Greg Halman was becoming "an icon" to baseball lovers in his homeland in weeks before his death

Mariners outfielder Greg Halman spent the final weeks of his life giving back to young baseball players in The Netherlands, where he grew up. Halman spent the first half of this month on an MLB European Tour of the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Italy, helping run baseball clinics and speaking about big league life on a continent where baseball is really just starting to hit the bigger world stage. Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Rick Vandenhurk, a native of the Dutch city of Eindhoven, has known Halman since he was 7 years old and accompanied him on the tour. They spent day and night together, participating in the clinics during the day, then heading out to restaurants and nightspots. "Literally, we spent 24 hours a day together,'' Vandenhurk said by phone from California. "I just can't believe this is happening. I just can't comprehend it all. I hope I never comprehend it all.'' They last saw each other on Nov. 13 at Amsterdam's Schip...