For Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall, cancer is no stranger.
Hall, 42, has seen his father and grandfather battle the disease. He admitted it is also possible his two boys, 13 and 15, might get the hereditary cancer, too.
Yet Hall is determined to show them and everyone else that a bout with prostate cancer will not change his charismatic approach to life.
“I hope that by watching me, seeing how I got through it and changed my lifestyle, will impact them,” said Hall, who said he has thought about founding a prostate cancer organization since learning of his diagnosis in September.
Derrick Hall will undergo surgery on Nov. 8 at an out-of-state hospital. Confident everything will go well because the doctors found the unwelcomed cancer at an early stage, Hall concedes the incidence has affected his outlook on life.
“This experience definitely makes you appreciate everything you have. There’s less stress and worry about the little things,” Hall said. “It has made me a better individual and a better leader.”
Despite feeling “very scared and shocked” at first, Hall has held fast to his optimistic persona and continued working with the Diamondbacks as they played for — and won — the National League West title.
Just as Hall stuck by his Diamondbacks, so, too, have family, friends and fans stuck by him since the announcement of his surprising diagnosis.
Johnny Gutierrez, a broadcast journalism senior and DBTV intern, said the entire Diamondbacks community is supporting Hall through this trial. “Dhall Dbacks” wristbands were created and the thread “#winitallfordhall” trended on Twitter through the Series.
“The main thing is Derrick is a great guy, a strong guy,” Gutierrez said. “He’s going through a rough stage with this prostate cancer, but he’ll beat it. And he’ll be stronger for it.”
Tracey Corenman, a public relations senior and Rallyback girl, said Hall and the Diamondbacks organization are a family, where everyone loves what they do.
“The level of integrity is huge with everyone. Every person takes so much pride in the role they have,” Corenman said.
Gutierrez said Hall knows everybody’s name, even the interns’, and that he is always smiling.
This tight-knit atmosphere Hall has cultivated within the Diamondbacks organization has no doubt contributed to the large amount of encouragement Hall has received from his employees.
“I find myself to be a communicator, a motivator, someone who respects people, and empowers people to do their jobs,” Hall said.
Hall has not let cancer deter him from serving on 27 organization boards ranging from End Hunger in Maricopa County to the National Advisory Board of Pancreatic Cancer either.
“If I can make an impact, if I can help people through my position and organization, then I will do that. I have the resources, and I understand the importance of being a community leader with my colleagues of local business,” Hall said.
Hall makes sure his wife, Amy, and three children get involved as well. This year, Hall and his wife are co-chairing a St. Vincent DePaul breakfast and a Florence Crittenton luncheon to support homeless teenagers.
The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation has donated “$25.8 million to nonprofit organizations throughout Arizona over the last 14 years,” according to the Diamondbacks website.
They were the first professional sports team to be awarded the 2010 United Nations NGO Positive Peace Award for their volunteer work and influence in the community.
Hall’s community involvement branches out to the Walter Cronkite School, his alma mater, where he serves as one of 50 members of the school’s Endowment Board of Trustees.
“I’m proud of what the Cronkite School accomplished, and I’m impressed with the growth and leadership,” said Hall, who graduated from Cronkite in 1991. “Cronkite truly helped me get where I am today.”
Hall connects to Cronkite students as he spoke at the December 2008 convocation and welcomes student interns for the Diamondbacks.
Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan is also advocating for Hall.
“Derrick is one of the most positive, upbeat people I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. He will take this on, beat it down, and move on without missing a beat,” said Callahan, who has known Hall since 2005.
Despite his medical condition, Hall continues to inspire others with his upbeat personality, both on Chase Field and in the community.
Contact the reporter at amcanale@asu.edu
Read about the impact the Diamondbacks have had on the downtown business scene since their 2001 World Series win here.
