Liam Hendriks talks about cancer struggle as inspirational journey leads to MLB honor: "The more you talk about it, the less weight it holds on you”
Liam Hendriks overcame a cancer diagnosis to return to the baseball diamond earlier in the year. He was diagnosed in the spring and ended up pitching in the late summer, a remarkable achievement given what he had to go through. He had Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and his recovery was miraculous.
It took a lot to get through it, both physically and emotionally. He shared some insights after being named the AL Comeback Player of the Year for his return.
He discussed what it was like having someone who knew what was happening to him:
"She had a cancer battle herself when she was in college, so she knew that side of things and how to kind of calm people down. Now, it's a matter of me making sure I can be that kind of soundboard to other people going through it. I've got a couple people I text pretty regularly just about their diagnosis and what they're going through."
The Chicago White Sox reliever also discussed the mental aspect of the struggle:
"The symptoms, the treatments, the side effects. The more you talk about it, the less weight it holds on you."
Hendriks' comeback story didn't necessarily begin there, either. He's now one of the most prominent relief pitchers in the MLB, but he was once a player incapable of finding a home. He began with the Minnesota Twins.
Eventually, he landed on other teams and was actaully designated for assignment five times before he was able to turn it around with the Oakland Athletics. The rest is history.
Liam Hendriks return was inspiring
Even though it wasn't an entirely successful season for Liam Hendriks or the Chicago White Sox, the return of the cancer-diagnosed pitcher is nothing short of inspirational.
He recorded -0.1 bWAR in just five innings of work. After he returned from cancer, a different injury ended up costing him more time. However, the simple fact that he even took the mound for a single pitch after what he went through is inspiring and more than deserving of the award that he now won.