East Windsor’s Joel Selikoff, who is battling pancreatic
cancer, will throw out the first pitch at a Somerset Patriots game.
By
on July 10, 2013 at 6:30 AM
Joel Selikoff has witnessed perfection not once, but three times.
He was at Yankee Stadium in 1956 when Don Larsen became the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in a World Series, against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also there in 1998 when David Wells threw a perfect game against the Twins. And he was there when David Cone did the same against the Expos a year later.
Selikoff, of East Windsor, will try and duplicate just one of those moments on July 21 when he will be among those who throw out the ceremonial first pitch before an Atlantic League game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.
The Northern New Jersey affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will host the fourth annual Awareness Night in a game between the Somerset Patriots and Lancaster Barnstormers.
Tickets are $10 and part of the proceeds will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure.
Selikoff was diagnosed with the disease in January of last year and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas last November.
Now taking the drug Tarceva, Selikoff’s most recent visit to his doctor confirmed the absence of any disease.
Initially he had chemotherapy for six months in order to shrink the tumor, but has not undergone radiation. That’s because 40 years ago he underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“You can only have so much radiation in one’s lifetime,” he said.
At 73, one can also have only so much control on the old fastball. To that end, Selikoff recently played catch with his son. Jon, of West Orange, is 43.
“I told him to get the cobwebs out of his shoulder,” Selikoff said. “I’m 73 years old for heaven sake.”
He will carry to the mound that night a 1954 glove of Warren Hacker, a little-known pitcher who spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs but also played for the Phillies, White Sox and Redlegs (Yes, Redlegs — go ask your father).
“Willie Mays used the Hacker model,” Selikoff said.
A Dodgers fan, his rooting interest eventually did wane a couple of years after they moved to Los Angeles. For the past 10 years or so he’s had a partial season-ticket plan at Yankee Stadium. His son is big Yankees fan.
For Selikoff, baseball, and life, took on a different perspective 40 years ago.
“My outlook changed in 1973 when I had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” he said. “That’s when I decided what my priorities were and I tried to live up to them as best I could.”
According to the website www.pancan.org, pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. It is estimated this year that 45,000 Americans will be diagnosed and more than 38,000 of those will die from the disease.
Seventy-three percent of those patients will die within the first year of diagnosis.
The cancer network (877-272-6226) was among the resources Selikoff used when he was diagnosed last year, as well as the website pancan.org/newjersey.
“My advice is to do research or reach out to someone who can give you answers to what are the outstanding medical centers that handle this type of diagnosis and get yourself there,” he said.
“I called the (hotline) and they gave me the names of former patients who went through what I was about to. I spoke to a gentleman in Maine and a woman in Santa Barbara, and they were very, very helpful.
“I can’t tell you how important that is,” he said. “It gives you the feeling you’re not alone, and you realize things like some of the side effects you’re going through are to be expected. You feel like you’re part of a community, and it’s very, very helpful.”
A semi-retired lawyer, what’s very helpful right now is making sure his fastball is right down the pipe.
“I’m working on just getting the ball 60 feet, six inches,” Selikoff joked.
Hey, nobody’s perfect.
http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2013/07/franklin_east_windsor_native_m.html
He was at Yankee Stadium in 1956 when Don Larsen became the only pitcher to throw a perfect game in a World Series, against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also there in 1998 when David Wells threw a perfect game against the Twins. And he was there when David Cone did the same against the Expos a year later.
Selikoff, of East Windsor, will try and duplicate just one of those moments on July 21 when he will be among those who throw out the ceremonial first pitch before an Atlantic League game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.
The Northern New Jersey affiliate of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network will host the fourth annual Awareness Night in a game between the Somerset Patriots and Lancaster Barnstormers.
Tickets are $10 and part of the proceeds will benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a national organization creating hope in a comprehensive way through research, support, community outreach and advocacy for a cure.
Selikoff was diagnosed with the disease in January of last year and underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his pancreas last November.
Now taking the drug Tarceva, Selikoff’s most recent visit to his doctor confirmed the absence of any disease.
Initially he had chemotherapy for six months in order to shrink the tumor, but has not undergone radiation. That’s because 40 years ago he underwent treatment for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
“You can only have so much radiation in one’s lifetime,” he said.
At 73, one can also have only so much control on the old fastball. To that end, Selikoff recently played catch with his son. Jon, of West Orange, is 43.
“I told him to get the cobwebs out of his shoulder,” Selikoff said. “I’m 73 years old for heaven sake.”
He will carry to the mound that night a 1954 glove of Warren Hacker, a little-known pitcher who spent most of his career with the Chicago Cubs but also played for the Phillies, White Sox and Redlegs (Yes, Redlegs — go ask your father).
“Willie Mays used the Hacker model,” Selikoff said.
A Dodgers fan, his rooting interest eventually did wane a couple of years after they moved to Los Angeles. For the past 10 years or so he’s had a partial season-ticket plan at Yankee Stadium. His son is big Yankees fan.
For Selikoff, baseball, and life, took on a different perspective 40 years ago.
“My outlook changed in 1973 when I had Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” he said. “That’s when I decided what my priorities were and I tried to live up to them as best I could.”
According to the website www.pancan.org, pancreatic cancer is the fourth-leading cause of cancer death for both men and women in the United States. It is estimated this year that 45,000 Americans will be diagnosed and more than 38,000 of those will die from the disease.
Seventy-three percent of those patients will die within the first year of diagnosis.
The cancer network (877-272-6226) was among the resources Selikoff used when he was diagnosed last year, as well as the website pancan.org/newjersey.
“My advice is to do research or reach out to someone who can give you answers to what are the outstanding medical centers that handle this type of diagnosis and get yourself there,” he said.
“I called the (hotline) and they gave me the names of former patients who went through what I was about to. I spoke to a gentleman in Maine and a woman in Santa Barbara, and they were very, very helpful.
“I can’t tell you how important that is,” he said. “It gives you the feeling you’re not alone, and you realize things like some of the side effects you’re going through are to be expected. You feel like you’re part of a community, and it’s very, very helpful.”
A semi-retired lawyer, what’s very helpful right now is making sure his fastball is right down the pipe.
“I’m working on just getting the ball 60 feet, six inches,” Selikoff joked.
Hey, nobody’s perfect.
http://www.nj.com/times-sports/index.ssf/2013/07/franklin_east_windsor_native_m.html
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