Rays reliever David Hess announced today (via his Twitter feed) that he will be undergoing chemotherapy after doctors discovered a cancerous germ cell tumor in his chest. “As we’ve started on this journey we’ve had people circle around us and shower love, prayers, and support in ways that have been so amazing I don’t think we can even put into words how grateful my family and I are,” Hess wrote. “As we get ready to go into this treatment time, we are confident this will all be gone from my body and I’ll be back doing what I love on a baseball field soon and be healthy while doing it.” We at MLBTR wish all the best to Hess in his treatment and we’re hoping for a full and quick recovery.
More from around the league…
- Braves third base coach Ron Washington can’t interview with other teams about managerial openings until Atlanta’s postseason run is over, so Washington told reporters (including The Athletic’s David O’Brien) that he has yet to hear from the Padres or Mets. Washington is happy in his current position but admitted he would like to “get back in the room” for a second stint managing a big league club. It’s possible Atlanta’s playoff run could interfere with Washington’s job prospects, as if the Braves were to advance deep into the World Series, the Padres and Mets might potentially hire new managers before Washington becomes available to talk.
- If not Washington, could the Padres turn to another veteran skipper in Rockies manager Bud Black? The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders is doubtful, writing that “realistically…I don’t think the Rockies would let go of Black and I don’t know if [Padres president of baseball operations A.J.] Preller would even consider him as a candidate.” After all, Preller did fire Black back in 2015, ending Black’s previous nine-year run as the Padres’ manager. Black is under contract to the Rockies through the 2022 season, though team president Greg Feasel recently stated that the Rox had yet to speak to Black about a contract extension. The Padres’ search for a new manager has thus far connected them to several experienced former bench bosses, and Black would certainly fit the description after 14 seasons managing in San Diego and Colorado.
- Longtime Astros pitching coach Brent Strom told FOX 26’s Mark Berman that this could be his final year, though he and his wife will discuss the situation once the Astros season is over. “I’ve been doing it a long time. I’m going to be 73 years old…and so there’s a lot of life out there besides baseball that I might want to experience, but I haven’t made any decisions as of yet,” Strom said. Strom has been the Astros’ pitching coach since the 2013-14 offseason, the latest stop in almost 40 years’ worth of work in baseball as a coach and as a minor pitching instructor and coordinator for six different organizations.
I’m betting that Bochy is the Padres next manager
Where’s that guy that always says, “Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery?” He was the first one I expected to see because this is actually serious and he says it even if a guy has a blister on his finger. Nothing against what he says but it does get kind of annoying because that’s his only contribution ever. He even says it if someone else already said the exact same thing verbatim. Actually… Now that I think about it just watch. Even though I already said it he will show up at some point and say the exact same thing word for word. He won’t say anything else or even acknowledge someone else already said making him redundant. I think his name is Fever Pitch but I could be confusing him with someone else. Anyway, I’m hoping Hess gets fully healthy very soon.
It’s almost like that guy was being a sarcastic jerk when he was saying it and not being genuine…..
Or he’s busy
@a37H: Yeah. I agree. It was to the point it seemed sarcastic. It seemed like he was mocking people that actually felt that way by just doing it repetitively the exact same way every single time. I literally saw a post where someone said it and he replied by saying the exact same thing just to make it redundant. When people would ask him why he did it again and why he felt the need to do it in the exact same way right after someone else did it he didn’t respond at all. Actually, I take that back. He responded by repeating it a 3rd time in a row. I’m all for people rooting for injured or sick players to get better but don’t mock it and be sarcastic about it over and over again. Not to mention I’m pretty sure he was just lying. I don’t believe for a second that he ever prayed for a single player he said he had “prayers for.” There were just way too many and he never could have prayed for all of them. Saying “prayers” and actually giving prayers are 2 totally different things. One is a genuine attempt to do something you feel may help someone. The other can frequently just be a lie to either change the way people view you or just mock people. I thought it was “Fever Pitch” but now there is someone named “Fever Pitch Guy” who actually chats about different things but never does that anymore. My guess is they are the same person and his account got banned because he wasn’t genuine about what he said and got banned for doing something else. I could be wrong though. I don’t want to call out the wrong screen name if it wasn’t him. Does anyone else remember that guy’s name? I noticed he didn’t show up to say it here when a guy may truly need thoughts and prayers. If a guy had a sore muscle though, he was all over it.
Thanks Steve.
First and foremost, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for Mr. Hess
Secondly, I’m sorry but I don’t get a chance to read every column.
Thirdly, how could anyone possibly have missed the literally HUNDREDS of very lengthy posts I have made over the past couple weeks that had nothing to do with injury or illness.
Check out the comments for Red Sox related articles:
And the comments on general MLB-related articles:
I tried inserting links but it’s apparently not allowed.
Look at the time and effort I put into most of those comments, which I often fill with facts and stats.
If prayer is annoying to anyone, just mute me. Might as well if those are the only posts of mine that “Missed WAR” sees.
I don’t recall seeing anyone else write the same T&P, but again I don’t have time to read every comment under every article.
And since when is there a rule that no two people can say the same thing? Is only one person allowed to write RIP under the Fosse article?
Missed WAR you said you already wrote T&P in this thread …. where?? You got the second post here, and I don’t see it anywhere!
Yeah I’m hoping you’re confusing me with someone else, because nothing you accused me of makes any sense and the proof that you’re wrong is everywhere.
“When people would ask him why he did it again and why he felt the need to do it in the exact same way right after someone else did it he didn’t respond at all. Actually, I take that back. He responded by repeating it a 3rd time in a row.”
