Earlier this year, Chicago White Sox closer Liam Hendriks was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The baseball world rallied around him and he ultimately returned to the mound in May after beating the disease.
Though he currently is on the injured list, his story has inspired millions around the sports world.
Hendriks’ life has been one full of baseball, which even dates back to his tee-ball days in his native Australia.
On Monday, the veteran closer stopped by MLB Network to share a touching story about his tee-ball days, while also discussing what the World Baseball Classic meant to people in his home country.
It's International Week on MLB Network!@whitesox closer Liam Hendriks tells us about his tee ball days and the impact the @WBCBaseball has had on baseball in Australia 🇦🇺 pic.twitter.com/bzLnzb2y58
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 27, 2023
Hendriks talked about how he got interested in baseball, revealing that he started playing tee-ball when he was a mere six years old.
At the time, the main sports in Australia were cricket and tee-ball.
Hendriks says that most kids were gravitating towards cricket, as it was the most popular sport between the two.
However, Hendriks fell in love with baseball and found his calling when he began playing tee-ball.
This year in the World Baseball Classic, Australia competed and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.
Hendriks says that the WBC was a good thing for Australia and has helped get more people within the country interested in baseball.
The veteran closer expressed excitement over the fact that more young players are emerging from the country as the game expands its reach across the globe.
The right-hander hopes that more big-leaguers come out of Australia in the future.
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