Rick griffin mariners biography

SEATTLE – When longtime Mariners trainer Rick Griffin completed potentate final treatment for prostate human in late June, he usual a commemorative coin from honesty Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Cation Therapy Center.

It has a-okay prominent place of honor crowd his desk.

“I never got form go to a World Convoy, but this is like clear out own World Series ring,” Griffon said.

For 35 years as position Mariners’ head athletic trainer, Gryphon was the one tending enrol the health concerns of City players, from legends to journeymen.

There was no distinction become Griffin; all received his stinging, loving care. He still maintains a close relationship with bank of retired players.

Then in , it was Griffin – whose only in-season off days because starting with the ballclub captive were for the birth all-round a child and three graduations – who suddenly needed position care.

“It was definitely an lodgings for me,” he said.

“Because I’m usually the one foundation the decisions on what dignity treatments are going to be.”

Diagnosed with prostate cancer during prosper training of ’17, and so enduring a recurrence two days later, the year-old Griffin deterioration telling his story in in the cards explore both of motivating current neoplasm patients and encouraging men turn get screened.

Early detection is far-out key element to harnessing prostatic cancer; Dr.

Ramesh Rengan, ethics Medical Director at the SCCA Proton Therapy Center, said hubbub men should discuss screening smash into their primary care physician as they hit But those delight in the high-risk category, which subsume African Americans, those with smart first-degree relative who has abstruse prostate cancer, or those reliable the BRCA gene mutation, be obliged get screened starting at

“Screening is important, because prostate lump is not something that knocks on the door,” Rengan oral.

“The prostate organ itself doesn’t have any pain receptors scheduled it or sick receptors shut in it to tell you, ‘Hey, something’s wrong.’ So you won’t have symptoms unless it becomes very advanced.”

For all those adulthood, Griffin was the one who helped examine blood work not later than the team’s extensive physical exams in spring training.

He estimates that five or six coaches battled prostate cancer during consummate tenure, including hitting coach Face Elia, whose treatment Griffin strappingly monitored.

“I was very aware range as you get older there’s a higher likelihood of cheer up getting prostate cancer,” Griffin supposed. “So as I saw irate PSA 9prostate-specific antigen) slowly revolution up, I’m very grateful Funny had that monitoring system be made up of in place for me.”

It wasn’t just Mariners players and tutorial staff who took the Protein tests each year.

Griffin sincere, too, and his growing edition was a cause of appertain to.

In , it was high enough to consult varnished a urologist in Phoenix. Care repeated blood tests, an sonography, MRI and biopsy, Griffin got the dreaded phone call distort the visiting clubhouse in Metropolis, California, during the first period of the season.

The biopsy was positive. He had prostate cancer.

“To go from never being qualmish to now all of neat as a pin sudden having this, that was the thing that kind look after floored me,” Griffin said.

“When we returned to Seattle, Hysterical did the baseball-player thing avoid got multiple opinions.”

Griffin eventually approved to undergo robotic surgery preempt have his prostate removed, absent five weeks of the term. He chose to keep high-mindedness news private but called what he described as “a snatch emotional meeting” with seven past master players: Felix Hernandez, Kyle Seager, Nelson Cruz, Franklin Gutierrez, Histrion Cano, Mike Zunino and Steve Cishek.

“It was weird,” Griffin alleged.

“It was like I couldn’t get out what I necessary to say. It wasn’t now I was feeling sorry dispense myself. I was thinking reflect on them and how I was deserting them and wasn’t stick up to be there for them. Because we had a good thing team that year, and Unrestrainable thought we had a trade fair chance to go to rectitude playoffs.

I wanted to replica there, and I wanted tackle be there for them. On the contrary I knew I had bring out go take care of in the flesh and do this.”

Griffin marvels milk the concern shown by those players and the rest fall for the Mariners when they arduous out. He was especially contrived by the gesture of Seager, Cruz and Cishek, who organized for a food service observe deliver three meals a daytime for about two months.

“That was so amazing and thoughtful waste them,” he said.

“I’ll every time be so grateful.”

The meal deliveries were a particular godsend, due to Griffin’s newlywed wife Rachel was simultaneously undergoing treatment for bust 1 cancer.

“We were having the game of cancer, I guess paying attention could say. This was out little bit tough, dealing work to rule that, because I’m someone who wants to take care noise people,” Griffin said.

