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LeBoeuf
eyes full
recovery
from cancer
By Ron P. Coderre
A story by Adam McCalvy on MLB.com posted on March 12, 2013, titled “Upbeat LeBoeuf on road to recovery from Cancer” brought to my attention by former Griswold High School and Eastern Connecticut standout Archie Drobiak, not only caught my eye but made me sit up and take notice.
Drobiak and Leboeuf were opponents in high school at Griswold and Tourtellotte respectively. They became teammates and friends when both arrived at Eastern Connecticut State University, where they played baseball for Coach Bill Holowaty. The story on MLB.com “hit me in the gut” was Drobiak’s reaction to the news.
Al LeBoeuf and cancer, those two words were unbelievable and could not be synonymous. LeBoeuf the 1979 Tourtellotte Memorial High School graduate is a legend in northeast Connecticut, noted for his baseball exploits. Legends don’t get hit by cancer.
But as we all know, cancer has no discretion or mercy on whom it strikes or when it strikes. A call to LeBoeuf in Surprise, Arizona where he’s in spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers confirmed our biggest fears. LeBoeuf openly stated the news was absolutely correct.
We also learned that as determined as he was on the baseball diamond, LeBoeuf, along with outstanding medical care, is in good spirits and determined to beat the dreaded C word that often takes the wind out of even the most optimistic individuals.
“Yes, Ron it’s true. I do have cancer,” LeBoeuf told us in a telephone interview. “I’m fortunate that the doctor’s found it early and I’m determined to get back to where I was before the discovery. Baseball is my life. I still have a lot to bring to the table and I plan to be able to do everything, including running, hitting infield, pitching batting practice and everything else that goes with my job as a coach,” were the words that came over the phone from more than 2,000 miles away.
The Story
It all started in May last year on an off day when LeBoeuf then with Triple A Nashville drove to meet the other coaches for a round of golf. A scratch golfer and in good shape for his 53 years, LeBoeuf was perplexed when he started to cramp up on the 16th hole. Thinking it was simply because he hadn’t played golf since spring training he disregarded the symptoms as tightness in the calves, causing numbness in his toes and lower legs.
The following day the team traveled to Tucson and while throwing batting practice his toes went numb again. A few days later in Las Vegas the symptoms recurred once more while he was throwing BP. The pain and numbness was so severe LeBoeuf was barely able to get off the field.
Suspecting a nerve injury in his back, doctors ordered an MRI, but instead discovered a cancerous spot on his left hip, which was described as POEMS syndrome. LeBoeuf suspects the cause of the cancer goes way back to 1985 in Triple A ball when, as a player he suffered a severe bone bruise from what he describes as a “plunking.”
“The news of cancer crushes you,” said LeBoeuf. “You hear it occurring in other people but you never imagine it happening to you. I was fortunate that it was detected early. And I’ve been blessed with the unwavering support of my wife, Laura and son, Mac,” he said thankfully.
POEMS is a rare medical syndrome that basically is a plasma-cell disorder. It generally strikes twice as many men as women and usually occurs after the age of 50. If untreated it can be fatal, however, as in LeBoeuf’s case 60% of those affected survive five years or longer when POEMS is detected early.
Road to Recovery
Currently LeBoeuf is at spring training on a pair of crutches and braces on his legs, providing support to his still recuperating body. He describes his current duties as analyzing and evaluating hitters in the batting cage and working on the mental aspects of the game with the young players. By April 1 he expects to receive his assignment from the Brewers and promises that he’ll be down to one crutch by that time, although he still requires physical therapy three times per week.
But since being hit by POEMS life hasn’t been that easy. The road to recovery has included five long months in a wheelchair, which caused his legs and his body to atrophy. It’s also meant intensive physical therapy under the direction of his wife’s niece Lauren Hoover, a physical therapy doctoral candidate in the Clearwater, Florida area near Palm Harbor, where the Leboeuf’s reside.
He’s also been on an oral chemotherapy regime, 21 days on and seven days off, that appears to be working. He has no ill effects from his five sessions of chemo, hasn’t lost any hair or any of his energy. He acknowledges that he’ll take chemo forever if it does the job and allows him to stay in baseball and appreciate his family and friends.
“One good thing that came from this is that I’ve had the opportunity to watch my son Mac play baseball at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida,” said LeBoeuf. “It was trying on Mac when we learned of my cancer. He was preparing to leave for college and had to deal with this situation.”
“And thank God for Laura. She’s been unbelievable. It truly has been for better or for worse,” he said.
The Will To Win
LeBoeuf’s four years at Tourtellotte were surreal. Four year of varsity baseball and basketball. Probably the best hitter to ever grace the Tigers diamond and to top it off a much better than average basketball player. One of the best baseball players to come from Eastern Connecticut University, although he only spent two years there before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent seven years in the minors as a player prior to becoming one of the most respected minor league coaches in baseball.
His professional career has spanned more than 30 years and is in its fourth decade. Most of his time was in the Phillies organization where he spent 20 years. He’s also been with the Mets, Royals and Toronto prior to coming to Milwaukee, where he’s been part of the Brewers staff for four years.
Al LeBoeuf has been a winning athlete all his life. He’s had to battle for every job he’s earned along the way. And now he’s facing yet another obstacle in the form of POEMS syndrome. But just before we hung up and I assured him he had the prayers of the people of Thompson and Northeastern Connecticut, he said, “I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m ready to get back on the field.”