Former San Diego Padres pitcher Randy Jones has been diagnosed with throat cancer, which he has linked directly to years of tobacco use.
Jones, 67, told reporters Thursday that he was diagnosed in November and began undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatment on Dec. 12.
A member of the Padres' Hall of Fame, Jones estimated that "90 percent of my treatment" has been completed. He used chewing tobacco as a player and also said Thursday that he "started dipping eight or nine years ago," acknowledging that it "might've been the catalyst" for his cancer.