Trey Mancini Puts Everything Into Perspective
Athletes, and baseball players, are human beings with problems, issues, and things to attend to beyond the diamond.
Some, however, have it a bit more difficult than others: that’s life, and it happens in every field.
Houston Astros slugger Trey Mancini didn’t play at all in 2020, the pandemic year, because he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.
Then with the Baltimore Orioles, Mancini had to miss the whole year while treating the disease.
You probably don’t need us to tell you that cancer is a life-threatening condition, so it’s fair to say he wasn’t even thinking about baseball at the time.
“‘Baseball was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to live.’ Trey Mancini playing in the World Series two years after missing the 2020 season due to colon cancer is one of the best stories of the postseason,” Talkin’ Baseball tweeted with some of Mancini’s quotes about those dark days.
“Baseball was the last thing on my mind. I just wanted to live.”
Trey Mancini playing in the World Series two years after missing the 2020 season due to colon cancer is one of the best stories of the postseasonpic.twitter.com/mC32htM9W0
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) October 24, 2022
A True Warrior
With work, determination, discipline, and the help of his loved ones, Mancini was able to overcome the disease and live a normal life again, which is remarkable.
In 2021, he was back on the field for the Orioles.
This year, he was traded to the Astros around the deadline, as the franchise hoped he could supply some power as a designated hitter.
That hasn’t been the case, though: in 186 plate appearances in H-town, Mancini slashed a disappointing .176/.258/.364 with eight home runs.
He hasn’t been much better in the postseason either, with no hits in 15 trips to the plate.
Still, he represents much more than just a bunch of stats to fans and to the game itself.
He embodies the values that make the game great, and his will to live has inspired thousands of people in the world.