Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 4, 2008 23:35:40 GMT -5
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- The mental toughness David Eckstein displays on the baseball field is borne out of the adversity that has been a constant in his life since he was a teenager.
The youngest of five children, he was just 13 when sister Susan underwent a kidney transplant in 1988. Three years later brother Ken and sister Christine needed the procedure.
Watching his siblings fight for their lives forced Eckstein to grow up quickly, and the resiliency and determination he learned during those years has served him well in a baseball career that has repeatedly defied the odds.
"I feel very blessed and honoured to be able to play this game and I will not take it for granted because there's a lot of people out there that just because of what was dealt to them, they will never be able to go out there and try to fulfil their athletic dream," said Eckstein, who played two innings at shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays in a rain-soaked 2-0 loss Tuesday to the New York Yankees. "You're going to be given certain things in life and the thing is you take it head on, you don't say, Why me,' or anything like that," he added. "You go, OK, this is what I'm given, now let me see how I handle it."'
Eckstein, along with brother Rick, was spared the genetic defect that led to renal failure in his other siblings but his average five-foot-seven, 177-pound frame made a successful career in the big-leagues most unlikely.
That never stopped him.
In high school he was twice an all-state baseball pick and was a first-team all-American in 1996 with the Florida Gators after making the team as a walk-on. The Boston Red Sox made him a 19th-round pick in 1997 but his career didn't pick up steam until the Angels claimed him on waivers in 2000.
He broke camp with them in 2001 and has been a regular in the majors since, winning World Series titles with the Angels in 2002 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. Eckstein signed a US$4.5-million, one-year deal with the Blue Jays in December.
"He was a guy who never got a lot of attention, a whole lot of people wrote him off, but got an opportunity and took advantage of it," said manager John Gibbons. "He knows he has to go out every day and work just as hard as he did yesterday, as he did 10 years ago.
"Guys that are like that, they're winners, because they're so much mentally stronger than most other guys."
Two recent examples underscore that point.
Back in 2005, as he was about to board a plane to Detroit for his first all-star appearance, Eckstein called home as he always does and received a chilling response from his father, who also suffered from kidney disease.
"He said, I can't breathe,' so I was like, Wake up mom.' So he went and did that and the next thing I know, they were calling 911, he had passed out," Eckstein recalled. "About 10 minutes later I got a phone call, We don't know what's going on, just say prayers.' And right about when we took off, they said they had admitted him to hospital and that everything should be OK."
He arrived in Detroit and took part in the all-star festivities as his father lay in hospital, unconscious. Whitey only came to later in the week, but had a kidney transplant later that season. Eckstein also played that day.
"The one thing my dad has always told me was not to miss a game because of him," he said. "He's instilled that into me and if anything happens, he's always told me, You have a job to do, go do that job."'
Eckstein believes that job includes using the platform being a professional gives him to be a role model.
In 2003, his autobiography "Have Heart" came out through Positively for Kids Inc. and was aimed at children "to give them a positive message that if you work hard and have a dream, you can fulfil it." An updated version was published in 2006 after the Series win with the Cardinals with additions aimed at getting adults to consider organ donations. A copy of it sits on the desk in Gibbons' office.
"My older brother and sister both received kidneys from people who had passed away and signed organ donation cards and I know it definitely changes a family's life," said Eckstein. "I've talked to both sides, those who have received and those who have given. And the people who have had a loved one pass away that had been able to donate, they said it's such a special feeling to know they were able to help someone else out."
Eckstein has also become involved with Athletes Against Autism, which was founded by Washington Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig and former NHLers Byron DaFoe and Scott Mellanby.
"My sister has two boys that are slightly autistic and they have the kidney problems, too, so it's like a double-whammy," said Eckstein. "Slowly, I'm venturing out into that also because I've been dealing a lot with the organ donation in every city I've played in. Now we're going to try to help get awareness for autism because if you catch it at an early age, there's so much difference in the kid."
It all makes Eckstein very easy to like.
Approachable and gracious, he welcomes strangers as if they're old friends.
"Our guys loved him when he played for the Angels because you just watch the guy go about his business and you can't help but love the guy," said Gibbons. "Now that he's actually in your clubhouse, guys gravitate towards him.
