We live in a world where people tend to lose sight of what’s important. With so much division, stress, acrimony, and drama, sometimes folks get caught up in their own selfishness and forget to step back and look at the big picture. Not Chad Kuhl.
Chad Kuhl is a major-league baseball player. Or, at least, he was. Kuhl, at one time, was a member of the starting rotation for the Washington Nationals. The seven-year MLB veteran had carved out a nice if unspectacular career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Colorado Rockies, and Washington Nationals as both a spot starter and middle reliever.
The 30-year-old pitcher married a girl he had known since middle school and started a family, having a son along the way. Everything was lining up for Kuhl to finish his last few years in the league and settle down, perhaps coaching baseball as a post-retirement career.
However, as we know all too well to be true, cancer doesn’t care about your plans. Kuhl’s wife, Amanda, found a lump in her breast during a routine gynecological exam in January. In February, she underwent a double mastectomy and a biopsy on her lymph nodes. She began chemotherapy shortly thereafter.
Kuhl took to Instagram recently to announce he is stepping away from baseball to assist his wife Amanda in the fight of her life. He was released by the Nats earlier in the season but has had offers that he has declined. He said on social media: “I’ve taken some time to reflect on these past few weeks and where I’m currently at I want to thank the @nationals and their fans for welcoming us and to those who have donated their time and money for the #cancerisntkuhl campaign & @nats4good we are especially grateful,”
Kuhl started a foundation to battle the disease called Cancer Isn’t Kuhl and raised $25,000 in the first week. Now Kuhl has decided to dedicate all of his time to his wife’s recovery and the care of their son Hudson.
Kuhl’s decision was an easy one for him to make. He said: He said: “While I’ve received offers to continue to play this season, I have made the choice for my family to stay in DC area for the time being and have Amanda continue to get the best care possible. I’ve decided to be with her through the course of chemo and radiation.”
While Kuhl is stepping away to focus on family and his wife’s recovery, he isn’t done playing baseball. he said: “This is just a pause for me and my family. My desire to play and love for the game has never been stronger, and I’m looking forward to the next time I step on a major league mound whenever that may be.”
There is a decided lack of pitching in Major League Baseball, and a veteran like Kuhl should be able to restart his career after his wife has sufficiently recovered. His skill set as a middle reliever and inning eater will be in demand for clubs down the stretch this season if he chooses to come back that soon.
However, the most important thing is his family, and as Kuhl has displayed, he won’t play another inning until all is well at home. Best wishes to Chad Kuhl, his wife Amanda, and their family.
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