The Boston Red Sox gave Clate Schmidt a much-needed reason to smile Wednesday.
The Clemson University pitcher went to Boston in the 32nd round of the 2015 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on the same day he began chemotherapy for cancer with which he recently was diagnosed. The 21-year-old found out he had nodular sclerosis, a treatable form of Hodgkin lymphoma, in early June.
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That treatment began Wednesday morning, as documented by Schimdt’s younger brother, Clarke, with the Red Sox making his dreams come true just a few hours later.
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According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Clarke always has looked up to Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester, who beat cancer in 2006 during his rookie season with Boston, and famously returned to the mound less than a year after the initial diagnosis.
“Honestly, it didn’t hit me until (just now), because I’m still in shock that they drafted me,” Schmidt said, per the Post and Courier. “I’m taken aback by it. I haven’t even let it soak in, but it is really cool they drafted me when I’m going through the same situation he (Lester) went through.”
The junior right-hander appeared in 18 games this season for Clemson, compiling a 2-3 record with a 4.67 ERA through 52 innings.
