John Farrell takes medical leave
August 14, 2015
Not all memories from this year are good ones. The franchise was hit with frightening news when it was revealed that manager John Farrell had been diagnosed with cancer.
The form of lymphoma that Farrell suffered from was still in Stage 1 when doctors detected it while performing hernia surgery. He would be forced to step away from the team in order to undergo chemo treatments, but throughout the process the manager maintained a positive attitude while remaining optimistic that he would beat this “highly curable” form of cancer.
And beat it he did, as Farrell has since been given a clean bill of health and is expected to take his place in the Red Sox dugout when Spring Training rolls around.
During his absence, bench coach Torey Lovullo was named interim manager and led the Red Sox to a 27-20 record down the stretch. He will return to his previous position with the team, alongside Farrell, in 2016. Lovullo agreed to a two-year extension in October to remain with the Red Sox, aligning his contract with the extension that they gave Farrell back February that lasts through the 2017 season.
Some things are bigger than sports. As glad as the Red Sox will be to have the manager that led them to a 2013 title back in the dugout, they are most thankful to see him healthy again. Farrell stepping away from the team was one of the more significant moments of the year, but the announcement that he will return next season was the best news of all.
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