Stanley giving back by running marathon

Son of former Sox pitcher won battle with childhood cancer

“My wife (Joan) and I think he’s nuts, but it’s what he wants to do. I’m proud of him for doing this but I’m just hoping he makes it. That’s a long way and he’s never been a runner before.” — Bob Stanley

The son of former Red Sox pitcher Bob Stanley is celebrating 29 years of being declared clean of cancer.

How Kyle Stanley is choosing to commemorate the occasion is part leap of faith, part giving thanks to those who have enabled him to live life to the absolute fullest.

To be a charity runner in the Boston Marathon field means you have a story to tell … pounding the pavement and putting one’s body through a 26.2-mile grueling discipline for the sake of a worthwhile cause. For Kyle Stanley, he’s on `a mission to give back to Dana-Farber/Boston’s Children Hospital, for all that it’s given to him.

“My wife (Joan) and I think he’s nuts, but it’s what he wants to do,” said Bob Stanley when reached late last week. “I’m proud of him for doing this but I’m just hoping he makes it. That’s a long way and he’s never been a runner before.”

A 13-year veteran of the BoSox who also happened to pitch in four games for the PawSox during the 1988 season, Bob Stanley earlier this month regaled a Twin River audience with stories about his playing career. He also let it be known that his son was planning to run the 2019 Boston Marathon, which takes flight Monday morning.

Despite having one more year on his contract, Bob Stanley opted to retire after the 1989 season. Real life soon intervened as then-9-year-old Kyle started to develop headaches that would go away only to soon return.

“He was a kid who never complained,” said Papa Stanley. “He would spend a couple of days home from school and take a couple of Tylenol, but things kept on getting worse.”

Just to be safe, Kyle Stanley saw a neurologist. In January of 1990, it was discovered that he had a tumor in his sinus. Doctors told the Stanley family that Kyle’s chance for survival was 50-50.

“Five years earlier, I saw a boy suffer from the same exact tumor. He didn’t end up making it,” said Bob Stanley.

Luckily for Kyle, the tumor was detected early enough.

“Thank God they did an MRI. The tumor narrowly missed his brain, like by micro inches. They got it just in time,” said Bob Stanley.

For one calendar year, Kyle Stanley went to Dana-Farber for chemotherapy and radiation. The tumor that had filled up his right sinus was as big as a fist.

“They literally took his face off, going in there and removing most of the tumor that was dead,” said Bob Stanley, who spent the past two decades as a pitching coach in various organizations before retiring after the 2018 season.

A post-treatment checkup yielded another frightful instance, one that resulted in a chunk of Kyle Stanley’s lung being removed.

“They found a spot on his lungs and didn’t want to mess around,” said Bob Stanley. “It ended up being a cluster of white blood cells, which were cancerous.”

Kyle Stanley was still working his way back when he participated in a Jimmy Fund charity walk with his dad and Jerry Remy, one of Bob’s former Red Sox teammates and someone whose bouts with cancer have been well documented. The distance of the walk was one mile.

“I told Kyle that he’s now got to do 25 more miles after the last time,” said Stanley.

Bob Stanley was a staunch supporter of the Jimmy Fund during his playing days, from organizing golf tournaments to his wife authoring a special cookbook that featured recipes from the players’ wives.

“When I started to feel sorry for myself, I went down to Dana-Farber. Then I didn’t feel sorry for myself anymore,” said Stanley. “I used to take the Red Sox rookies down there when they were batting .200 … told them to meet me at Fenway Park. Let’s go see these kids. I guarantee you won’t feel sorry for yourself. A lot of the time, it helped turn them around.”

Kyle Stanley’s name is listed on a wall at Dana-Farber that’s devoted to patients who received donations on their behalf. Now, it’s his turn to continue the family legacy of aiding the Jimmy Fund. Tasked with the goal of raising a minimum of $5,000, Kyle has taken in close $10,000.

“He wanted to do something himself,” said Bob Stanley.

Kyle Stanley has adhered to a strict running schedule over the past year. A Boston-based consultant, he would train before heading to work. If not, heading out for a run was on the top of his to-do list upon returning home.

“He did 20 miles the other day. We’ll see what happens,” said Kyle’s father.

The charity runners will take off from the starting line in Hopkinton, Mass. at 11:30 a.m. Naturally, Bob Stanley plans to keep close tabs on Kyle’s progress. Whenever Kyle opts to take a break, Bob will be right there to offer encouragement and also a reminder that he’s under no pressure to complete the course by a certain time.

“It will be emotional when he crosses the finish line, that’s for sure,” said Bob Stanley, expressing a sentiment that crystalizes what his son has set out to accomplish.