October 21, 2008
What Was he Thinking?
Jim Bowden delayed skin cancer treatment. Doctors diagnosed the problem in June:
That's how Bowden learned he had squamous cell carcinoma -- a type of skin cancer for which doctors recommended surgery within a month. Unwilling to abandon his job, even for a week, Bowden ignored the advice. He spent the second half of the season working as usual, and worrying in private about the growth on his forehead -- and whether it was spreading.
Immediately after the season, Bowden had the cancer removed in a five-hour procedure conducted by Melbourne, Fla.-based surgeon Larry Bishop. Doctors removed the cancer-infected skin layer by layer, following its roots to the very bottom. Because he had delayed treatment, the cancer had spread to a second area of his forehead, but doctors were able to get it all.
"I'll live," Bowden said.
Yes, managing the Nationals to the worst record in the NL was really worth it. I'm sorry, there is no GM so important that they can't take a week off and hand the reigns over to someone else.
That said, I'm glad he's okay and I hope his cancer doesn't return.
Posted by David Pinto at
08:30 AM
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Not to be mean to a cancer survivor, but maybe because he's so bad at his job he was worried that his replacement would show his bosses what they've missing all this time?
Everybody knew the Nationals had cancer in the clubhouse (Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge), but who knew it would spread to the front office?
This is the type of decision making ability a fan loves to see in their team's front office. Perhaps it's true that Bowden is only capable of looking at the short term.
That said, I wish him a full recovery.
Of course, I wish Jim Bowden a speedy and full recovery, but I think his mentality speaks to the sorry state of affairs he's got the Nationals in.
I cannot imagine that in an organization that is well-run and thorough, that the GM cannot take a few months off to, ya know, prolong his life. Theo Epstein has, I'd bet, a large number of guys who are able to oversee the day-to-day ops until Epstein's return. Also, they don't treat cancer on the moon, so it's not like your surrogate is going to go off and trade your superstars for peanuts without your say-so.
I cannot imagine a justified reason for any GM, let alone the GM of a last place team, fail to take care of his health like this.