"He's going to do wonders for us."
The youngest of five children, he was just 13 when sister Susan underwent a kidney transplant in 1988. Three years later brother Ken and sister Christine needed the procedure.
Watching his siblings fight for their lives forced Eckstein to grow up quickly, and the resiliency and determination he learned during those years has served him well in a baseball career that has repeatedly defied the odds.
"I feel very blessed and honoured to be able to play this game and I will not take it for granted because there's a lot of people out there that just because of what was dealt to them, they will never be able to go out there and try to fulfil their athletic dream," said Eckstein, who played two innings at shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays in a rain-soaked 2-0 loss Tuesday to the New York Yankees. "You're going to be given certain things in life and the thing is you take it head on, you don't say, Why me,' or anything like that," he added. "You go, OK, this is what I'm given, now let me see how I handle it."'
Eckstein, along with brother Rick, was spared the genetic defect that led to renal failure in his other siblings but his average five-foot-seven, 177-pound frame made a successful career in the big-leagues most unlikely.
That never stopped him.
In high school he was twice an all-state baseball pick and was a first-team all-American in 1996 with the Florida Gators after making the team as a walk-on. The Boston Red Sox made him a 19th-round pick in 1997 but his career didn't pick up steam until the Angels claimed him on waivers in 2000.
He broke camp with them in 2001 and has been a regular in the majors since, winning World Series titles with the Angels in 2002 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. Eckstein signed a US$4.5-million, one-year deal with the Blue Jays in December.
"He was a guy who never got a lot of attention, a whole lot of people wrote him off, but got an opportunity and took advantage of it," said manager John Gibbons. "He knows he has to go out every day and work just as hard as he did yesterday, as he did 10 years ago.
"Guys that are like that, they're winners, because they're so much mentally stronger than most other guys."
Two recent examples underscore that point.
Back in 2005, as he was about to board a plane to Detroit for his first all-star appearance, Eckstein called home as he always does and received a chilling response from his father, who also suffered from kidney disease.
"He said, I can't breathe,' so I was like, Wake up mom.' So he went and did that and the next thing I know, they were calling 911, he had passed out," Eckstein recalled. "About 10 minutes later I got a phone call, We don't know what's going on, just say prayers.' And right about when we took off, they said they had admitted him to hospital and that everything should be OK."
He arrived in Detroit and took part in the all-star festivities as his father lay in hospital, unconscious. Whitey only came to later in the week, but had a kidney transplant later that season. Eckstein also played that day.
"The one thing my dad has always told me was not to miss a game because of him," he said. "He's instilled that into me and if anything happens, he's always told me, You have a job to do, go do that job."'
Eckstein believes that job includes using the platform being a professional gives him to be a role model.
In 2003, his autobiography "Have Heart" came out through Positively for Kids Inc. and was aimed at children "to give them a positive message that if you work hard and have a dream, you can fulfil it." An updated version was published in 2006 after the Series win with the Cardinals with additions aimed at getting adults to consider organ donations. A copy of it sits on the desk in Gibbons' office.
"My older brother and sister both received kidneys from people who had passed away and signed organ donation cards and I know it definitely changes a family's life," said Eckstein. "I've talked to both sides, those who have received and those who have given. And the people who have had a loved one pass away that had been able to donate, they said it's such a special feeling to know they were able to help someone else out."
Eckstein has also become involved with Athletes Against Autism, which was founded by Washington Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig and former NHLers Byron DaFoe and Scott Mellanby.
"My sister has two boys that are slightly autistic and they have the kidney problems, too, so it's like a double-whammy," said Eckstein. "Slowly, I'm venturing out into that also because I've been dealing a lot with the organ donation in every city I've played in. Now we're going to try to help get awareness for autism because if you catch it at an early age, there's so much difference in the kid."
It all makes Eckstein very easy to like.
Approachable and gracious, he welcomes strangers as if they're old friends.
"Our guys loved him when he played for the Angels because you just watch the guy go about his business and you can't help but love the guy," said Gibbons. "Now that he's actually in your clubhouse, guys gravitate towards him.
"He's going to do wonders for us."