That DEFINITELY was not me. Find an example and prove it. I don’t take kindly to people who make false accusations against me. Get your facts straight. If there’s an imposter who created a similar name to mine, I haven’t seen it.
Oh and BTW, I do have a few people on mute already.
In the Name of Jesus, I curse this tumor in David Hess’ body. I cut off the source of life to it. I command the spirit of cancer to leave & not return. Holy Spirit, release Your Healing Power into his body. I declare complete Wholeness over him. Amen.
Amén
Instead of cursing anything, how about blessing his body to successfully heal itself. Remember, that tumor is part of him and hence part of God. What he needs is healing thoughts,. Peaceful thoughts. Light-filled thoughts. Not curses.
First and foremost, thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery for Mr. Hess
Secondly, I’m sorry but I don’t get a chance to read every column.
Thirdly, how could you possibly have missed the literally HUNDREDS of very lengthy posts I have made over the past couple weeks that had nothing to do with injury or illness.
Check out the comments for Red Sox related articles:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/boston-red-sox
And the comments on gneral MLB-related articles:
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/10/qualifying-offer-value-set-at-18-4mm.html#comments
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/10/managerial-rumors-boone-espada-showalter.html#comments
Look at the time and effort I put into most of those comments, which I often fill with facts and stats.
If prayer is annoying to you, just mute me. Might as well since you said those are the only posts of mine that you see.
I don’t recall seeing anyone else write the same T&P, but again I don’t have time to read every comment under every article.
And since when is there a rule that no two people can say the same thing? Is only one person allowed to write RIP under the Fosse article?
You said you already wrote T&P in this thread …. where?? You got the second post here, and I don’t see it anywhere!
Yeah I’m hoping you’re confusing me with someone else, because nothing you accused me of makes any sense and the proof that you’re wrong is everywhere.
R
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Best wishes, Hess. Hope you can get through this.
No way a team moves on from managerial candidates because the team they are currently with is making a deep playoff run. Its not like the WS has some undetermined ending date and the team could be waiting until new years, its a near lock to be over by Nov 3rd. If they want him or want to interview him, they will wait.
Maybe it’s not a coincidence the Padres haven’t begun interviewing people. I wanted the Padres to hire Washington over Tingler in the 1st place.
I would love for the braves to hire wash as manager.
Please do not let Ron Washington near a managerial post ever again! He will not learn from his playoff mistakes.
Signed, a frustrated Ranger fan.
What did he do in the playoffs? I never really watched his moves. I figured he couldn’t be that horrible to take a team like the Rangers to back to back World Series.
He likely cost the Rangers an actual World Series championship in 2011 by leaving Nelson Cruz in RF. The Rangers were up on St. Louis 7-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth. They had two outs and two strikes. A pitch away from what would be the Rangers first world championship. Washington and the Rangers made a critical mistake. They had Nelson Cruz in RF, but they had him mispositioned too shallow. A ball went over his head. Game tied. World Championship lost. It goes beyond that. Cruz should have been pulled from the game in the 9th and replaced by Endy Chavez, a superb defender. Washington didn’t properly use his defense and roster and he cost the Rangers a championship.
That aside, yes it was costly, but every manager makes errors. It’s a human game. Washington was regarded as a strong manager. That 9th inning mistake a decade back doesn’t invalidate him as a manager. The mispositioning of Cruz may have been on his 3rd base coach. Not removing Cruz was on Washington. He let emotion guide him. He wanted Cruz to be able to celebrate on the field for the championship that never came.
And, btw, apologies on any factual errors here. I’m not a Rangers or Cardinals fan and I’m working off memory on something a decade back.
To be fair he had some great teams that really didn’t do much while he managed.
He actually cost them a championship back with Texas-I couldn’t believe how bad he was!
Don’t leave us, Strommie! You’ve got to be the GOAT among pitching coaches!
I’m betting that Lou Piniella is the Padres next manager!
How many retirement ceremonies does bochy want? I should be hired as the next manager of the Padres. I would deliver results and a World Series to the fine people of sandiagons
Padres managers since 2015 fired by Preller:
-Bud Black
-Andy Green
-Jayce Tingler
Are there any other organizations that have gone through three managers since 2015?
Every two years we fire our manager, best of luck to the next manager. Give him a 2 year contract. Can you be successful hiring a manager that isn’t worth retaining longer than 2 years?
I will propose Darren Balsley as the next manager. On a two year contract.
Phillies have technically gone through 4. Sandberg and Mackanin split 2015.
Padres have technically gone through 6 including Roberts, Murphy, and Barajas.
Just off the top of my head, the Red Sox had 3 managers/4 stints (Roenicke sandwiched by Cora), and the Mets are searching for their 5th manager since 2015 (Beltran skewing things).
Preller doing fantastic job at pushing the blame.
Padres-Brad Ausmus?
Hard pass on Ausmus!
Jason Varitek? You heard it here first
Rick Renteria?
Prayers for David Hess
Brent Strom was a regular youth baseball instructor back in the late 70s back in San Diego. He was good and patient. Him, Bob Cluck and the late Dave Smith were regulars at the San Diego School of Baseball.
Roger Craig is still hanging around out there in Alpine, if we’re all about hiring an ex-Padres skipper still alive.
Jim Riggleman. Frank Howard.
Larry Bowa and AJ Preller. Back together again for the first time?
Jack McKeon. Dave Roberts managed one game for San Diego. So did Bob Skinner, now age 90. Bring them back.
Bottom line – they don’t do the one wise thing. I don’t see Preller hiring a Bochy, who is not remotely a toady.
I bet Preller is all over ex-cardinals manager now that he is available