Liam Hendriks gets standing ovation in return to mound after bout with cancer
CHICAGO (CBS) -- For one night, White Sox closer Liam Hendriks had all of Major League Baseball cheering for the South Siders, as he made his season debut after beating stage four non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
Hendriks took the mound for the first time this season in the 8th inning, getting a standing ovation from the crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field as he entered the game.
"It was humbling going out there, and walking out there, and seeing the amount of people wearing my shirts, the amount of people having signs or flags or anything like that, the amount of people that were chanting when I came into the game. It was very humbling and a sobering moment for me, because just realizing that the impact my wife and I have had around this city with what we've been able to do" Hendriks said after the game.
Hendriks took in the moment but tried to keep the focus on baseball. He said he felt good physically, but all that love, especially from the Angels dugout, made it hard to channel his usual game-time anger.
"It's great, and I truly really appreciate everything, but it's very hard to get into my right frame of mind knowing that they're actually good people. So I have to trick myself into thinking they're terrible, and that they don't deserve anything, but, that's just the way I pitch and the way I am," he said.
Hendriks struggled in his season debut, giving up three hits and a walk, and allowing two runs in the team's 6-4 loss to the Angels.