Former MLB Pitcher Rick Sutcliffe Diagnosed with Colon Cancer
Friday, March 14th, 2008
The spring is usually a cheerful and exciting time for MLB baseball fans but today the community is bearing the bad news that one of the most celebrated pitchers of the modern era has been diagnosed with “curable and “maintainable” colon cancer and will be seeking treatment. Rick Sutcliffe, a fierce pitching righthander was a three-time All-Star and he won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1979 and the National League Cy Young Award in 1984. Sutcliffe wound up his career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1994, going 6-4 in an injury-plagued season. He retired with a career record of 171-139, with an ERA of 4.08.
After his retirement from baseball, Sutcliffe became a color commentator for the San Diego Padres on Channel 4 San Diego (1997-2004) and ESPN (1998-present), as well as a minor-league pitching coach in the San Diego Padres system for a couple of seasons. He also broadcasts the World Series for MLB International, where he is teamed with Dave O’Brien, his usual ESPN partner.
Here is the article released in the Associated Press today:
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Former Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe has colon cancer and will undergo chemotherapy and surgery.
Sutcliffe, a baseball analyst for ESPN, was diagnosed with a treatable form of cancer after taking a routine test during a physical, the network said Thursday. He said he hopes to return to the network later this year. “I deeply appreciate the support of the ESPN family and my family and friends around the country,” Sutcliffe said in a statement released by the network. Sutcliffe went 171-139 in parts of 18 seasons, retiring in 1994 after pitching for the Dodgers, Indians, Cubs, Orioles and Cardinals. He won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1979 for Los Angeles and the Cy Young Award in 1984, for the Cubs. He joined ESPN in 1999 and has been an analyst during game telecasts since 2002. He was scheduled to travel to Japan for the season opening games between Boston and Oakland on March 25-26. Sutcliffe will be replaced by Steve Phillips. “Rick is an integral member of our baseball team and we wish him a full recovery,” ESPN vice president of event production Tim Scanlan said. “We will keep him and his family in our thoughts and prayers.” |
Here at BaseballTalkPro, we share the wish Rick Sutcliffe and his family all of our prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery.
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