Medicine and Baseball at 30

Journal of Family Practice, Oct, 2001 by John D. Sutton

As I struggled to complete my early morning workout, in an attempt to maintain a shred of my prior fitness level, I heard on television that Ken Griffey, Jr. had been late to a news conference because his son had needed more "cartoon time" with his dad. When I heard this, I immediately recalled the time 14 years ago when I was fortunate enough to share a ball field with a young man who is now considered the best player in baseball. I was also reminded of the fact that although our lives have taken very different paths, we both, at 30, struggle with demands of being a good professional, yet still being an excellent father and role model to our children.

I am sure that Junior does not remember me. We were playing in a tournament at Xavier University in his hometown of Cincinnati. We all knew who he was, and his famous father had shown up at some of the games as well. His athleticism and baseball instincts were far superior to those of anyone I had ever played against. I had been told that the odds of a player drafted out of high school of making it to the major leagues was approximately 5000 to 1. Ken Griffey, Jr. had shown me that, regardless of my work ethic, I would never be that "one." He was that "one." I would have to rely on other strengths in pursuing a career.

I decided to become a physician, and enrolled in a 6-year combined college and medical training program. My love of baseball never waned, even as my love for medicine grew. To see the little things in baseball--moving a runner to third, hitting a cutoff man, beautifully executing a run down play--is a joy I share with only the "hardest" hard core fans. I followed Junior's career and saw him play on several occasions. I was usually rewarded by seeing not only his outstanding plays but by watching him take pride in doing his job well. As a family physician, I do not often make the medical highlight reel, but I do attend diligently to the everyday care of my patients, doing the small things that keep them well. I get as much satisfaction from this as from the important but rare life and death decisions that present themselves.

Our careers have been similar in other ways. I started my residency at 24, a young age in medicine. At 27, I began serving as an assistant residency director. I have faced some difficulties in my career because of my age, and I am sure Junior, who entered the majors at 19, went through these as well. I found older colleagues and patients cynical of my youth and inexperience and have had to earn their trust. I once served as attending physician of a resident 15 years my senior.

Over the last 6 years I have lost friends to accidents and addiction, and I have shared in the joys of fatherhood with 2 wonderful children and an almost perfect wife. I have been through "slumps," made mistakes, and felt the weight of the world on my shoulders, and although I have never had zealous fans chanting my name, I have benefited from a more intimate form of positive feedback from patients and have remembered their gratitude during hard times. I have faced difficult questions, and although not in a public forum, I have attempted to answer them honestly and directly. I have formed lasting and valuable friendships with colleagues and have also made an occasional enemy, not unlike a professional ballplayer. I have felt the disappointment of leaving for work while my son says, "Can't you stay home and play with me?" And I have felt the ultimate contentment while sharing a story with my children before bed. (I recommend Where the Wild Things Are.)

I can close my eyes and see myself standing on first base at Jacobs' Field holding Junior close to the bag, but I have no regrets. I am blessed that I am able to wake up every morning to a career I truly enjoy. I wonder what it is like to have 50,000 people cheering your name, but I realize that individual voices heard over time may be more gratifying. I hope that Junior feels the same satisfaction in his profession.

It is hard to believe Junior and I are 30 years old. I remember admiring him for his grace, speed, and uncanny baseball instincts. I knew that I was seeing someone with a special talent. When I hear that he is late for a press conference because he wants to spend more time with his kids, I admire him even more, because I realize that we not only got older, we grew up. As we continue to age, I hope we maintain these priorities so that when we are 60, we will not regret how we spent our time when we were 30.

All correspondence should be addressed to John D. Sutton, MD, Altman Hospital, Family Practice Center, Residency Program, 2600 Seventh Street, SW, Canton, OH 55710.