The Diamondbacks announced that executive vice president and general manager Mike Hazen is taking a “physical leave of absence” from the team. Assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye will take over day-to-day baseball operations, with Hazen consulting regularly.
Sawdaye has been one of Hazen’s primary lieutenants throughout the duration of their tenures in Arizona. The pair worked together in the Red Sox front office, and Sawdaye followed Hazen to the desert less than two weeks after the latter was hired as Diamondbacks general manager. Sawdaye has long been viewed as a potential future GM, and he was among the finalists for the Angels job that went to Perry Minasian last winter.
Hazen’s wife Nicole has been battling brain cancer, notes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Hazen told reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) he didn’t feel he could devote the time required to lead the team’s trade deadline and draft preparation while attending to his family responsibilities. MLBTR sends our best wishes to the Hazen family.
DarkSide830
hope everything is going well for Hazen. best wishes.
Fever Pitch Guy
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
mppg
Hopefully his wife will be ok. Prayers for her.
TJECK109
Should be no jokes about a guy taking a leave as his wife is battling brain cancer.
MoneyBallJustWorks
agree. best of luck to him, his wife and family.
hiflew
I disagree. There is nothing that should be held so seriously that jokes shouldn’t be told. Moods need to be lightened. Somebody discovers they have cancer every day. If it doesn’t affect you or your family personally, then why be so morbid? I’m not saying to make fun of the guy or his wife, but telling a joke or two is not the end of the world.
Cancer patients need to laugh too.
CamFrost
Dude. Sometimes it’s best to keep your thoughts to yourself.
hiflew
I am not apologizing. I don’t believe I am wrong. If you don’t like it, the mute button is right there. The moment people lose their sense of humor, life might as well be over anyway.
Thomar
My wife died from the same thing at 43. I bet your brain cancer jokes are hysterical.
Thomar
Your a POS, that’s about all I can say
hiflew
I lost a cousin at the age of 23 to brain cancer as well. And he liked to laugh until the end. Cancer is a serious disease, but humor can be at the very least a mental distraction for both the patients and the people worried about them. There is a difference between making fun of someone and telling a joke.
If my opinion offends you, then mute me. I’m not changing my mind. Sorry for your loss.
hiflew
Good that means I won’t have to hear from you anymore.
meckert
Then again some believe in a thing called Karma.
hiflew
That is their right. Just like my beliefs are my right. And your beliefs are your right.
Oh well, I can see you guys have already turned me into the devil despite me not actually saying anything offensive about the man. Seriously, go back and read what I wrote. I didn’t say one bad thing about Hazen, his wife, or anyone else. I just said it wasn’t the end of the world if someone tells a joke. But if it makes you feel better to make me a villain because of that, then you have my pity. I’m done, y’all have a good life or don’t. I don’t really care.
Joel Peterson
I basically agree with you. But man at some point people do need to work…..
Orel Saxhiser
Joe Peterson, I don’t understand your comment.
Dustyslambchops23
Maybe that’s a good thing Cey
TJECK109
And at some point people need to grow up and stop being a troll
Robertowannabe
Well said
Joel Peterson
Good lord dude. I didn’t read the stuff about his wife until after commenting. Calm down people always quick to cancel someone over some nonsense. Not trying to troll anyone or anything just lame to assume that instead of what I think is a safer assumption that I didn’t understand all the details.
So thanks man…..
Gunnarroxx72
So why comment on a post without reading the article about his wife? Stupid troll!
RegularEd 2
You “didn’t understand all the details” because you “didn’t read the stuff about his wife until after commenting.”
Put in a little effort next time and you won’t come across looking like a buffoon.
Bearded Murloc
Joel your comment was a reply to a comment mentioning the wife. Even if you didn’t read the article and decided to comment, you had to have read the comment your replying to right?
nrd1138
Dude, your comment made no sense, and was thoughtless. If you were trying to be funny or ironic in your post, give it up. Its obviously not one of your strong suits. I hope someone learned a valuable lesson here (and to be clear, by ‘someone’ I mean you Joel). I love how you are pouncing on ‘lame’ it is to assume and ‘cancel’ when your recent response about commenting before knowing the story screams IRONIC, but it also appears to make no sense about not knowing about his wife’s condition when you are replying to a comment about the guys wife battling brain cancer. That is really what is wrong with this world: People can no longer own up to mistakes, they have to ‘double down’ and look worse. Just own up that it was a bad thoughtless comment and you have learned from it, is it that hard to do?
DarkSide830
yeah, that’s what he was doing for the past x number of years
TJECK109
Grow up troll.
JDC
You are a dumb ass
scottaz
Joel Peterson, I’m about to do what I hope a lot of others will do. You are on MUTE for me.
VonPurpleHayes
Best wishes to Nicole Hazen.
LarryJ4
There will ALWAYS be trolls out there! But not this person! Family before baseball and anything else you could think of!
the outlaw
Hang in there. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Best wishes to the Hazens and hope she can pull through this terrible ordeal. F cancer!
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Thank the stars the man has sense enough to know that family comes before baseball, or ANYTHING else…
Hoping the Hazen family can defeat all that’s being thrown at them.
