Doug Davis has thyroid cancer

It’s one of the uglier words in the English language. CANCER.

Former Ranger pitcher Doug Davis apparently has thyroid cancer. I won’t try and get in the way with my own words, I’ll just copy a few wire stories I read here and here. I will say this, I’ll make sure and lift him up in prayer, so I urge the rest of you who are Ranger fans to do the same. Even if you’re not a Rangers fan, do it anyway. Doug was one of the nicer guys ever to throw a ball for us.

PHOENIX (AP)—Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
“We don’t know much, other than he does have thyroid cancer,” team president Derrick Hall said in a telephone interview on Friday. “It’s saddening. It was a complete surprise to the entire organization, and to him.”
The 32-year-old Davis still planned to make his scheduled start against Colorado in an exhibition at Chase Field on Friday night. Hall said Davis would take his regular turn in the rotation on April 3 at Cincinnati, in the first series of the regular season.
Davis is expected to undergo surgery on April 10, Hall said. The defending NL West champions don’t know when Davis might return.
“After that, it’s too difficult now to predict any timing related to it,” Hall said.
“There is a chance he won’t be ready this season,” Hall said. “It dramatically changes the outlook. Naturally, we’d rather Doug be in the rotation, but we do have good, viable options.”
Hall said Davis met with teammates on Friday. The pitcher is scheduled to speak to the media after Friday night’s game.
“He’s in a terrific frame of mind,” Hall said.

PHOENIX — The D-backs’ excitement about the 2008 season opener was tempered on Friday when they learned that left-hander Doug Davis had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Davis is expected to make his scheduled exhibition start on Friday night and probably will make a couple of regular-season starts before undergoing surgery. He was scheduled to start the club’s third game of the year, on Thursday in Cincinnati.
Davis, club officials as well as a doctor will hold a press conference following Friday’s game.
Davis, 32, is one of the more popular players in the Arizona clubhouse. His teammates appreciate the hard work he puts into his between-starts program, including extensive video and statistical scouting.
D-backs players were understandably surprised by the news and most declined to comment until after they were able to learn more and until after Davis spoke following the game.
“Obviously, we’re all in his corner,” closer Brandon Lyon said. “We haven’t gotten a chance to sit down and talk to him about it. All of us are just going to support him any way we can.”
Davis was acquired by the D-backs from the Brewers in November 2006, and the Phoenix-area resident promptly signed a three-year, $22 million extension that runs through 2009.
“Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with him,” D-backs manager Bob Melvin said.
A durable pitcher, Davis was 13-12 with a 4.25 ERA in 33 starts in 2007. It was the fourth straight season in which he posted double-digit wins and pitched 192 or more innings.