When the White Sox announced that reliever Liam Hendriks had cancer, it hit the baseball world hard. It’s never pleasant to see an athlete suffering from the disease, and it doesn’t matter which team you support, the sporting rivalry then becomes secondary.
The important thing, after all, is the health of the athlete.
The (very) good news, however, is that the pitcher got the better of his cancer. He had been in remission for a few weeks, and recently the White Sox announced that he was back with the big club.
While the White Sox are in Chicago to face the Angels, we suspected that the team was going to try to get him started yesterday. The guy deserves to come back to a standing ovation from his fans, after all.
And in the end, while his whole family was there, that’s exactly what Hendriks got. With the club trailing by one run in the eighth inning, manager Pedro Grifol decided to send the Gunner into the game.
As he entered the field, he was treated to a long, warm ovation that seemed to touch him. That said, he quickly focused on the game and threw a strike on his first pitch, which earned him another shower of encouragement.
See for yourselves: it’s a moving scene.
And here’s another angle (with the first throw):
Note the very nice gesture of Matt Thaiss, the Angels hitter, who waited before settling in the batter’s box to let Hendriks enjoy his moment.
And no, there was no automatic ball or automatic catch for not respecting the dial: common sense took over yesterday.
Hendriks had a slightly tougher inning (although his defense didn’t Really not helped), he who allowed three hits and who gave a base on walks to the Angels, who scored two runs.
That said, we agree that all of this is secondary and perfectly excusable for a guy who was going through a big emotional moment and who hadn’t played in the Majors for several months.
I don’t think White Sox fans hold it against him, let’s say.
In the end, however, Hendriks didn’t get a taste of victory yesterday as the Angels won 6-4. Michael Kopech didn’t have a great start for Chicago, giving up four runs in the first inning (including that three-run homer from Brandon Drury’s stick).
That said, all that will be remembered from last night’s game is the inspiring return of Liam Hendriks. I really hope to see him have a great season, he who deserves to savor his return to the Majors.
- In the same match, the electrifying Ben Joyce also made his Major League debut. Here are some of his best shots in an inning where he passed two batters in the mitt.
