Davis to Proceed With Chemotherapy

Baltimore Oriole outfielder Eric Davis has decided to receive chemotherapy as follow-up treatment for cancer surgery, a process that will take 22 weeks but won’t necessarily end his season.

Davis, 35, had a cancerous tumor the size of a baseball removed from his colon June 13. Dr. Keith Lillemoe, who performed the surgery, strongly suggested chemotherapy to keep the disease in check.

But Davis wrestled with the idea of receiving chemotherapy, opting to discuss the situation with family and friends before making a final decision.

The procedure will begin Wednesday. The schedule is: six weeks of treatment, two weeks off; six weeks of treatment, two weeks off; then six final weeks of treatment.

Although chemotherapy is known to wear down patients, Davis “still has every intention of playing this year,” according to Oriole public relations director John Maroon.

“I have a friend back home who takes chemo for cancer. From what I’ve heard it’s pretty painful. It knocks you out,” Oriole reliever Alan Mills said.

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Yankee Manager Joe Torre said he made the final decision not to use Albert Belle in Tuesday’s All-Star game because he feared for the outfielder’s safety at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

Belle told Torre on Monday that he would feel uncomfortable playing, but that he would if needed.

“You had security from major league baseball ask, ‘Tell us when you’re going to put him in the game.’ That did it for me,” Torre said. “I wasn’t going to [mess] with it.”