Baseball is Life, But Life is Much Bigger than Baseball

Losing streaks and games behind don't seem so big this week. The good news is that David Ortiz was released from Mass General, and cleared to play. His heart is fine, and not just its temperament, but also its function. He will be in the lineup on Saturday. The huge concern now is for Jon Lester, the 22 year old lefthander who has been such a big part of the Sox' earlier success this season. Jon was in a car crash enroute to Fenway a couple of weeks ago, and seemed to be having whiplash-type symptoms since then. While getting his back checked out again, he was found a few days ago to have enlarged lymph nodes. There are some perfectly reasonable simple explanations for that condition. There is also one very large, terrifying explanation. It can't be easy to be 22 and establishing a major league career one day, and then learn the next that you may have cancer.
If the speculation turns into diagnosis, it may prove providential that Mike Lowell was included in the Josh Beckett trade (and by this time next year, it may be known as the Mike Lowell trade). When Mike was a AAA player, he was found to be suffering from testicular cancer. He lived this nightmare, and survived, and thrived. I suspect that Jon Lester may have a new best friend. There is something about having somebody around who actually does know what it's like to go through the hard places of life. Their footprints can make a good path through. I expect Mike Timlin and Curt Schilling to be helpful as well. They are both very open about their faith, and have known life's challenges in their own families. I am sure that many others in the Red Sox and MLB families will rally around Jon. That is the power, and the beauty, of community when life takes a big bite out of us.
Since the reports about the nature of Lester's testing started making the rounds yesterday, I really can't remember how many games out of the Wild Card the Sox are. The Yankees don't seem that evil an empire. I just want a kid, somebody's boy, to be alright.
Papi got a good word; I pray Jon Lester and his family get the same relief. Say a prayer for each family that is in their shoes tonight.