White Sox: Farquhar’s near miss reminds us of what matters

As caught up in the entertainment of sports as we can be, Chicago White Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar‘s scare wakes us back up in a harsh way.

Make no mistake about it, everybody: Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Danny Farquhar could have died on Friday night.

Though he fortunately received medical attention quickly and his condition was diagnosed quickly, things could’ve been otherwise.

The brain bleed he suffered due to a ruptured aneurysm, which deprived his brain of oxygen and caused it to swell, which could have eventually led to his brain ceasing to work properly and, thereby, to his death.

About 15% of patients who suffer ruptured aneurysms die before every reaching a hospital.

The fact that this didn’t happen is obviously cause for thankfulness, both for Farquhar’s family and his teammates. He now sits in critical yet stable condition.

But with fans often getting hyper-emotional about the trivialities of the sport itself, such as people debating about whether or not Tim Anderson was actually out of line for aggressively attempting to steal bases in that same game or Justin Verlander was just being a crotchety jerk, it’s important to remember that these players are just flesh and blood like the rest of us.

And as much as people try to push aside “real life” for the comfort of entertainment, real life has a way of invading nonetheless.

Who knows how long Farquhar, unknown to himself, had been harboring an aneurysm, which occurs when an artery wall weakens and starts bulge as blood flows through, that could burst at any time?

What would have happened if this ticking time bomb had burst while the White Sox were flying to another city? Could they have gotten him medical attention in time to save him?

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And even if Farquhar pulls through this ordeal, will he recover fully with no issues? Or could he suffer some permanent neurological deficits, which happens in almost 70% of people who suffer ruptured aneurysms?

These are hardly questions any of us, whether fans, family or Farquhar’s teammates, expected to be asking heading into Friday’s game.

But again, real life has a funny, sometimes cruel way of reminding us that it can strike at any time.

For now, all we can do is hope and pray that Farquhar’s recovery goes as smoothly as possible and that he can resume being a husband and father to his three children. Baseball can wait. The White certainly will take care not to rush him back onto the field in any way.

Next: Studs and duds in Cubs' loss to Rockies

That’s the part we forget that Friday’s events remind us of: in the end, it’s all just a game. The people that play the game should always come first.

So far, I’m just glad Farquhar looks like he’ll continue to serve as a living example of that.