We Spit On Cancer

by JA, The Feed

Jon Lester of the Red Sox is scheduled to start a game tonight for the Red Sox against the Indians in Cleveland. It's a pretty remarkable comeback for the lefthander. Less than a year ago he was scratched from a start against the Oakland A's with a sore back. He thought it was because of a car accident but when he saw doctors about the injury they discovered enlarged lymph nodes. Further testing confirmed that he had cancer, anaplastic large cell lymphoma to be exact, and more than his career was in jeopardy. Aggressive treatment caused the hideous disease to go into remission and Lester was healthy enough to take part in spring training. He worked his way through the minors this season and cleared to return to the majors.

Lester's story is an inspiring one but he's hardly the first player to return to active play after being diagnosed with cancer.

Andres Galarraga beat cancer twice during his long career. He missed the 1999 season while undergoing treatment but returned to homer on opening day in 2000. He went on to hit .302 with 28 homers and 100 RBI for the Braves and made the All-Star team. His cancer returned in 2004 and he missed most of the season before getting a September call-up to the Angels. He had 3 hits in 10 at-bats, which would be impressive enough given the hurdles he had to cross to get back to the majors. Throw in the fact that he was 43 at the time, though, and Galarraga earns even more of our respect.

Mario Lemieux was diagnosed with cancer during the 1992-93 season and while it derailed his hopes of breaking Wayne Gretzky's scoring record and leading the Penguins to a third Stanley Cup in a row his return the same year did create an unforgettable sports tableau. Lemieux got a standing ovation from Flyer fans after scoring a goal on the day of his last radiation treatment. It was only the start of Mario's health problems, sadly. He'd retire and return and even buy the Penguins before hanging up the skates for good.

Two other hockey players, Saku Koivu and John Cullen, also returned from cancer to the ice. Koivu is still a member of the Canadiens and helped upset the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs upon his return in 2001. Cullen missed the 97-98 season but returned to play one more year after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

Darryl Strawberry was diagnosed with colon cancer at the end of the 1998 season but returned to slug the final five homers of his career in 1999. His childhood friend Eric Davis also battled back from colon cancer. He was diagnosed early in the 1997 season but by the ALCS that year he was hitting a game-winning home run.

And there's this Lance Armstrong guy you may have heard of.

Not all the stories are so triumphant, of course. Dave Dravecky, a Giants lefty in the late 80's, had a tumor in his arm and his return in 1989 was cut short when his arm snapped while delivering a pitch. He then broke the arm again while the team was celebrating their pennant in October. Eventually Dravecky had to have the arm amputated.

Hopefully Lester's story will be more like those of Lemieux, Armstrong and Koivu than Dravecky's but that he's here at all is a testament to modern medicine and the tenacity of a man not ready to give up his life or his dream.