaking World Series losses before having to go through that again.

I remember sitting on the couch at my parents' house (home from college on spring break, I guess) and hearing the news on tv; I felt absolutely gutted.

If I remember correctly, not only did this event result in the deaths of Olin and Crews and the effective end of Ojeda's playing career, but was also blamed for helping push fellow reliever, and close friend of Olin, Kevin Wickander off the rails towards substance abuse and prison.

I remember "owning" Olin at a good price for that season in fantasy baseball, and how banal that felt off the news. Never did ##### about it, because ....

I think it was Olin's young wife who was on ESPN a few days later and spoke eloquently about the tragedy. I remember her saying something to the effect of "if you see me at the ballpark and want to give me a hug, go right ahead." There was something really moving about that.

In my APBA league, Olin was traded postmortem as a high-graded reliever (something like a 17*). As a largely Michigan-based league we have a few Ohioans, so this topic (and the accompanying league trivia) comes up every couple of years. Simply a terrible tragedy.

I was 11 years old then and I remember seeing Steve Olin on TV a time or two in 1992 and thinking he was so cool. Then I turned on Sportscenter one morning and his picture was on the screen and they said he was dead. That was a real kick in the balls, and I'd barely heard of him.

I think it was Olin's young wife who was on ESPN a few days later and spoke eloquently about the tragedy. I remember her saying something to the effect of "if you see me at the ballpark and want to give me a hug, go right ahead." There was something really moving about that.

That's the first thing I remember about it too.

The very next day, March 23 (also my birthday), my fantasy league held its draft. I used my last pick on Steve Olin, and I insisted on keeping him on my roster the entire season.

Then, in 2002, I had Darryl Kile in one of my keeper leagues. He also stayed on my roster all year.

re: Wickander
I remember a Sports Illustrated story in late 93 discussing how much trouble he having coming to grips with Olin's death.

I've linked to it before, but this is an amazing and heartbreaking article about Wickander's post-baseball life.

I was 15 at the time, participated in my first fantasy draft a few days before the accident, had drafted Olin, not knowing anything about him and the indians other than he was the closer. After the death, I named my first ever fantasy team "the really shitty boaters." I still am disappointed in my 15-year-old self for doing that. RIP, Tim and Steve. And # 8 - I had Kile in 2002, and then Adenhart a few years ago. And I did the same as you, they stayed rostered.

Nice article on Wickander. Reading about him asking his dad to safeguard Olin's watch so he wouldn't pawn it made me cry. Oof.

I was delivered the news by a close friend at college. I showed up to the University Center cafe for lunch and he told me what had happened. He was a Yankees fan but wasn't in tune with the rest of the league so he couldn't remember Olin's name but knew he was a reliever and I put it together from there. I just remember being stunned by it.

“I tell you what, he got behind that wheel and we took off — we’re barely in the water. We’re doing 74 mph and we jump a wake and that boat felt almost like a wing of an airplane. He scared the (heck) out of me.

I've gone 65 mph in a boat like this in a similar situation - a friend at the wheel - and I don't plan to ever do it again. I distinctly remember calculating that we had roughly a 5% chance of crashing and dying in the next moments. You feel like you're barely touching the water and if you hit a wave wrong - let alone another boat - it's going to be all over.

I've gone 65 mph in a boat like this in a similar situation - a friend at the wheel - and I don't plan to ever do it again. I distinctly remember calculating that we had roughly a 5% chance of crashing and dying in the next moments. You feel like you're barely touching the water and if you hit a wave wrong - let alone another boat - it's going to be all over.

I don't know if I've ever gone that fast, but I remember the exact sentiment at whatever top speed I reached. That #### is scary.

You feel like you're barely touching the water and if you hit a wave wrong - let alone another boat - it's going to be all over.

You are barely touching the water, the only parts of a boat actually in the water at those speeds are the bottom half of the propeller and perhaps 5% of the hull. They used to have hydroplane races here every summer, on the Ohio River, and it seems like two or three of them would come completely out of the water and end up upside down. Of course they were going faster than 65 mph but it could happen at a slower speed under the right conditions.

You feel like you're barely touching the water and if you hit a wave wrong - let alone another boat - it's going to be all over.

That's why Kenny Powers sticks to jet skis.