We got home at about the time everyone was talking about baseball. When the announcements came out about Little League, Ricky was determined to play. He kept asking if I had signed him up. I was asking myself, How is this boy ever going to play ball when he gets so sick every four weeks?
But it was true that after the initial vomiting, he was in pretty good shape. So—I got his required birth records and went to the committee and explained about Ricky’s condition—that on certain days he wouldn’t be able to play, and he couldn’t tolerate the hot sun because of the radiation to his neck.
Every day Ricky watched the bulletin board to see what team he was on. The lists finally came out. He was on the Twins team.
The next Saturday we went to the baseball field and got his cap and yellow T-shirt, with his name in one corner and the Twins written across it. From then on, it was off to every practice a half hour early and ready for every game.
His team won almost every game and the whole family held their breath every time Ricky was at bat or the ball headed in his direction on the field.
On May 19th [1975], he was given a small trophy as the outstanding player for that game. The next week he was the most valuable player. Ricky had a wonderful coach who really encouraged the boys with praise. Every boy had his turn at bat, too, no matter how the game was going.
In June we began to notice that Ricky was having trouble holding the bat, and he turned his whole body when he swung at the ball, instead of just using his arms.
“Ricky, can you feel your arm and hand?”
“Most of the time, but I gotta finish this season.”
“I know, but the doctor has to have a look at you again.”
The X-rays showed a piece of the vertebra, C-3, was missing. After all the chemotherapy of the past year and the radiation, the cancer was still eating away. The only thing to do was stronger doses of chemotherapy and more radiation; as much as he could stand.
Now the baseball season was almost over. Ricky went to the final game, but he couldn’t play. He was too weak. He had lost 10 pounds again.
When Ricky walked on the field in his uniform, with his neck deep read and leathery from the radiation burns, all the boys cheered and the fans cheered. Ricky just looked stunned, but then he broke into one of his big shy smiles.
The Twins were the number one team that year and everybody received a baseball trophy on a marble base.
Chapter 9 to follow
