Rick Chandler has had his "Henry Rollins meets Marius Bannister" moment.

/seriously, if you want to make me sob, play track #5 from Think Tank, disc #2

(wipes tear)
Shoulda been you, cancerous cells.

(see, if you kill cancerous cells, it gets rid of the...)

Fuck...who's dusting in my office again?

I am intrigued by this new sensitive Deadspin and wish to subscribe to its newsletter.

/I like the kid.

"Also," he added, "if I could fuck the prom queen that would be nice, too."

...and Mitch Albom scurries to secure the book rights...

@The Fan's Attic: I don't know, but they must have stopped by mine for a dusting session too.

Great story.

But I thought blogs were devoted to cruelty?

When did Rick Reilly start writing for Deadspin?

I don't know what's sadder:

• The story
• The fact that I almost made a "good thing this at-bat didn't end like the Sara Tucholsky story" joke

@Secret Identity: Nope, only the 17th comment.

If life is about what you do with those breaths, then I've wasted too many of them on my couch in front of the TV. I'm not saying I'm going to stop, I'm just saying I feel like an idiot right now.

Randy Pausch could kick this kid's ASS!

I guess I don't have to go home and watch The Notebook tonight.

Excellent story. Bravo.

There aren't enough kids, heck, there aren't enough people like this kid out there. Thank you for sharing the story with us Rick, I think it's a wonderful thing, if a sad thing.

@Secret Identity: Better known as, "Where is Robert Schimmel when you need him?"

Also, this story reminds me of a friend that got stomach cancer our senior year of high school. He was a bright guy and a good athlete, well-liked, and he had a great future in front of him, and he died a month before graduation. Why is it always the good ones who get the fatal diseases far too early in life? Why not the jerks and the assholes?

@Peter Cavan: Because then we wouldn't have a legal profession (and, I'm a lawyer--I'll attest to the jerks and a-holes (not to being one myself)).

You know, I'm not a hugely religious guy, but I think this J.C. guy has the right message.

@Peter Cavan: They do as well, but nobody cares enough to remember it.

Wow... and Will thought he felt like a life-wasting loser after the marathon-running lawyer story.

What, I like hyphens?

shoulda been you jerramy stevens

@Peter Cavan: I ask myself questions like those all the time. It's one of the weak spots in my personal faith.

@TheStarterWife: Damn, beat me to it!

This is the result of 10 minutes staring at the screen trying to come up with something fitting to say.

Can we get this kid into Scores?

Damn allergies. I can't get my eyes to stop tearing.

That's a whole lotta wisdom in one skinny kid.

Roger Clemens beaned him in his next at-bat.

So this kid can grit out a single, but that softball dike couldn't crawl off first base because of a bum knee?

Awesome story.

Not only is this a great story, but it's especially fitting after the last post. Awesome kid > giant douche.

I vow from this day forward to live life to the fullest!

/watches bowling, eats pork rinds

@Carmen McFanzone: I had the same feeling. Every once in a while life gives you a punch in the gut that lets you know maybe your life aint that bad.

Somewhere Skip Bayless pens a similar piece questioning why Challis couldn't leg out a double.

In all serious, thanks Rick. Puts things in perspective.

And not to be a complete douche, but if this story touched you go find a charity to give some money or time too.

May I recommend [www.ulmanfund.org]

Good group, legitimately helps kids like this.

Another reason I hate ESPN: Tom Rinaldi will inevitably get his disgusting ooze all over this while he reads over a slow piano accompaniment.

Things like this are best left to the writers.

Yeah but did he take a test after the game?

"Don't overthink things," he said. "I've learned that. There are a lot of unanswered questions in this world and the reason they're unanswered is because if you think about them too much, you're always going to come up with different answers." That kid is wiser than people three times his age.

The good do die young.

Thanks for posting this, Rick. Puts me bitching about finals in perspective.

I actually signed on today because I wanted to bitch about my day at work.

I'm not going to do that.

@Carmen McFanzone: That's more than I could think of

I actually signed on today because I wanted to bitch about my day at work.

I'm not going to do that.

I'm still going to do it... just not until later.

Aw fuck, now I'm crying.

There's no crying in baseball, but I think today can be an exception?

This kid's sibling will grow up to be our generation's Dewey Cox, mark my words.

This kid gets a big ol' heartfelt +1.

Hope he makes/made it to prom (GET SOME!) and finishes high school.

@Carmen McFanzone: @HockeyMountain:
All I could come up with is cancer is a fucking bitch.

A few years ago, one of my best friends' boyfriends died at 27, slowly and painfully of cancer. He loved to throw parties, and even when his health really started to fail, he threw a Christmas party and a grand New Year's Eve party in the same week. He was gone by Valentine's Day. He was an awesome guy--whip-smart, funny, and one of the most cheerful and loving people I've ever met. And he loved my friend. And he's gone.

So, fuck you, cancer. Fuck you right in the ear.

"Let me interrupt you here to tell you I think you're full of shit..."

-BuzzB

/wishes no ill will towards the subject of the post, but had to take the layup....

Talk about a set of balls on this kid. I'd be feeling so sorry for myself and listening to Bright Eyes every day.

@DontPracticeRenteria: Hope the poor kid doesn't have ball cancer.

/didn't RTFA, yet
//lives in Omaha and wishes Bright Eyes would get some 'locked-in-syndrome' for about 30 years
///med student that has already reserved a place in hell

It's what you do with those breaths

/puts down bong

@Nacho Friendly:

you mean they're gonna make a terrible movie about him?

Your move, Mr. Bissinger.

the wrong kid died!!!