Greg M
I know cancer can hit any of us at anytime but it’s especially gut wrenching to see someone so young have to fight that fight. Best wishes to them…
YankeesBleacherCreature
An old colleague/friend of mine fought and past from brain cancer at 45. He lived a very healthy lifestyle. Left behind three small preschoolers and wife. She actually helped me get one of my first big boy job interviews in my early 20s. Still think about them all the time.
GriffeyJrFan
I’m hoping the Hazen family gets through this. Baseball should not be his concern. Prayers.
Rich
Thomar
My prayers and thoughts go out, may God be with
prov356
Praying for Mrs. Hazen. God can heal all things.
PutPeteinthehall
Anyone criticizing Hazen needs to have his own brain checked.
Robertowannabe
Cancer sucks. Lost my wife 2 years ago. Her’s was a rare form. Prognosis was not to find a way to cure. It was how long can we give you. Made it 3 years. I would not wish any form on even my worst enemy. My prayers for strength for Mike and his family. It was bad enough for my kids to lose their mother when they were in their 20’s. Could not imagine when your kids are younger like Mike’s kids are. For those who seem to like to criticize Mike or to just want to post snarky stuff , have a little compassion. From one who lost his wife far too soon, you have no idea what Mike Haven is having to deal with now. Those that do know are not the ones posting the garbage. Be strong Mike for your wife, your kids, and yourself
Dustyslambchops23
Thanks for sharing. Sorry for your loss
Robertowannabe
You are welcome and thanks for your kind words.
For Love of the Game
Sorry for your loss but thanks for giving perspective to those who put down Hazen for putting his family over baseball.
Robertowannabe
Thanks for your support. I have no problem telling my experience. Kind of therapy for my soul to get it off my chest still. My whole existence changed the night we were told that she had cancer. She was getting the pre-op tests to have her gall bladder yanked. Had a bunch of gall stones. Found the shadows when they were taking scans to prep for the surgery. The moment we were told how rare it was to have what she had and that they were still trying to figure out how to treat it. Spent a whole ton of time talking with other patients and their family members while waiting for appointments with oncologists, surgeons, chemo, etc. You truly learn how much cancersucks. All forms. Some start out with something minor, beat it then after some years, it comes back again. That is why I always say that I would not wish anything from of cancer on anyone. As @YankeesBleacherCreature said above “F Cancef”. Coincidentally, that was my wife’s favorite bumper sticker that she saw on a car and refrigerator magnet. 2 words that say so much.
YankeesBleacherCreature
My first experience with it was with my late gramps. I went with him to a routine check-up and his doc broke the bad news to us. My gramps isn’t versed in English so the doc and I were having this somber discussion. I didn’t have the heart to tell my gramps. So we went home and that was when I had to break it to each one of his eight children. I was 20 and learned a whole lot about this awful disease.
One of my best friends from H.S. who’s three years younger than me, is currently going through his eighth month of treatment for a second reoccurance of colon within 5 years. Before this recent diagnosis, him and his new wife had been trying to have their first kid. That’s been postponed and it’s so damn crushing to hear. I truly admire his courage in staying strong and positive. And yours as well.
JDC
Sorry for your loss.
Eta34
Thanks for sharing. Lost both of my parents before I was 40 to cancer. Make sure you take care of yourself. There is a ton of stigma associated with therapy, but it seems the tide is changing.
Rsox
Best wishes to the Hazen family
Ghost Pepper
Thoughts and prayers from Tucson , Mike.
jorge78
Good luck and prayers to you Mike and your family!
whyhayzee
We just participated in our 18th Relay for Life.
Progress is being made but it’s a brutal battle.
Hope that she can recover. We need a cure.
Peart of the game
Wishing the best for the Hazen family, Cancer took my grandmother and one of my uncles in the last year.
Ben621
I hope she recovers soon cancer sucks
whyhayzee
A thoughtful fourth-grader with expressive dark brown eyes and a dimpled chin, Nicholas is president and CEO of his own nonprofit children’s foundation, Cancer Stinks. He unwittingly came up with the idea when he was 6, two years after being diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most common childhood cancer.
Nine years later, Nick is a sectional discuss champion. Survivors not only survive, they thrive.
Strength to Hazen’s wife!
pjmcnu
Jesus, that’s terrible. He’s doing the right thing taking a LOA. I hope everything works out well for them.
RunDMC
Best wishes for the Hazen family.
nrd1138
Cancer is always scary. Brain cancer… well I cannot imagine, My brother’s father in law had it and unfortunately succumbed to it. Its scary to see what happens to someone with it. Props to Hazen doing whats best for all. All the prayers to his wife to pull through and beat it.. Best of luck to the Hazen family!
MikeyHammer
I took a LOA when my wife was battling cancer, as well. At least we got to spend the last few months together. Best wishes to Mr. and Mrs. Hazen on a difficult road ahead.
Unclenolanrules
A former coworker’s wife just died after a long cancer battle. They have a three year old daughter, his wife was his world.
We need to get a cure for cancer going, just a terrible disease.
Tony D
Amen..
Tony D
Amen..
Tony D
Good luck & best wishes to Mike and his family..