Torey Lovullo shaves head in support of John Farrell
When it comes to his relationship with John Farrell, acting Red Sox manager Torey Lovullo is a friend first with teammate, bench coach and baseball associate all tied for a distant second.
That’s why when Lovullo showed up to Fenway Park on Saturday with a newly shaved head, there was no question what his inspiration was. He was showing support for Farrell, who’s been away from the team since mid-August while undergoing chemotherapy for Stage 1 lymphoma.
Lovullo stepped right in for his long time friend on Aug. 14, and has since helped Boston right the ship a little bit. The Red Sox are 11-8 during his tenure, but the results haven’t weighed nearly as much on his mind as the health of his long-time friend.
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Here’s more from Masslive.com:
“I saw him yesterday,” Lovullo said. “He had a long day of treatment and he was a little bit tired. He was here and I said goodbye to him before the game started. I just caught word that he got here (today) as I was coming up (to speak with the media). So as a sign of support, I went and did the same thing he did.”
Lovullo lifted his Red Sox cap and showed that his head was shaved.
“You’ll see him — he doesn’t have much hair right now,” Lovullo said. “It’s all an adjustment for us. But I made a commitment to him when he told me he was going to go through this process that I’d shave my head when he got to that point. And yesterday was that point. But he’s doing good.”
There’s not a stronger sign of friendship and show of support possible.
Farrell and Lovullo have been together even before their coaching days. They were teammates on the 1993 Angels, along with Chilli Davis, who is now Boston’s hitting coach. Lovullo was also on Farrell’s coaching staff in Toronto, so their loyalty obviously runs deep.
Sometimes the game of baseball and professional sports in general seem like they’re all about business, but the friendships and bonds that are created from within are often the strongest. That appears to be the case with John Farrell and Torey Lovullo.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
