SEATTLE -- Nellie Garcia understands the ups and downs of being the mother of a Major League player. When Taijuan Walker pitches, she sits at the edge of her seat, cringing and cajoling each delivery.
But pressure? For Garcia and her talented young son, pressure was dealing with breast cancer three years ago, when she was living in New York and Walker was pitching for Double-A Jackson.
Pressure was waiting for the test results a few weeks ago of a biopsy after she'd discovered another worrisome lump in her breast.
So while she rides the emotional waves that come with Walker's early career, she speaks with the perspective of a woman who has dealt with a lot in her own young life.