A most remarkable backstory

Let’s see.

This guy develops bone cancer in his left ankle while in high school in the late 1970s and nearly has his leg amputated.

He needs seven operations on that leg and ankle before ever reaching Baytown Junior College in Texas, where he temporarily is paralyzed from the neck down after fracturing his neck in a collision at home plate.

He recovers from that to play seven seasons in pro baseball, a career that culminates with one at-bat in the major leagues in 1991—a lone at-bat that produces an infield single and a career 1.000 batting average for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

How Hollywood misses out on this story is inexplicable.

Maybe because no one would believe the remarkable life of Jeff Banister, the onetime catcher who went through all of the above.

Banister, who celebrates his 60th birthday today, never leaves the game after his one and only at-bat for Pittsburgh – first serving as a longtime coach in the minors and majors for the Pirates before becoming the Texas Rangers’ manager in 2015.

Does fairly well, too, as the Rangers win the American League West title in each of his first two seasons on the job.

Now, after four seasons with the Rangers and a second tour with the Pirates’ organization, Banister is the bench coach for the defending National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Through every obstacle, there is opportunity,” Banister says in 2015 before his first season with Texas. “It can either destroy us or galvanize us and make us stronger.”

Associated Press photo