Reprinted from The Stamford Advocate © Copyright 2008
March 16, 2008

By Jesse Quinlan Staff Writer

This is a story about the unbreakable bond between siblings, one a guidance counselor at Central Middle School and the other a relief pitcher hoping to win a job out of the bullpen with the world champion Boston Red Sox.

It is about a Yale graduate with a 90 mile-per-hour fastball and a degree in molecular biophysics, whose mission is to heighten awareness and raise funds for childhood cancer research. It is also about how a 12-year-old boy's outlook was shaped forever.

Craig Breslow will never forget his days as a sixth-grader growing up in Trumbull, sleeping over at a friend's house one night and finding out the next that his 14-year old older sister, Lesley, had thyroid cancer.

"I remember the one question I asked my parents (Abe and Ann) was 'Is she going to die?'" Breslow recalled. ""It was a scary time. Fortunately Lesley made a full recovery, but even now, 15 years later, I get nervous when she goes for follow-up exams. When you're 12, the impact of something like that is life-changing."

Thanks to advancements in pediatric oncology treatment, the recently married Lesley Palange is a cancer survivor living a robust life.

A former recipient of the Susan Fund, which assists Fairfield County residents who have been diagnosed with cancer to pursue their educational goals through a scholarship grant, Palange now serves on its board of directors. Some of the students Palange counsels are the same age younger brother Craig was when he learned of her condition, and are dealing with similar issues.

"It's amazing how many kids go through this," said Palange, a Stamford resident. "It puts me in a good place whenever I can help them."

Of course, not every story has a happy ending. Cancer remains the single largest terminal disease among children.

This is where Breslow and his fledgling Strike 3 Foundation come in. Started two months ago, this non-profit charity has teamed up with CureSearch, which unites the National Childhood Cancer Foundation and the Children's Oncology Group, the world's largest childhood cancer research organization.

Childhood cancer is now curable in 78 percent of patients, and the hope of the Strike 3 Foundation and other groups is to raise that rate to 85 percent by the end of the year.

The foundation's initial fund-raising event, the First Pitch Celebrity Gala, is scheduled for November 8 at the Woodbridge Country Club. Donations can also be made by logging onto the website, www.strike3foundation.org.

"We're setting the bar high," said Breslow, who was the 2005 Coastal Fairfield County Sports Commission's Person of the Year for his positive impact on the community. "We shouldn't have any problem filling 250 people at Woodbridge. Hopefully it starts to pick up momentum, and we go from there."

For Breslow, becoming the face of the Strike 3 Foundation was a no-brainer.

"As a professional athlete, you incur many privileges," Breslow said. "I really wanted to take the relationships I've made between the Red Sox and Yale and try to give back to a cause I have a connection to. I was thinking about it over the last two off-seasons, and felt like the time was right."

Breslow admits that he would have been better off starting the foundation soon after the 2007 season ended - instead of a month before reporting to Red Sox camp in Fort Myers, Fla. He's been involved in all aspects of the foundation, from marketing and web design to everything in between.

"Personally, I find it very rewarding," said Breslow, whose foundation's board of directors include his father and agent, Bob Baratta. "We're in the infancy stage, but I definitely have the right people. They're loyal, successful in what they do and have the best interests of the foundation at heart. I'm trying to be hands-on with it as much as time will allow. I'm also able to maintain my ties to the medical field, so I'm pretty excited."

A left-handed specialist, Breslow made his debut with the San Diego Padres in 2005, becoming the first Yale graduate to reach the major leagues since Ron Darling.

Breslow last appeared in the majors in 2006, going 0-2 with a 3.75 ERA in 13 games for the Red Sox, who signed the 6-foot, 185-pounder as a minor league free agent.

After pitching to a 4.06 ERA in 49 games with Triple-A Pawtucket last season, Breslow was among the Sept. 1 callups. But he never got a chance to pitch for Boston during the final month of the regular season, and was left off the postseason roster. The Red Sox, of course, would go on to sweep the Colorado Rockies in the World Series.

The disappointment of having to watch the Red Sox historic run served as motivation for the 27-year-old southpaw.

"I would liked to have played a more significant role," Breslow said, "But it was incentive. I spent a little more time throwing and a little more time in the weight room. Baseball is as much about comfort, feel and repetition as anything. It's a mindset, inevitably you need to feel comfortable and not overwhelmed by the big names around you to succeed on the mound."

Asked for a scouting report of himself, Breslow mentions a changeup, slider, cutter and fastball that tops out at 92 mph. Unpredictability just might be Breslow's biggest weapon.

"I'll throw any pitch at any time," Breslow said.

In four spring training appearances through Friday, Breslow was pitching to a 2.08 ERA. Still, the reality is that Breslow is one of a half-dozen relievers competing for perhaps the final spot in the Red Sox talented bullpen. Out of options and with scouts from other ballclubs keeping a keen eye out, Breslow realizes that his future might be elsewhere.

℘There's no organization in sports I'd rather be with than the Red Sox," said Breslow, who grew up a Mets fan. "But baseball is a business like anything else, and I'm trying to establish myself as a major-leaguer."

No matter where he ends up, Breslow has learned to enjoy the ride.

"I realize there are millions of people who would exchange jobs with me," Breslow said. "It's tough to complain when Fenway Park is your office and guys like David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are your colleagues."

The stakes were never higher for the Breslow family than fifteen years ago as they nervously waited to find out more about the lump on Lesley's neck. Craig's fate with the Red Sox is not nearly as serious, but that doesn't mean that times aren't tense these days.

& It's pretty nerve-racking," Lesley said. "My parents can't bear to look at the transactions wire."

Closer than ever, younger brother Craig gets plenty of support from Lesley, his only sibling. Palange rooted for the Yankees growing up, but there's no doubt about her current team of choice. Big sister is a full-fledged Red Sox fan, ready and willing to switch allegiances at a moment's notice.

"I'm very proud of what Craig has done on and off the field," Palange said. "It's still very surreal to see him on TV. He's my little brother. I guess I'm a fan of whatever team he's on."