Danny Farquhar throws first pitch at White Sox game
CHICAGO (WLS) -- White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar returned to the mound Friday to throw out the ceremonial first pitch after surviving a brain hemorrhage earlier this year.
He was joined by his family, teammates and the medical staff that saved him while he threw the most meaningful pitch of his life.
"The thing that caught me off guard was the whole team coming out to the mound. I thought that was an incredibly special moment," Farquhar said.
The last time he was on the mound was April 20. After throwing 15 pitches, he collapsed in the Sox dugout after suffering a brain hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm.
The terrifying moment is seared in the memory of Sox fans, but Farquhar doesn't even remember pitching.
"How they described it was I came into the dugout. I immediately went to the trainer, told him I have head pains, and then I passed out, and I immediately started vomiting," he said.
His only memory is waking up five days later in the hospital.
"When you wake up in the hospital, and you've got like 20-something staples in your head and a drain coming out the other side...it puts life into perspective, how quickly it can change," said Farquhar.
Farquhar said he's lucky that his health scare happened where it did.
"Luckily it happened after I pitched in a baseball game, where I have the whole staff here. It could've happened indoors, but as long as I was here with the staff that I have, it was the perfect place to happen," he said.
Though his season is over doctors have cleared him to begin training again after his ceremonial pitch.
"I've known Danny for a long time, and every time someone has said, 'No, you can't,' he's always said 'Yes, I can,'" said his wife Lexie.
"I think he can. Absolutely. I think if he puts his mind to it, he can. The dream isn't over," said Chad Beck, White Sox fan.
Farquhar said he's determined to pitch in the majors again, but it's going to be a gradual process. Doctors say he still needs to keep his blood pressure in check.
