Pitcher Copes With Stress of College Baseball, Hardship of Diabetes

Brandon Morrow was preparing for his final high school baseball season and a chance at the Major League draft. The 6-foot-3 pitcher with a blazing fastball had been lifting weights daily with a personal trainer, throwing in the bullpen and drinking protein shakes, but he didn't seem to be gaining muscle.

In fact, he had lost 20 pounds during the off-season. He was also drinking more water, craving sodas and making frequent trips to the bathroom. Sometimes he felt weak and dizzy.

Morrow's father John recalls meeting his son after work one day at a pizza parlor in their hometown of Rohnert Park, Calif., about 13 miles from Santa Rosa.

"He downed about four Cokes that day in one sitting," says John Morrow.

The Morrow family knew something was wrong and made a doctor's appointment for the next week. In the meantime, the pitcher continued to prepare for the approaching season at Rancho Cotate High School.

"I was in the weight room just kind of complaining to a teammate about all the things going on with me," says Brandon Morrow. "He had recently done a report on diabetes for school and said my symptoms sounded a lot like diabetes and that I should get checked out for it."

On the day he went to the hospital, Morrow's fasting blood-sugar level was 800, soaring well above a normal mark of around 100. Doctors diagnosed him with Type 1, insulin-dependent, diabetes. They immediately hospitalized him, started insulin therapy to metabolize the sugar in his bloodstream and rehydrated him. He gained six pounds during the first day and felt better than he had in months.

Now Morrow juggles pitching for the Cal team and self-monitoring his blood sugar levels. He was selected in the 40th round of the 2003 draft by the Anaheim Angels but turned the offer down to focus on learning to cope with his body, play college baseball and get a degree.

"I think it was good for him to go to Cal and be an hour away from home because it will help him mature better as a ballplayer and as a kid," says John Morrow. "He could be up in Idaho playing minor league ball, but it would have been a much bigger adjustment."

Brandon Morrow now tests his blood several times a day and injects himself with insulin before meals and at night. Diabetics who allow their blood sugar to get too high over a long period of time risk long-term health complications, including nerve damage, kidney failure, blindness and amputation. They also face immediate danger when their blood sugar level drops too low-lightheadedness, confusion and even unconsciousness in extreme situations.

The right-hander with a fastball clocked in the 90s says he was better about monitoring his blood sugar when he lived at home, but it has been more challenging while with the Bears. During the team's 56-game season, his eating schedule is often irregular-especially on the road. Stops for high-carbohydrate meals at fast food restaurants can cause a diabetic's blood-sugar level to rise. Also, the lure of wanting to eat and drink like his teammates is strong.

"At home it was easy to manage," says the 19-year-old. "My mom was pretty on top of it. But in college it has been more difficult."

A scolding after his freshman season at Cal awakened Morrow when the doctor discovered big swings in blood-sugar levels. His parents say he now tests himself more frequently and better manages his diet during summer ball in the elite Cape Cod League, where he plays for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in Boston.

"It's a life-changing thing," says Sharon Morrow, Brandon's mother. "Diabetes is not easy to deal with. Young men can be quite stubborn. His doctor said young men are notorious for not taking care of themselves. The scary part is that you're young and everything is going fine, but if you don't take care of yourself, then when you're in your 40s you have the body of a 60-year-old."

His doctor told Brandon he would have to improve if he wanted "the pump," a device with a cathetor that injects insulin into the body throughout the day as needed-mimicking the function of the pancreas.

So far, diabetes has had no impact on his performance on the mound. Though finishing last season with a disappointing 6.07 ERA in nearly 30 innings pitched, Morrow saw frequent action for a freshman as both a starter and reliever. This summer he lowered his ERA to 3.82 and struck out 40 batters in 33 innings for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

"He has an electric fastball," says Dan Hubbs, the Bears' pitching coach. "He can touch 93 miles per hour and he can compete. When kids come in as freshmen, they usually don't take the world by storm. You have to learn how to pitch."

Hubbs says a key to Morrow's success will be gaining command of his off-speed pitches, including a slider, split-finger fastball and curve. Morrow is also toying with a cut-fastball on his summer team.

The chance to play pro ball was enticing to Morrow. But he is confident that his decision to come to Cal was the right one, both for learning how to control his diabetes and also for improving offers from Major League teams when he is eligible for the draft again after his junior season.

Morrow has been able to compare notes with junior outfielder Robert Nesbitt, another Bears player who was diagnosed with diabetes.

"It is really just something you learn to live with," says Morrow.

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