Chad Bettis determined to beat returning cancer

Chad Bettis is one of the good guys.

We work in an industry with an overwhelming amount cynicism and mistrust of the media but if we could ask for your ultimate trust on just one thing at this exact moment in time, it’s that Chad Bettis is one of the good guys.

He’s never shy to say hello in the morning to everyone from the press to the security guards to the ushers. He tends to have a smile on his face, and not once has he ever turned us down for an interview request or even just for a casual chat. He is giving with his time and his thoughts. He has the utmost respect from everyone in the Colorado Rockies clubhouse, and not just the players. His giving nature has helped him emerge as a leader on the team and the go-to guy for the right combination of fairness, no-nonsense, reality and humor.

Whether we were pontificating on the similarities between baseball and chess or talking about the resurgence of the curve ball at Coors Field, I’ve left every conversation I’ve had with Chad Bettis a wiser person. Life is more important than baseball and I would just like to personally thank Chad for making my life a richer experience.

This is just part of why today’s news that his testicular cancer has returned comes as a major blow to anyone who has ever known him.

Here is an update on my current health situation. My family and I thank you for your continued thoughts, prayers and support. pic.twitter.com/oIi4CTE0AK

— Chad Bettis (@cbettis35) March 10, 2017

Cancer is an absolute nightmare, even for those who survive it. It’s encouraging that this particular type has a 90 percent survival rate, but that shouldn’t lessen the degree of thoughts and prayers sent to Bettis and his family. They need all the good karma we can possibly send them. And so do all the others dealing with this horrific disease.

For our purposes here, we will continue to report on baseball and hopefully can catch up with Chad in the next couple of days as we being our on-site spring training coverage. But, despite being at an almost complete loss of words, I felt it simply necessary to send along the well wishes of everyone here at BSN Denver.

Sports don’t exist without cheering and rooting. And Chad Bettis, truly one of the good guys, has the entire Rockies family in his corner for this fight.