SAN FRANCISCO -- Shortly after Rick Carone was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in 2013, Adam LaRoche, then a member of the Nationals, knew his friend needed some sort of inspiration.
LaRoche's idea, according to Carone: "Come out and hit with them and be a part of their club."
So Carone, a Minor League catcher from 1993-96, joined the Nationals when they came to Wrigley Field in '13 and enjoyed "a day in the life" as a Major League baseball player. Carone, a Cary, Ill., native, said that it boosted his morale for his upcoming chemotherapy treatment.