Skip to main content
Join Now

White Sox pitcher, cancer survivor Liam Hendriks delivers heartwarming speech at 2023 ESPYs

Nick Profile Picby:Nick Geddes•07/12/23•

NickGeddesNews

Liam Hendriks
(Photo by Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images)

Chicago White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks delivered an inspirational speech Wednesday after receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the 2023 ESPYS in Los Angeles.

Hendriks, who announced his Non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis on Jan. 8, echoed the famous words of the late Jim Valvano from his speech 30 years ago at the ESPYS.

“Don’t give up, don’t ever give up,” Hendriks said.

Hendriks, 34, revealed he pitched most of the 2022 season with the disease, unbeknownst to him at the time.

“That was an eye-opener,” Hendriks said, via CTV News. “I didn’t feel too many symptoms but I had some lumps around. It just shows you the power of the mind. When you don’t think anything’s wrong and you believe that you can do anything, you can do anything.

“I was throwing 100 miles per hour while going through Stage 4 lymphoma and then coming back after doing eight rounds of chemotherapy and four rounds of immunotherapy and was able to get out there and throw 96 miles per hour. That isn’t physically who I am. That’s all this, that’s all mental.”

Liam Hendriks returns to MLB mound following cancer diagnosis

Hendriks made his return to an MLB mound on May 29 — less than five months after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hendricks received a standing ovation from the crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field as he emerged from the bullpen. He made his return official by firing a 96 mph fastball for a strike to Los Angeles Angels catcher Matt Thaiss. Hendriks pitched the top half of the eighth inning, allowing three hits, two runs and one walk.

“It was definitely emotional,” Hendriks said, via ABC 7 Chicago. “There was a lot going on. It was nerve-wracking going out, being available today and having that go on. It was humbling going out there and walking out there and seeing the amount of people wearing my shirts, the amount of people having signs or flags or anything like that, the amount of people that were chanting, the outpouring of love, not only online and social media but in person has been huge and I want to thank the city of Chicago for embracing us in this way and hopefully we have and can still continue to move forward and represent the city well.”

In his first two seasons in Chicago, Hendriks posted a 2.66 ERA with 75 saves in 127 games. Hendriks, currently on the 15-day injured list, has pitched to a 5.40 ERA in five relief appearances this season. He is in the final year of a three-year, $54 million deal with the White Sox.