Hall, Gonzo shave beards, but cancer fight continues

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks are a franchise that has been plagued by cancer. Ken Kendrick, the managing general partner, is a prostate cancer survivor. So is team president Derrick Hall, whose father died of pancreatic cancer, and Hall’s wife, Amy, is now battling triple-negative breast cancer.

Others in the organization have passed away from various forms of this insidious disease.

Amy was diagnosed this past season, when the D-backs played well under expectations. They lost 93 games, and after the season, changes were made. Mike Hazen entered as executive vice president and general manager, and Torey Lovullo replaced manager Chip Hale. Both came from the Red Sox.

• Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation

As tough as the past three seasons have been on the field, they’ve been tougher on the lives of Hall and his family.

“It does put life into perspective,” the incessantly upbeat Hall told MLB.com on Thursday. “But baseball is such a big part of both of our lives, it would have made her diagnosis and treatments that much easier if we had been in a better position in the standings. I want to win both battles.”

Hall laughed softly as he made that last statement.

The only way to face cancer is head on, and for the second consecutive year, Hall accepted a challenge issued by the folks who run the cancer center affiliated with local St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center. He grew his beard during the month of November as a statement to support early detection of cancer. The project is appropriately called, “Let Your Humankindness Grow.”

• Stand Up To Cancer

Hall was joined again by Luis Gonzalez, one of his senior advisors, whose Game 7 walk-off single against Mariano Rivera won the 2001 World Series for the D-backs over the Yankees.

Hall said last year that Gonzo’s bushy …

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