The Diamondbacks announced that executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen is taking a “physical leave of absence” from the team. Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations, with Hazen consulting regularly.
Sawdaye has been one of Hazen’s primary lieutenants throughout the duration of their tenures in Arizona. The pair worked together in the Red Sox front office, and Sawdaye followed Hazen to the desert less than two weeks after the latter was hired as Diamondbacks general manager. Sawdaye has long been viewed as a potential future GM, and he was among the finalists for the Angels job that went to Perry Minasian last winter.
Hazen’s wife Nicole has been battling brain cancer, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hazen told reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities. MLBTR sends our best wishes to the Hazen family.
hope everything is going well for Hazen. best wishes.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Hopefully his wife will be ok. Prayers for her.
Should be no jokes about a guy taking a leave as his wife is battling brain cancer.
Best wishes to Nicole Hazen.
There will ALWAYS be trolls out there! But not this person! Family before baseball and anything else you could think of!
Hang in there. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
Best wishes to the Hazens and hope she can pull through this terrible ordeal. F cancer!
Thank the stars the man has sense enough to know that family comes before baseball, or ANYTHING else…
Hoping the Hazen family can defeat all that’s being thrown at them.
I know cancer can hit any of us at anytime but it’s especially gut wrenching to see someone so young have to fight that fight. Best wishes to them…
An old colleague/friend of mine fought and past from brain cancer at 45. He lived a very healthy lifestyle. Left behind three small preschoolers and wife. She actually helped me get one of my first big boy job interviews in my early 20s. Still think about them all the time.
I’m hoping the Hazen family gets through this. Baseball should not be his concern. Prayers.
Rich
My prayers and thoughts go out, may God be with
Praying for Mrs. Hazen. God can heal all things.
Anyone criticizing Hazen needs to have his own brain checked.
Cancer sucks. Lost my wife 2 years ago. Her’s was a rare form. Prognosis was not to find a way to cure. It was how long can we give you. Made it 3 years. I would not wish any form on even my worst enemy. My prayers for strength for Mike and his family. It was bad enough for my kids to lose their mother when they were in their 20’s. Could not imagine when your kids are younger like Mike’s kids are. For those who seem to like to criticize Mike or to just want to post snarky stuff , have a little compassion. From one who lost his wife far too soon, you have no idea what Mike Haven is having to deal with now. Those that do know are not the ones posting the garbage. Be strong Mike for your wife, your kids, and yourself
Thanks for sharing. Sorry for your loss
You are welcome and thanks for your kind words.
Sorry for your loss but thanks for giving perspective to those who put down Hazen for putting his family over baseball.
Thanks for your support. I have no problem telling my experience. Kind of therapy for my soul to get it off my chest still. My whole existence changed the night we were told that she had cancer. She was getting the pre-op tests to have her gall bladder yanked. Had a bunch of gall stones. Found the shadows when they were taking scans to prep for the surgery. The moment we were told how rare it was to have what she had and that they were still trying to figure out how to treat it. Spent a whole ton of time talking with other patients and their family members while waiting for appointments with oncologists, surgeons, chemo, etc. You truly learn how much cancersucks. All forms. Some start out with something minor, beat it then after some years, it comes back again. That is why I always say that I would not wish anything from of cancer on anyone. As @YankeesBleacherCreature said above “F Cancef”. Coincidentally, that was my wife’s favorite bumper sticker that she saw on a car and refrigerator magnet. 2 words that say so much.
My first experience with it was with my late gramps. I went with him to a routine check-up and his doc broke the bad news to us. My gramps isn’t versed in English so the doc and I were having this somber discussion. I didn’t have the heart to tell my gramps. So we went home and that was when I had to break it to each one of his eight children. I was 20 and learned a whole lot about this awful disease.
One of my best friends from H.S. who’s three years younger than me, is currently going through his eighth month of treatment for a second reoccurance of colon within 5 years. Before this recent diagnosis, him and his new wife had been trying to have their first kid. That’s been postponed and it’s so damn crushing to hear. I truly admire his courage in staying strong and positive. And yours as well.
Sorry for your loss.
Thanks for sharing. Lost both of my parents before I was 40 to cancer. Make sure you take care of yourself. There is a ton of stigma associated with therapy, but it seems the tide is changing.
Best wishes to the Hazen family
Thoughts and prayers from Tucson , Mike.
Good luck and prayers to you Mike and your family!
We just participated in our 18th Relay for Life.
Progress is being made but it’s a brutal battle.
Hope that she can recover. We need a cure.
Wishing the best for the Hazen family, Cancer took my grandmother and one of my uncles in the last year.
I hope she recovers soon cancer sucks
A thoughtful fourth-grader with expressive dark brown eyes and a dimpled chin, Nicholas is president and CEO of his own nonprofit children’s foundation, Cancer Stinks. He unwittingly came up with the idea when he was 6, two years after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer.
Nine years later, Nick is a sectional discuss champion. Survivors not only survive, they thrive.
Strength to Hazen’s wife!
Jesus, that’s terrible. He’s doing the right thing taking a LOA. I hope everything works out well for them.
Best wishes for the Hazen family.
Cancer is always scary. Brain cancer… well I cannot imagine, My brother’s father in law had it and unfortunately succumbed to it. Its scary to see what happens to someone with it. Props to Hazen doing whats best for all. All the prayers to his wife to pull through and beat it.. Best of luck to the Hazen family!
I took a LOA when my wife was battling cancer, as well. At least we got to spend the last few months together. Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Hazen on a difficult road ahead.
A former coworker’s wife just died after a long cancer battle. They have a three year old daughter, his wife was his world.
We need to get a cure for cancer going, just a terrible disease.
Amen..
Amen..
Good luck & best wishes to Mike and his family..