Gaylord Perry assists ex-teammate with prostate cancer fight

76-year-old Ernie Bowman played 165 games for the San Francisco Giants from 1961-1963. The lifetime .190 batter finished his MLB career 27 days short of a full pension. Last year he received a diagnosis of Stage IV prostate cancer, 2 months to live. Enter Hall of Famer pitcher Gaylord Perry. Perry reached out to the Baseball Assistance Team, asking them to cover expensive, possibly life extending chemo and radiation. 8 biopsies later (uggh), the BAT is covering Bowman's monthly $900 co-pay.

Friday, Bowman was at AT&T Park for San Francisco's home opener and 50th anniversary celebration of the 1962 World Series team. His heavy chemical dosing my give him an additional ten years. I feel so good now. I'm so happy to be here," Bowman said. "I used to get as good an ovation as anybody. I love the fans here. I'm a country boy from Tennessee. It's amazing to me I even got to come to California and play in the World Series."

"We're supposed to help our fellow people out," Perry said. "I was just so blessed I knew the people who could do it. I just called and told them his story. I had to call two or three times, and it got done. This program is to make sure we don't lose anybody in the system."

"Gaylord's a good man. He saved my life," said Bowman. "They took me on like I was a Hall of Famer. I was important to them."

And all it took was another Hall of Famer to make the call.

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