So moved was Braves pitcher Alex Wood by a Monroe teen-ager’s cancer-survival story, the left-hander decided to ask the kid and his little brother if they wanted to work out with the Braves on Monday.
Thompson Ritter, 17, and his brother Charlie brought their gloves and did some drills with the Braves during a spring-training workout Monday morning at ESPN Wide World of Sports. Thompson Ritter, a senior left-handed pitcher at George Walton Academy, had scoliosis of the spine before undergoing fusion surgery and twice having a cancerous tumor removed from his spinal cord.
“I’m trying to get into (the University of) Georgia right now,” said Ritter, who was already a big fan of Wood’s even before the former Bulldogs pitcher befriended him. “Georgia Bulldog and an Atlanta Brave, doesn’t get much better than that.”
Ritter also overcame another setback when a metal rod inserted in his spine snapped while he was running during cross-country season. It was a grueling series of events that took place between 2010 and November 2013, but he’s healthy now and enjoying his senior year of high school. He’s a pitcher and his brother, who’s about to turn 15, is a catcher on the George Walton Academy team.
Ritter told his story at a dinner Sunday that was part of the Alex Wood’s Birdies & Baseball three-day event to raise funds in support of pediatric cancer research at the Aflac Cancer & Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The event included a golf tournament Monday, where Ritter was in a foursome that included Braves pitcher Shelby Miller.
“I was lucky enough to be able to start helping out with the Birdies & Baseball, and to be able to hear their story last night, it was pretty eye-opening,” Wood said. “I guess any time you hear a story like theirs, it was pretty special hearing them last night and I told them I hope they continue to go and share their story with as many people as they can, because it truly is inspiring. I figured the least we could do is get them to come out here today and hang out for a little while. Especially being from Georgia and being Braves fans and Dawg fans too … it’s been a good day.”
The Ritters and their parents got to meet Braves players, and the boys did some stretching, throwing and pitcher’s fielding practice with team members. The brothers also stood nearby as Wood threw batting practice to several Braves hitters.
Wood was asked about the gratification of being able to do something like that to make a kid’s day.
“It’s made our day more,” Wood said. “It’s fun hanging around him. Like I said, it truly is inspiring. Everybody’s got their own (problems), but hearing his story, what they’ve overcome as a family, it’s pretty tremendous. I’m glad they let me in on a part of their journey last night, so I figured I might as well let them in on a part of mine today. It’s the least we could do. I hope they’ll continue to come out and we can do something during the season as well.”
