Tug Returns Home
July 2003 Issue
On March 12, Mets Hall-of-Famer and former Phillies great Tug McGraw entered the Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater Florida, and in the emergency room he was told that he had three weeks to live. Ten weeks later, McGraw held his first press conference since undergoing brain surgery in order to let his fans know that rumors of his impending demise had been greatly exaggerated.
On May 29, one day following his return north from Florida, McGraw thanked his fans for their support and updated them about his condition. McGraw explained the kind of occurrences that preceded his hospitalization -- things that in retrospect were signs that something was terribly wrong. Like the time he showed up for his job as a Phillies spring training instructor, only to discover that nobody was there because it was an off day. Or like the time he mistook his kitchen for the restroom. After witnessing these events, longtime friend John McManus called some of McGraw's other friends, and the group brought McGraw to Clearwater's Morton Plant Hospital. "That was stage one of saving my life," said McGraw.
At Morton Plant, McGraw was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and was told that there was little hope of recovery. Within a day of his hospitalization, McGraw's son, country music star Tim McGraw and his daughter-in-law, Faith Hill, arrived and determined that this diagnosis was "unacceptable." Tim and Faith did some research and quickly determined that the nearby H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa was one of the nation's premier cancer institutes. Within a day and a half, McGraw was transferred to the Moffitt Center, which McGraw said was "stage two of saving my life." On May 18 he underwent a 6-hour surgical procedure to remove the tumor.
The surgery was the first step towards McGraw's recovery. That was followed by a month of chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which he underwent twice a day, five times a week. That was followed by a month off, and then by an MRI. The MRI showed that on the right side of the brain the operation area had healed completely, but that there was still an area of concern on the left side. While the area on the left side might merely have been scar tissue, to be on the safe side McGraw resumed chemotherapy. In a press release, he says that, "My recent blood tests and an MRI have shown favorable results. I will continue to receive follow-up examinations at the Moffitt Center to monitor my progress."
McGraw took advantage of the fact that the Mets were playing Philadelphia the day of the press conference, and he visited with friends and teammates from both of his former teams. When he was asked about the reception he received in the Phillies' clubhouse, McGraw described the scene as a "lovefest....Practically everyone came over and had something nice to say. There were some hugs, and a few kisses." Then, after thinking about what he said for a moment, he showed his trademark wit and sense of humor by adding, "There are a couple of switch-hitters in there, I guess."
The "unbelievable" outpouring of support from his fans has also been very touching to McGraw. He has received thousands of letters, prayer cards and e-mails from supportive fans. "It's nice to know that people care. You really don't know what kind of impact you have. The response has been overwhelming. The labor is trying to read them all." However, the fact that he mentioned his tug@tugmcgraw.com e-mail address and his www.tugmcgraw.com website in his press release indicates that keeping up with these greetings has been a labor of love.
Although McGraw spoke a little more slowly and walked a bit more deliberately than he has in the past, this press conference showed that the quintessential Tug McGraw is back. "The prognosis is good. I'm alive, so the three weeks thing didn't work. And I'm supposed to be alive for a long time!"