GaryMrMets
06-09-2005, 10:39 AM
Miami's Tomas Battles Crohn's Disease
By TIM REYNOLDS
.c The Associated Press
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Roger Tomas is not Miami's best baseball player, not by a long shot. Yet, this relatively quiet, 5-foot-8, 177-pound shortstop might be the Hurricanes' most inspiring player.
He isn't a sure-fire future professional, will never get the multimillion-dollar signing bonus that awaits newly drafted teammates Ryan Braun and Cesar Carrillo, isn't overwhelmingly fast and doesn't hit for power.
Tomas was diagnosed early last season with Crohn's Disease, a painful, incurable bowel disorder that could lead to other medical problems. Yet it hasn't kept him off the field with the Hurricanes, who play Nebraska in this weekend's super-regional round of the NCAA tournament. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the eight-team College World Series.
``He makes everything seem in perspective,'' said Carrillo, Miami's ace right-hander. ``We always keep him in our prayers. He's an inspiration for us, every time we're out there. When I'm out there running my laps and look over and see Roger still working and sweating, I say 'if he can do it, I can do it.'''
Tomas, who needed 14 pills a day when the disease was first diagnosed and now endures a four-hour intravenous treatment sessions every eight weeks - one awaits him when the Hurricanes return from Nebraska - still fights off some weakness and fatigue. And there's still a twinge of fear about what the future may bring.
``There can be a lot of pain, a lot of bleeding, and if you don't take care of it you start getting holes in your intestines,'' said Tomas, who was hospitalized for 15 days last summer because of side effects of the disease. ``It can lead to cancer.''
Somehow, he's stayed productive. He's hitting .269, is tied for the team lead in triples (five), and had a 10-game hitting streak earlier this season.
``I just want to play every day, every game,'' Tomas said. ``I never know how bad it could get. Every game could be my last.''
The Hurricanes were a few weeks into their 2004 season when Tomas began feeling awful.
He wasn't playing much, which was expected; Miami coach Jim Morris even considered redshirting him in 2004, but decided to keep him on the roster about a week before the season began.
Playing time, though, was the least of Tomas' concerns.
He had constant stomach pain. Already slight in stature, he lost more weight because he couldn't eat. He lacked energy, lost his lust for baseball, and battled severe headaches and nausea.
``I didn't know what was happening,'' Tomas said.
Eventually, in March 2004, doctors diagnosed him with the disease, which researchers believe is triggered when the immune system, for unknown reasons, overreacts to harmless bacteria normally present in the intestines and attacks tissue there. An estimated 500,000 to 1 million Americans have the disorder.
Morris said Tomas has done everything the Hurricanes could ask.
``He's a guy that you know is going to give you his best effort every day,'' Morris said. ``He does the little things to help you win. That's all you want from any player, and he does it in every practice and every game.''
Tomas played a major role in the Hurricanes' run to the College World Series last year.
Braun suffered a rib injury midway through the season, so Miami turned to Tomas to play shortstop - and he responded. He hit .339 over those last 33 games, earned a spot on the CWS All-Star team after hitting .450 in Omaha and committed just one error in his final 23 games of the year.
He was so good that Morris elected to shift Braun - the No. 5 overall pick in this week's baseball draft - to third base this season, and keep Tomas at shortstop.
``Roger deserved the job,'' Morris said.
Although it still bothers him, Tomas has the disease under control - for now.
He gives himself a shot of medication every Monday, watches his diet and undergoes the IV treatments, but is feeling significantly better than he did a year ago. He doesn't spend every moment wondering what's wrong anymore, like he found himself doing when the disease was first diagnosed.
And most importantly, Tomas is still able to do what he loves most - play the game.
``You can manage this disease,'' Tomas said. ``You can live with it.''
06/08/05 18:20 EDT
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
By TIM REYNOLDS
.c The Associated Press
CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - Roger Tomas is not Miami's best baseball player, not by a long shot. Yet, this relatively quiet, 5-foot-8, 177-pound shortstop might be the Hurricanes' most inspiring player.
He isn't a sure-fire future professional, will never get the multimillion-dollar signing bonus that awaits newly drafted teammates Ryan Braun and Cesar Carrillo, isn't overwhelmingly fast and doesn't hit for power.
Tomas was diagnosed early last season with Crohn's Disease, a painful, incurable bowel disorder that could lead to other medical problems. Yet it hasn't kept him off the field with the Hurricanes, who play Nebraska in this weekend's super-regional round of the NCAA tournament. The winner of the best-of-three series advances to the eight-team College World Series.
``He makes everything seem in perspective,'' said Carrillo, Miami's ace right-hander. ``We always keep him in our prayers. He's an inspiration for us, every time we're out there. When I'm out there running my laps and look over and see Roger still working and sweating, I say 'if he can do it, I can do it.'''
Tomas, who needed 14 pills a day when the disease was first diagnosed and now endures a four-hour intravenous treatment sessions every eight weeks - one awaits him when the Hurricanes return from Nebraska - still fights off some weakness and fatigue. And there's still a twinge of fear about what the future may bring.
``There can be a lot of pain, a lot of bleeding, and if you don't take care of it you start getting holes in your intestines,'' said Tomas, who was hospitalized for 15 days last summer because of side effects of the disease. ``It can lead to cancer.''
Somehow, he's stayed productive. He's hitting .269, is tied for the team lead in triples (five), and had a 10-game hitting streak earlier this season.
``I just want to play every day, every game,'' Tomas said. ``I never know how bad it could get. Every game could be my last.''
The Hurricanes were a few weeks into their 2004 season when Tomas began feeling awful.
He wasn't playing much, which was expected; Miami coach Jim Morris even considered redshirting him in 2004, but decided to keep him on the roster about a week before the season began.
Playing time, though, was the least of Tomas' concerns.
He had constant stomach pain. Already slight in stature, he lost more weight because he couldn't eat. He lacked energy, lost his lust for baseball, and battled severe headaches and nausea.
``I didn't know what was happening,'' Tomas said.
Eventually, in March 2004, doctors diagnosed him with the disease, which researchers believe is triggered when the immune system, for unknown reasons, overreacts to harmless bacteria normally present in the intestines and attacks tissue there. An estimated 500,000 to 1 million Americans have the disorder.
Morris said Tomas has done everything the Hurricanes could ask.
``He's a guy that you know is going to give you his best effort every day,'' Morris said. ``He does the little things to help you win. That's all you want from any player, and he does it in every practice and every game.''
Tomas played a major role in the Hurricanes' run to the College World Series last year.
Braun suffered a rib injury midway through the season, so Miami turned to Tomas to play shortstop - and he responded. He hit .339 over those last 33 games, earned a spot on the CWS All-Star team after hitting .450 in Omaha and committed just one error in his final 23 games of the year.
He was so good that Morris elected to shift Braun - the No. 5 overall pick in this week's baseball draft - to third base this season, and keep Tomas at shortstop.
``Roger deserved the job,'' Morris said.
Although it still bothers him, Tomas has the disease under control - for now.
He gives himself a shot of medication every Monday, watches his diet and undergoes the IV treatments, but is feeling significantly better than he did a year ago. He doesn't spend every moment wondering what's wrong anymore, like he found himself doing when the disease was first diagnosed.
And most importantly, Tomas is still able to do what he loves most - play the game.
``You can manage this disease,'' Tomas said. ``You can live with it.''
06/08/05 18:20 EDT
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.