No one will forget the performance Chad Bettis delivered on Aug. 14, 2017. After being sidelined by cancer and chemotherapy treatments for nine months, Bettis returned to the mound and a standing ovation at Coors Field. After shutting down testicular cancer, he threw seven scoreless innings and led the Rockies to a 3-0 win over the Braves.
It’s one of the best moments in Rockies history, if not MLB history. Just thinking of it brings a tear to my eye.
On Thursday, Bettis, who was signed as a free agent by the Yankees in the offseason and was vying to make the roster this spring training before COVID-19 shut baseball down, announced his retirement from baseball on Instagram:
“Just over a decade ago I had the privilege of beginning my professional baseball career with the Rockies.