Cancer rearranges a pitcher’s priorities

combination of chicken wings and Munchkins on a skewer for $10.

Three of the Rockies’ current starters — Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela — pitched here last season, while Bettis was going 14-8 in the majors, finally establishing himself in his seventh professional season.

Yet he was thrilled to be in Hartford, back among the prospects.

Bettis bought food for all of them from an upscale Italian restaurant. He insisted on staying through entire games, long after his work was done. And he competed hard: When he fooled his final hitter on Tuesday, inducing a checked swing with a biting two-strike slider, Bet- tis pleaded with the umpire — unsuccessfully — for a strikeout.

“I feel like I’m enjoying baseball much more than what I had been before,” said Bettis, who will pitch for Class AAA Albuquerque on Sunday. “And really, it’s just because of having to go through everything. I kind of found out where baseball stood.”

It is only so challenging to face the Bowie Baysox, the Iowa Cubs or, in time, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Bettis, a second-round draft choice in 2010 from Texas Tech, has dealt with that for years. The offseason brought two new experiences, both with extraordinary emotional impact: first-time fatherhood, and cancer.

Chad met Kristina four years ago, at spring train- ing in Arizona, where she had moved from Michigan — without ever visiting the state — to be a teacher. On their first date, he cooked barbecue ribs dripping with sauce, which still makes her laugh. At her bridal shower, Kristina quizzed her friends on what she loved most about Chad. They guessed correctly: his heart.

That has shown itself in Bettis’ eagerness to share his story. He has befriended and encouraged Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon, who had surgery for testicular cancer in May and returned to the Pirates without needing chemotherapy. Bettis has also become involved with the Testicular Cancer Society. The group’s founder, Mike Craycraft, has told Bettis to focus on his pitching — their work together can come lat- er. But Bettis has been outspoken in raising awareness about his illness, the most common form of cancer for males ages 15 to 35.

“Especially in the sports arena, there are a lot of guys in that age group watching games and following players,” Craycraft said. “To see someone talk about it can increase early detection, and to see someone going through it, and coming back so quickly, is highly inspirational.”

For Bettis, his recovery will be forever intertwined with the birth of his daughter, Everleigh. Without her, he said, he never would have discovered his cancer as early as he did.

At a prenatal checkup in November, Kristina’s obstetrician advised a routine breast exam for any lumps that might develop during preg- nancy. That made Chad wonder about testicular cancer, and that night, in the shower, he discovered a lump.

At home in Arizona for much of his recovery, Bettis — who has maintained his 200-pound weight during his illness — has seen his daughter’s first smile, and the first time she rolled over. His final chemo treatment was on May 16, and he said doctors had told him that there was at least a 90 percent chance that the cancer would not return. He will have his next blood test soon, and another one two months after that.

In the meantime, Bettis’ hair is growing back — it is still short, but it is coming in steadily. His fastball reached 94 mph on Tuesday, and the contending Rockies could use him — Bettis would be the oldest member of the ro- tation and the only one who has ever made 30 starts in a major league season.

His best start came last Sept. 5, a two-hit shutout against the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field. Bettis reflected on that game the other day in a long talk with Darryl Scott, a Rockies pitching coordinator. Bettis called it the perfect moment, the one he imagines as he strives to return.

“I find myself fighting to get more back to that,” he said, “not necessarily making pitches or reading swings, but having the game slow down to a point where everything’s quiet, and silent, and you can see yourself executing a pitch before it has to be made.”

Planning for an opponent, and deciding how to attack, is the best anybody can do.