Hart just happy to be back on the field again
July 25, 2005

After what Frisco RoughRiders first baseman Jason Hart went through last year, baseball just isn't as important as it used to be.

But you couldn't tell it by how much he smiles when he's out on the field.

Jason Hart
Jason Hart swings for the fences in the Texas League homerun contest

Hart's world was turned upside down during spring training in 2004 when, after beginning to suffer severe headaches, he was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumor. After undergoing brain surgery, Hart, who made his big league debut with the Texas Rangers just one year earlier, was forced to sit out the entire 2004 season.

We caught up with Hart at the Texas League All-Star in Frisco last month. Not only was he selected to the league all-star team, but the right-handed slugger also participated in the homerun contest.

Hart enjoyed himself as much as anyone on the field that night.

"It's unbelievable just to be able to play baseball again after what went on last year," said Hart. "My future was definitely uncertain, so to be able to make an all-star team this year is just a blessing."

Hart believes that the surgery and the year off baseball changed his outlook on life for the better.

"It's made me very much more of a laid-back guy," said Hart. "I don't put any pressure on myself. I realize that there's more to life than baseball and I just enjoy and appreciate every day in the field."

Hart leads the RoughRiders in homeruns with 16. His other numbers are only fair, as he is batting .241/.302/.440. But the numbers don't tell the whole story of Hart's comeback season and don't affect the goals he's set for himself.

"My goal is to continue to have fun and to play ball," said Hart.

"It's what I love to do and I'm going to enjoy it as long as I can."

--- Bill Mitchell

 

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