As has been reported earlier, the wife of Rochester Red Wings manager Phil Roof has cancer. This week, Roof bid good-bye to baseball to take care of her.
Here's the article:
It seemed that Phil Roof should have been anywhere but standing on the mound Tuesday afternoon at Raley Field, throwing batting practice to men more than half his age. The sun over northern California was high and hot and if anyone was looking for a respite from a cloud or two, it was not to be found as temperatures pushed their way toward 100 degrees. And, despite the buckets of perspiration that had Roof drenched from head to toe, he never let up, lobbing pitch after pitch to the International League squad in preparation for Wednesday's Triple-A All-Star Game.Posted by Batgirl at July 15, 2005 10:27 AMMost 64-year-olds wouldn't want to be in Roof's position, either on the mound or facing what he has waiting for him when he returns to Kentucky this week after the All-Star festivities have ended. Roof, a baseball lifer, will peel off his uniform for the final time after Wednesday's contest, retiring from the game that he has served so well for more than four decades.
I wish Mr. Roof all the best in his fight. Sniff, these stories always bring a tear to my eye.
Posted by: HooliganKat at July 15, 2005 10:20 AMI remember reading somewhere else that she had cancer and the Restovich's let them stay at their place when she went to the Mayo Clinic.
I'm sure I'm not the only one that wishes the Roofs the best of luck and strength in beating this.
Posted by: Skorch at July 15, 2005 11:19 AMI wish them well thru this ordeal =)
Much Love
Wonder Woman
Good luck Mr. and Mrs. Roof. I hope very much for a speedy recovery. Mr. Roof, you deserve great thanks from those of us who love baseball. Many fans, particularly those in the Midwest, appreciate an organization that can develop its own players in the minor leagues and help them make the most of themselves. But we often fail to reflect on who is doing that work. I am grateful to you for your dedication and your love for my favorite game. I also admire you for your dedication to your wife and I'm pulling for you.
Posted by: Sox Fan at July 15, 2005 01:11 PMGood luck, Roofs. You'll pull through.
ESPN's "Vote: Minnesota" thing is pretty cool.
http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/fiftyfifty/polling?event_id=1438
I trust you'll all know that Jack Morris' 10-inning shutout is the best Minnesota Sport's moment, that Prince is our finest emissary, and that Neal Broten is the answer for all other questions.
Two words: Neal Broten.
Posted by: Haplo at July 15, 2005 02:18 PMI saw Phil Roof outmanage the skip of the Toledo Mudhens when I was sent to Toledo, OH for a week of work (please don't ask, those days are behind me).
Justin Morneau hit one off the brick wall in right, and Jason Kubel was VERY very good.
It always makes me proud that our organization doesn't just contain and produce good coaches and ballplayers, but good people. Otherwise, we might as well be the Bitch Sox.
Posted by: Chris at July 15, 2005 03:44 PMAnd Haplo:
ALWAYS Neal Broten.
Warmest Personal Regards,
Chris
Posted by: Chris at July 15, 2005 03:46 PMPhil Roof has done a lot of good for this organization. My best wishes and prayers to his wife for a full recovery.
Posted by: frightwig at July 15, 2005 04:00 PMMy best wishes to the Roofs and family.
Neal Broten is AMAZING!
~CJF
Posted by: closetJaysfan at July 15, 2005 04:40 PMI have nothing to add to what was already said, so I will just repeat what has been said in my own little way.
Thank you to Mr. Roof for doing such a great job of developing these players to come up through the ranks. He has done a great service to baseball over his long career. He'll be missed.
I wish him and his family the best of luck, and hope that things begin to look better for them.
Posted by: brent at July 15, 2005 05:03 PMMr.Roof, thank you for your years of dedication to the game, and my prayers go out to Mrs.Roof.
Posted by: al at July 15, 2005 09:36 PMWow, my positive energy and best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to the Roof family.
Posted by: talldrinkowater at July 16, 2005 05:23 AMI remember reading this and getting all teary eyed....my thoughts and prayers go out to the Roof family.
Posted by: Candace at July 16, 2005 06:11 PM