Curt Schilling Diagnosed With Cancer

On Wednesday former major league pitcher Curt Schilling announced he is currently battling cancer. The news came via a statement released by ESPN, where he has been working as a baseball analyst since April 2010.

Speaking about the news and the many obstacles now ahead of him, Schilling said, “I’ve always believed life is about embracing the gifts and rising up to meet challenges. We’ve been presented with another challenge, as I’ve recently been diagnosed with cancer.”

Schilling also said of his treatment moving forward, “With my incredibly talented medical team I’m ready to try and win another big game. I’ve been blessed and I feel grateful for what God has allowed my family to have an experience, and I’ll embrace this fight just like the rest of them, with resolute faith and head on.”

Though it’s clear Schilling is ready to fight, what’s unclear is exactly what he’ll be fighting. Conspicuously absent from the statement is the the type of cancer he’s been diagnosed with, but a USA Today article about the dangers of smokeless tobacco from 2005 may offer some insight.

The bulk of Jon Saranceno’s piece was a personal testimonial from Schilling, who spoke candidly about the dangerous addiction that has gripped him since high school and his ongoing attempts to kick the habit:

Many are like Schilling, who first dipped at 16 in his Arizona high school. “I tried it at lunch, liked it and have been doing it ever since.”

Schilling, 38, wants to quit, but that New Year’s resolution seems like years ago now. His family is after him, too, particularly his 7-year-old daughter, Gabriella. Tuesday, the big, tough right-hander sounded scared — almost as afraid as the time when a lesion was discovered in his mouth several years ago. He went cold turkey for a year and a half, until someone handed him the strong stuff at a golf tournament.

“I took one dip, and I was full-blown back in it,” he says despondently. “It’s an addiction that covers so many things physically and mentally.”

He stopped during spring training this year.

For all of two days.

“I’ve never had any experience with something like this,” Schilling says. “I’ve never before been remotely addicted to anything. This is, by far, the worst thing I’ve ever experienced. I would tell (young people) this: If you want to have pre-cancerous lesions in your mouth … want to lose your sense of smell and taste … want to have your appetite change … want to have acid reflux and potentially get cancer of the esophagus, stomach, chin, lip, mouth, whatever … then maybe it’s the right thing to do.”

He says he uses it to relax, but not when he’s pitching. Randy Johnson also uses it as a “stress-reducer.”

“I know it’s something I shouldn’t be doing, and it’s not something I’m proud of at all,” says the New York Yankees pitcher. “I know it’s bad and I’m trying to stop. I realize that what I do, a lot of kids will do. There’s no doubt that I’m sending the wrong message.”

The article went on to highlight the specific risks of smokeless tobacco, which include various forms of oral and throat cancers. If that is indeed what Schilling is contending with, the longterm struggle he’s already faced makes it all the more heartbreaking.

At the moment Schilling’s role at ESPN for the upcoming season is unknown. He signed a multiyear extension with the network in December, but is unlikely to be part of “Sunday Night Baseball” when the season begins.

Said ESPN, “Our thoughts are with Curt and his family during this challenging time. [We] wish him continued strength in his cancer fight and we look forward to welcoming him back to our baseball coverage whenever he’s ready.”

A sentiment that is surely echoed by all baseball fans.