Hall of Famer Sutton high on 'brother' Jake
Given the opportunity, there are two topics Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton is always happy to talk about: Jake Peavy and kidney cancer. He's a longtime friend of the former, and he is in town today to raise awareness for the latter.
Sutton's trip to U.S. Cellular Field will mark a reunion with Peavy, whom he first met when the new Sox pitcher was still a prospect in the Padres' organization. Sutton asked Peavy to join his charity golf tournament in Destin, Fla., and they hit it off immediately.
(AP)
''I almost feel like Jake's a little brother,'' Sutton said of the fellow Alabamian. ''There hasn't been a whole lot that's happened in his life that I don't know about. I keep up with him like I would my own son or my brother.''
As Peavy was deciding whether to waive his no-trade clause and join the White Sox, Sutton -- who won 324 games throughout his 23-season career -- offered some sage advice.
''Think it through,'' Sutton said he told Peavy. ''Do what's best for your family. If you do decide to go [to the White Sox], I think you're going to like Kenny Williams. I know you're going to like Ozzie [Guillen]. Ozzie's going to talk a lot, but nobody wants to win any more than he does.''
In Peavy, Sutton said the Sox are getting a ''wonderful family man'' and an ''intense competitor.'' And even though the Sox have slipped to the fringe of playoff contention, Sutton has some lofty expectations for Peavy.
''Everybody I've been around says he's also a great teammate,'' Sutton said. ''He wants the team to win, and he wants to be the lead dog when the team wins. He's the guy I'd give the ball to when it's on the line.''
The 64-year-old Atlanta Braves radio announcer certainly knows something about winning. His on-field success earned him his induction to the Hall of Fame in 1998, but it was his successful battle against kidney cancer that has defined his post-baseball career.
Diagnosed with the disease in 2005, Sutton has now teamed up with the Evanston-based Kidney Cancer Association, Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals and Onyx Pharmaceuticals to launch the ''Stay In The Game.''
''The scariest thing that can happen to you in this situation is to not know what's going on and to feel like you're walking the plank alone,'' Sutton said of getting the cancer diagnosis.
Sutton will be joined today by local kidney-cancer survivors to raise awareness about the disease, which affects about 37,000 Americans.