Buddy Harrelson, the scrappy shortstop from the Amazin’ Mets 1969 championship baseball team who went on to become manager in the 1990s, has Alzheimer’s Disease, it was learned on Thursday.
Harrelson, 73, revealed his condition during an interview published on Thursday by the New York Post.
According to Harrelson’s family, the symptoms first began to appear in 2013.
The man who is perhaps best known for his on-field brawl with baseball legend Pete Rose during the 1973 National League Championship Series against the Cincinnati Reds suddenly had trouble finishing sentences or completing a thought.
Harrelson’s memory began to fail him and he was becoming confused.
But the doctor said at the time that it was a natural byproduct of aging.
Buddy Harrelson, the scrappy shortstop from the Amazin’ Mets 1969 championship baseball team who went on to become manager in the 1990s, has Alzheimer’s Disease, it was learned on Thursday. He is seen left as a player for the Mets in an undated photo. He is seen right in 2011
Harrelson, 73, revealed his condition during an interview published on Thursday by the New York Post. He is seen above after a special event commemorating the 40th anniversary of the 1969 World Series-winning team in 2009
Harrelson’s condition, however, grew progressively worse in the ensuing years.
He would get lost while driving on routes that he had traveled for years.
During one instance, as Harrelson was driving his car through his hometown of Hauppauge, Long Island, he missed a turn he had taken countless time.
In order to correct himself, he then tried a sharp left turn even though he was in the far-right lane, nearly causing an accident.
His driving became so unreliable that his ex-wife, Kim, needed to trail him just to make sure he didn’t get lost.
In 2015, Harrelson was driving to his other residence in Venice, Florida, a place he had been to every year for decades.
Suddenly, he had no idea where he was.
‘Scared the hell out of me,’ Harrelson told the Post.
In 2016, a Long Island-based neurologist conducted an MRI and CAT scan of Harrelson’s brain.
After an examination, the doctor concluded: ‘He has Alzheimer’s.’
At the moment they were informed, both Buddy and Kim Harrelson started to cry.
The man who is perhaps best known for his on-field brawl with baseball legend Pete Rose during the 1973 National League Championship Series against the Cincinnati Reds suddenly had trouble finishing sentences or completing a thought
Harrelson’s case is considered mild, though his condition is expected to grow progressively worse as time goes on.
Alzheimer’s first affects short-term memory, speech, and the ability to do basic arithmetic.
As the disease develops, motor skills are affected and daily chores, like paying the bills, become more difficult.
Eventually, Alzheimer’s patients become unable to dress themselves or to recall their own phone number.
In the later stages, Alzheimer’s robs people of the ability to control bowel movements and bladder.
Close friends and relatives become unrecognizable and assistance is needed to bathe, dress, and go to the bathroom.
In the final stages just before death, Alzheimer’s patients are unable to swallow, speak, or communicate with their environment.
Dementia, of which Alzheimer’s is the most common form, affects close to 50 million people worldwide and is expected to affect more than 131 million by 2050, according to the non-profit campaign group Alzheimer’s Disease International.
Harrelson is a beloved figure in New York Mets lore. He was a two-time All Star as well as a Gold Glove Award winner, which is given to outstanding players on defense. Harrelson (above) swings at a pitch during the 1973 World Series against the Oakland A’s at Shea Stadium
Despite decades of scientific research, there is no treatment that can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Current drugs can do no more than ease some of the symptoms.
Researchers in Japan and Australia say they have made important progress in developing a blood test that could in future help doctors detect who might go on to get Alzheimer’s disease.
Harrelson is a beloved figure in New York Mets lore.
He was a two-time All Star as well as a Gold Glove Award winner, which is given to outstanding players on defense.
Harrelson was the starting shortstop for the 1969 Mets team that went on to shock the baseball universe and win the World Series, earning that club the nickname ‘the Amazin’ Mets.’
He was also a bench coach for the 1986 Mets team that also won the World Series.
In the early 90s, as the franchise went into a steep decline, he managed the Mets for two losing seasons before he was fired.
His last baseball job was as a coach for the Long Island Ducks, a minor league team.
WHAT IS DEMENTIA? THE KILLER DISEASE THAT ROBS SUFFERERS OF THEIR MEMORIES
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of neurological disorders
A GLOBAL CONCERN
Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a range of progressive neurological disorders, that is, conditions affecting the brain.
There are many different types of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease is the most common.
Some people may have a combination of types of dementia.
Regardless of which type is diagnosed, each person will experience their dementia in their own unique way.
Dementia is a global concern but it is most often seen in wealthier countries, where people are likely to live into very old age.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED?
The Alzheimer’s Society reports there are more than 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK today.
It is estimated that the number of people living with dementia in the UK by 2025 will rise to over 1 million.
In the US, it’s estimated there are 5.5 million sufferers. A similar percentage rise is expected in the coming years.
As a person’s age increases, so does the risk of them developing dementia.
Rates of diagnosis are improving but many people with dementia are thought to still be undiagnosed.
IS THERE A CURE?
Currently there is no cure for dementia.
But new drugs can slow down its progression and the earlier it is spotted the more effective treatments are.
Source: Dementia UK