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Hall of Fame pitcher has a new heart, new outlook
Lee Smith knew something was wrong.
Shortness of breath, lost weight.
“I thought I had cancer,” said Smith, who spent most of his Hall of Fame career as a closer with the Chicago Cubs. Turns out it was his heart, pumping only about five percent of the blood that it should have. And on July 4, 2024, Lee Arthur Smith underwent a heart transplant that saved his life. That sounds only fitting for a reliever who was credited with 478 career saves.
Diagnosed with a rare genetic heart disease, cardiac amyloidosis, Smith, 66, credits his wife, Dyana Penigar, for her persistence in finding the right medical professionals to spot the problem.
“Amyloidosis… I had no idea what it was,” Smith told me. “Actually, you know, all the time I played ball, man, we all got checkups. We didn’t look for things like that. You just look for high blood pressure and nausea. And really just looking for diabetes and […]
Sosa touches all the bases during his return to Chicago
The chants emanating from the lower level of Club 400 sounded eerily familiar for longtime Chicago Cubs fans.
“Sammy! Sammy! Sammy!”
Former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa made a rare appearance in the Chicago area last weekend, visiting hospitals, greeting fans on the street and signing autographs for some of his most ardent fans from a quarter of a century ago. The father […]
Mitchell among 6 inductees to Gary Sports Hall of Fame
By CAROLE CARLSON
The Gary Sports Hall of Fame grew by six new members, including a former NBA player, two MLB players and a woman who spent 20 years as a leader of the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
The Class of 2024 inductees include NBA player Winston Garland, baseball players Wallace Johnson and Nick Strincevich, girls’ sports advocate Mildred Morgan Ball, […]
McMichael grateful for his Hall of Fame honor
Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Steve “Mongo” McMichael realized a life-long dream when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 3.
Suffering from the ravages of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, McMichael is unable to walk or talk.
A member of the […]
Sandberg statue highlights ’84 Cubs reunion
Without the names and numbers on their uniforms, some of the members of the 1984 Cubs found it difficult initially to recognize all of their former teammates.
Yet soon the memories and recognition returned during last weekend’s 40-year celebration of one of the franchise’s most iconic seasons. The ’84 Cubs won 96 games en route to a division title and came […]
Singletary and Moorehead among 2024 Gridiron Greats inductees
Two former members of the Super Bowl champion 1985 Chicago Bears were among the inductees to the Gridiron Greats 2024 Hall of Fame.
Mike Singletary, a Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker, and stellar tight end Emery Moorehead joined former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent in the select fraternity during a ceremony at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare […]