Blue Jays right handed pitcher Brandon Morrow is a diabetic. He also came extremely close to being the sixth man to throw a no hitter in the Major Leagues this year, as today he shut down one of the best teams in baseball, the Tampa Bay Rays. He gave up only one hit, on a ball that the second baseman dove for and had it hit off of his glove. It richocheted into right field with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.
Morrow, on the field at least, has had a brief and, until today, unremarkable major league career. Before today, he had a 16 and 18 lifetime record and a 4.71 earned run average. Today, however, he nearly secured his place in baseball immortality.
But to millions of diabetics around the world, Morrow was, or at least should have been, a role model already.
In his senior year in high school, Morrow began losing weight and drinking inordinate amounts of water. He mentioned his situation to a friend who said the symptoms sounded similar to that of diabetes. Morrow saw a doctor and a short while later, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Morrow, however, did not allow the chronic disease slow him down. In fact, he sees the steps he needs to take to manage his diabetes as being very similar to the things all successful Major League Baseball players must do; he realized that routine would be a very important part of his life going forward.
In an interview earlier this year, Morrow said about battling diabetes, "Right off the bat it's all about routine. You've got to keep your sugar levels stable and in a good range. So develop your routine, especially on game days. It doesn't have to be a worry. Find what works for you so then you don't have to worry about, 'Man, am I going to go low during a game?' Once you have that routine down, you're fine."
While ultimately talent matters the most when competing at the top level of any sport, the discipline and focus required for Morrow to compete in the Major Leagues likely seems like small potatoes when compared to the importance his health routine commands; the ability to stay focused on testing, adjusting and measuring his blood sugar levels regardless of what else is going on that day.
On some level, the routine inherent to playing Major League Baseball may make it easier for Morrow to stay focused on his diabetic needs and routine. But similarly, the focus and discipline that Morrow has demonstrated throughout his adult life when staying focused on his health needs must make his baseball routine seem easy by comparison.
Today, Brandon Morrow, a type 1 diabetic, conquered the Tampa Bay Rays in near no-hit fashion; it must somehow seems rather trivial in comparison to his battle against diabetes while also meaning everything in the world to diabetics around both Canada and the United States.
Source: Sean Brennan, "Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Brandon Morrow manages diabetes with routine, faces New York Yankees", nydailynews.com
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