A brotherhood bound by grief for Suzuki, Wilhite

Crash in 2009 killed Adenhart and bolstered their friendship

- BILL SHAIKIN COLUMNIST

ANGELS manager Kurt Suzuki, left, and Jon Wilhite, the lone survivor of the 2009 crash in which An-gels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others lost their lives, were teammates at Cal State Fullerton.

(CHRISTINA HOUSE Los Angeles Times)

“Wow!” The performance needed no evaluation beyond the exclamation. Kurt Suzuki bounded out of the visiting clubhouse at Angel Stadium to catch up with his friend.

In 2009, in the first start of his first full major league season, the friend threw six shutout innings for the Angels against Suzuki and the Oakland Athletics. On Team USA, Suzuki had been his catcher.

Suzuki congratulated the pitcher, shared the exclamation and — because this is what friends do— gave him a hard time.

Before the sun rose, Nick Adenhart was dead. He was 22.

“I woke up the next morning to 10 text messages you don’t want to hear,” Suzuki said.

A drunk driver had blown through a red light and into a car full of friends. He killed three of them, including Adenhart. One survived: Jon Wilhite, who played baseball with Suzuki at Cal State Fullerton.

Sixteen years later, a forever bond endures between Wilhite and Suzuki. When the Angels introduced Suzuki as their new manager last month, Wilhite was in the audience.

FORMER Cal State Fullerton catchers Kurt Suzuki and Jon Wilhite share a laugh in Manhattan Beach.

Their friendship is compelling. Their story is poignant. We'll get to it, but first Suzuki ribs Wilhite for wearing long pants on a sunny autumn day in Manhattan Beach. Suzuki is wearing shorts and flip-flops.

“We're by the beach, dude,” Suzuki laughs.

Suzuki eggs on Wilhite: Tell the story about the white suit.