An idea formed within A.J. Hinch before Game 4 of the World Series, but the Houston Astros manager wasn’t sure if it was the right decision. That night, Hinch knew, the game action was to be paused for a Stand Up to Cancer moment, and everyone in Minute Maid Park would rise and hold up a placard containing the name of someone affected by cancer. And Hinch thought of Kevin Towers, the longtime general manager of the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
For almost a year, Towers’ cancer had been the worst-kept secret in baseball, and also the best-kept.