Nicky Delmonico's Rollercoaster Trek from Suspended Addict to Rookie MLB Stud

CHICAGO — Barb Courtney remembers the exact time—12:34 a.m.—that her phone rang on that night back at the end of July. So many fearful thoughts run through a parent's mind when a call comes in at that hour, and she had every reason to have them all. Her son, Nicky Delmonico, has been through so much over the past few years: addiction, suspension from baseball, thoughts of quitting the game, rehab. What now?

The few seconds it took her to get to the phone and answer seemed like an eternity. But once she heard his voice, her fears were replaced with elation.

"Mama," Delmonico said over the phone. "Your baby is going to the big leagues."

Since that night—"That moment in time is just frozen for…