Nationals’ hitting coach, Rick Eckstein ready to donate kidney to brother
The Washington Nationals are looking to start the next season on a positive note. The top prospects in the team are coming up through the roster as management is keen to educate and support the young guns that climb out of the minor leagues. The objective
for the Nats this season was to capitalize on their resources and employ the right mix of players who would set the mark in the club’s performance.
Jayson Werth recently joined the side and his 7-year deal, amounting to $126 million dollars sent shockwaves throughout the leagues, at the dawn of the winter signings. Spectators believe Cliff Lee is another sought after player the side might be closing
in on. Though there are suspicions on the move, there does remain a possibility.
However, the coaching staff is another important factor to study and at the moment, General Manager Mike Rizzo is on the support line for hitting Coach Rick Eckstein. The veteran is set to donate his kidney to his brother, Ken. His brother is appreciative
of the gesture and Rick believes the act should come from the family since the problem has been common within the relatives.
Manager Jim Riggleman is supportive of the Coach and believes he’s the perfect match for his brother.
When asked about his thoughts, Rick iterated, "You handle what you are dealt. My glass is overflowing – every day is a blessing. You do what you need to do. Looking at what my family has gone through, my gosh, they are tougher than I can ever dream of (being)
based on the things they have gone through in their lives. I look at everything and try to see the positives. That's the way my mind works. Now, we are moving on to a stage where the kidney is going to recapture a quality of life that Ken hasn't had and that's
exciting. I'm going to be fine."
Rick is part of a family that has a list of kidney problems and he would like to see the ailment cured. His brother said, "I would love to have a cure, but I think the first step is getting the word out about organ donations. My sister gave me a statistic
that 12 people are added to the national donors list every day – and 18 die every day. There are a million people on the list. So my first thing is, if everyone could give a kidney, we wouldn't have a list."
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