Wells Battles Diabetes

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres left-hander David Wells has Type 2 diabetes. Wells says he has made modifications to his lifestyle since learning about his condition:

From the time I found out, I made changes. No more starches and sugar. No more rice, pasta, potatoes and white bread. No more fast food. I’ve cut out alcohol.

I can still have a glass of wine now and then. I can still run with the guys. But I’ve got to watch what I’m doing. I’m not drinking.

Wells, of course, isn’t the only Padres pitcher who has diabetes. Right-hander Scott Cassidy learned in 2000, while pitching in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, that he had juvenile diabetes.

Other baseball players who have battled diabetes during their careers include former Cubs third baseman Ron Santo and longtime big-league right-hander Bill Gullickson. More recently, pro basketball player Adam Morrison has been in the spotlight for his condition.

Heck, even Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr. has had to deal with diabetes. Not that Wells is in anywhere near the shape that Hall is, but it sounds like this thing is beatable.

Here’s hoping…

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22 Responses »

  1. Your awesome, thanks for the tip. Check it out on Diabetes Notes.

  2. I don’t know much about diabetes but if he sticks to that diet Wells will lose a ton of weight during the season. Hopefully that will have a positive affect on his performance but, as the article mentions, endurance could be a concern.

  3. I don’t think there’s many rabbits eating a lot of salads, chicken, and fish, but we get the idea David.

    If he follows that diet, this diagnosis could be the best thing that could’ve happened to him at this point. Unless he doesn’t pitch well when he’s grumpy.

  4. I’m worried about his energy levels if he can’t eat carbohydrates. You can make up for it on game day with caffeine or a nitrous drink, but those aren’t the healthiest things either.

  5. My mom is diabetic. She eats carbs and has a lot of variety in her diet. You just have to closely manage how and when you eat. If she doesn’t have carefully spaced meals she will have low blood sugar attacks, which can be scary.

    I think David is freaking out because he just got the news, but he will quickly learn how to manage it well.

  6. 3: That’d be one bad ass rabbit.

  7. Talk about a bad-ass rabbit…I was emailed a little video snipit of a rabbit that was repeatedly struck by a snake (the snake missed each time). Well, eventually the rabbit got tired of this, started to bite the snake on it’s tail and chased the snake across the yard and up a tree. It was hilarious. That one one tough rabbit. It might have been on America’s funniest video’s or some such show.

    Unfortunately I had to clean out my email inbox because the video took too much space and I neglected to save the attachment.

    Bummer about Boomer.

  8. Solid start from Peavy this afternoon…. 4 IP, 3H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K… Pads up 2-0 over A’s in the 5th.