SALT LAKE CITY— Andres Galarraga has recently launched a new website and has released a video about his battle with cancer and his success in professional baseball. WINNING AT LIFE: The Spirit of a Champion is an inspirational video featuring Andres Galarraga, the "Big Cat", providing a candid and heartfelt account of his early beginnings, achieving his dream of becoming a professional baseball player, overcoming cancer, the effects of chemotherapy and his determination to return to baseball. All of proceeds from the sale of the video will be donated to cancer research. The video is available online at www.bigcat14.com. The Salt Lake Stingers have created a link on the official team website (www.stingersbaseball.com) to Galarraga's site www.bigcat14.com.
Galarraga is an 18-year major league veteran, having played for the Expos (1986-1990), the Cardinals (1992), the Rockies (1993-1997), the Braves (1998-2000), the Rangers (2001), the Expos (2002), the Giants (2003) and has now signed with the Angels. The "Big Cat" is a five-time All-Star (1998, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000) and a two-time National League gold glove winner (1989-1990). In 1999, Andres was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. With the strength of his family, friends and the fans he was able to eventually overcome the cancer and make a triumphant comeback to Major League Baseball and win the 2000 ESPN ESPY "Comeback Player of the Year."
However, the battle was not over yet. In 2003, Andres had a reoccurrence of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. And now, once again Andres has come back to play professional baseball having signed a contract with the Angels on August 4, 2004. With his eye on his 400th career Major League home run, he will be the only player in baseball to have come back a second time from cancer to play ball.
Andres is a testament to the belief that faith, love, desire and courage to never quit is the only way to overcome the battles in life. The video, WINNING AT LIFE: The Spirit of a Champion, captures this spirit and more as Andres recounts in his own words his tragedies and triumphs. The video is available in English and Spanish and all of the proceeds from the sale of the video will be donated to cancer research.
For more information, check out www.stingersbaseball.com.
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