The Red Sox’ manager has been out since August undergoing treatment for disease
For John Farrell, 2015 was intended to be about rebuilding the standard of the Boston Red Sox. But instead, it took a grave turn, as he ended it in a hospital battling for his own life.
In the baseball world, it was a year that began with high hopes for the Boston Red Sox. With big contracts handed out to free agents Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval, as well as a rebuilt pitching staff, the expectation was for John Farrell ’s club to pull itself up out of the cellar it landed in by the end of 2014.
However, by the end of the season, baseball was the furthest thing of serious consequence for Farrell. It was announced in August that the Red Sox skipper was diagnosed with lymphoma and would depart from the club to seek treatment immediately. In his stead, bench coach Torey Luvullo took over the reins of the club, whose struggles continued and ultimately finished in fifth place in the American League East for the second consecutive season.
Yet today, the Red Sox officially announced that Farrell’s cancer was in remission. This is obviously good news for the 53-year-old, who led the Red Sox to the 2013 World Series championship and whom had already received the vote of confidence that he could return to the Boston bench in 2016 with a clean bill of health.
In a statement issued by the team, Farrell was enthusiastic in thanks for the support he received throughout his ordeal, thanking the fans, Red Sox organization and doctors whom cared for him as he received treatment.
A the plethora of changes that have taken place in the Boston front office since Farrell departed the team on August 14, including the addition of new president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, new general manager Mike Hagen, whom both replaced Ben Cherington from the respective roles during the later half of the season. Dombrowski confirmed with Farrell he would be retained as manager in early October via phone call, shortly after word was provided that he had completed chemotherapy treatments.
Farrell is slated to be ready to resume with the team by spring training, with Luvullo returning to his previous role as bench coach. Farrell’s current contract with the club runs through 2017.
After winning the 2013 World Series under Farrell’s guidance, the organization’s third since 2004, the Red Sox have posted a 91-loss 2014 season. Although they finished in at the bottom of the division standings again this season, they did improve to a 78-84 mark.