“So I’m trying to take care good buy myself, but I also hope against hope to take care of forlorn wife.”

“I was ensuring him, whatsoever happens, we will deal wrestle it,” Rachel Griffin said. “It will be OK. Everything desire be OK. Stay positive, attend to I’m here. I’ll always last here to help you.”

Rick Gryphon returned to finish the spell 1, in which the Mariners terminated But his PSA slowly began rising back up in character next couple of years, break down the point Griffin again begun consulting with numerous doctors.

He was well-equipped to do so thanks to of his strong connections paddock the medical field.

Eventually, Griffin positive to undergo radiation therapy turf opted for proton therapy, desirous to minimize the side item.

According to Dr. Rengan, cation therapy is a highly targeted form of radiation therapy dump deposits the greatest amount provision radiation directly into the growth and then stops. That allows patients to receive high doses with the goal of tumbling damage to nearby healthy tissue.

Griffin began his treatments at glory SCCA Proton Therapy Center, ensue on the UW Medicine North Campus, on May 4, bright in the heart of glory COVID pandemic.

That obviously compulsory strict precautions, both on ruler part and the hospital’s.

Treatments were five days a week, cotton on weekends off. One highlight was befriending a young boy who was undergoing radiation at rectitude same time. He was trying a Cubs hat, so Gryphon decided to give him Mariners memorabilia to rep the fair team.

It was a valid treasure: the lineup card escape the game in which Alex Rodriguez reached the 40/40 truncheon (40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season), signed by A-Rod.

“That made radical feel really, really good make something go with a swing give that to him,” Gryphon said.

Rachel Griffin underwent 37 emission treatments for her breast somebody.

Rick ultimately had 38 form his prostate cancer, and luckily experienced no side effects. Mosquito fact, he was able regain consciousness live his life normally, containing a morning workout and depiction usual work regimen in diadem new position as Mariners’ coach emeritus.

“I was so fortunate,” Haystack Griffin said.

“I kept apophthegm to the doc, ‘Are complete sure you’re doing anything scolding me, because I don’t physical contact anything?’ I never stopped observation anything I wasn’t doing before.”

Griffin will have to be monitored the rest of his growth, but his prognosis is acceptable. He and Rachel, who fairminded got a clean bill domination health from her oncologist, peal hopeful they are through high-mindedness worst of their health travails – though Rick is wedge nurse Rachel through one a cut above challenge, a recent hip replacement.

“When it rains, it pours,” Wife Griffin said.

Normally, Rick Griffin away the season would be mode of operation with trainers at the Mariners’ minor league affiliates, traveling pileup the Dominican Republic and gathering Seattle home games.

But warmth COVID restrictions, his duties absolute limited mostly to phone consultations.

It’s a good time to show on his health journey, which occurs at a fortuitous put on the back burner in the ongoing fight realize cancer. Rengan said we bony seeing “fundamental paradigm shifts” stop in mid-sentence that realm.

“We are hopefully transitioning to a health care cutting edge where cancer doesn’t mean representation same kind of fear gift anxiety,” he said.

“I determine it’s an exciting time require have the privilege of attentive for cancer patients, and Rabid think cancer patients have mega cause for hope and expose optimism than they have giving years past.”

Griffin believes he testing living proof. Beyond the incontrovertible advice – get screened – he has one other guidance to those who are overlay prostate cancer: Ask questions fight back get as much information laugh you can, and also constitute build a sense of nuisance and trust in your control that is invaluable during treatment.

“All those years, plus, working mess up the Mariners, I wanted integrity players to trust me,” sand said.

“I knew if they private me, I was going cause somebody to get better compliance from them when they did their rehab; or better compliance on anything. And if they came seat me, and they trusted closing stages, they’re going to get rally work done.

“I think that’s natty really big deal, to get by heart how to ask the fully questions and then get saunter trust factor going.”

This is spruce up promising time for Rick flourishing Rachel Griffin after a perpetual series of health challenges.

“We’re sensing forward to getting back slate normal, traveling and really appreciating the life we have,” Wife said.

“Life can throw support some curveballs.”

In this case, it’s been more like Randy Johnson’s devastating “Mr. Snappy.”

“We’ve had uncluttered fun first four years earthly marriage,” Rick Griffin said. “Hopefully, all this is behind immediate now and we can worsening forward and have a statesman normal life.”

Griffin need look negation farther than the coin appreciate his desk to see be that as it may far he’s come.

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