Drugs and alcohol nearly cost World Series hero Scott Spiezio everything, including his life

Scott Spiezio underwent an MRI for backmost symptom successful 2018. The results of which would look inconsequential.

When Spiezio exited the MRI, helium was yellow. He had jaundice; his liver was failing aft years of battling alcoholism.

The World Series champion, who was 47 astatine the time, was fixed a 20% accidental to surviving.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Scott Spiezio #26 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses during Photo Day connected Feb. 26, 2007, astatine Roger Dean Stadium successful Jupiter, Fla. (Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Spiezio was told by doctors helium had to halt drinking for six months earlier helium could person a liver transplant to prevention his life. He wasn’t definite helium would beryllium capable to.

"I didn't deliberation that I'd beryllium capable to bash it. I went from a feline that ne'er drank intoxicant to reasoning I don't cognize if I tin spell six months without drinking to prevention my ain life," Spiezio said.

==

Scott Spiezio’s father, Ed, was a two-time World Series champion and played Major League Baseball for 9 seasons.

Scott remembered his dada telling him astatine a young age, "You’re going to beryllium amended than me."

"As soon arsenic helium was calved I knew helium was going to beryllium a ballplayer," Scott’s mother, Verna Spiezio, said successful the upcoming documentary, "Spiezio."

"I was praying for a son," Ed said.

Ed said Scott was calved to beryllium a shot player, and helium made definite that would happen.

Scott was switch-hitting astatine property three.

The 2 spent days moving together, trying to execute the extremity of making it to the large leagues

Their basement was acceptable up for Scott to bash drills. Throughout his youth, each signifier ended with the aforesaid situation: a 3-2 count, 2 outs, bases loaded, down 1 run, bottommost of the ninth inning, Game 7 of the World Series.

Scott and Ed Spiezio basal together. (Spiezio Family)

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

In precocious school, they would get astatine the gym astatine 6 a.m. to deed successful the batting cage, enactment out, and past Scott would spell to school.

Everything was done with the volition of making it to the large leagues.

"I deliberation for a agelong clip that's what my dada thought, and, I did too. That (baseball) was my intent successful life. (It) was to beryllium a amended shot subordinate than him and to triumph championships," Scott said.

And Scott did conscionable that. Not lone did helium triumph a World Series, but helium deed 1 of the biggest location runs successful Angels’ franchise history.

In Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, the Angels were down 3-2 successful the bid to the San Francisco Giants. Spiezio was up successful the bottommost of the seventh inning with 2 runners connected basal and the Angels down 5-0, with their play hanging successful the balance.

Spiezio had been practicing for a concern similar this beingness his full life.

Giants manager Dusty Baker brought successful reliever Felix Rodriguez to discontinue Spiezio and neutralize the Angels’ threat. It looked similar Rodriguez was going to bash it, too.

He got up 1-2 successful the number and had Spiezio connected the ropes. But Scott didn’t quit. Foul ball, ball, foul ball, ball, and helium worked the number afloat astatine 3-2, a number helium was rather acquainted with. Spiezio past turned connected a fastball and deposited it into the right-field seats.

"Everything was successful dilatory motion. I was moving to first, I was watching the ball, I was virtually praying, like, God, delight propulsion this out, similar fto this go," Spiezio said. "And past I heard the loudest sound successful my life."

Scott Spezio of the Anaheim Angels hits a location tally against the San Francisco Giants during Game 4 of the World Series successful Anaheim, Calif., connected Oct. 27, 2002. (Chuck Solomon/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

WHITE SOX MANAGER WILL VENABLE FORGETS KEY RULE IN INEXPLICABLE BLUNDER, COSTS TEAM IN LOSS

Spiezio’s blast chopped the pb to 5-3 and sparked an Angels comeback, arsenic they went connected to triumph Game 6, 6-5, and yet won Game 7 of the World Series, bringing the Angels their archetypal World Series rubric successful franchise history.

The location tally besides made Spiezio successful demand. It’s erstwhile helium said his ego started to footwear in.

However, "ego," to Spiezio, meant thing different. For him, ego is an acronym: "edging God out."

After the World Series triumph successful 2002, Spiezio said helium began edging God out, and things took a crook for the worse.

"People archer you however large you are and you commencement believing. And for me, ego stood for edging God out, and I started edging him retired and started believing the hype and started drifting a small spot arsenic a person," Spiezio said.

After the World Series win, David Letterman wanted him connected the Top 10 List. Jay Leno and Carson Daly wanted Spiezio connected their shows. Spiezio had a band, and they were playing concerts successful beforehand of 1,500 people.

Jay Leno stands with Anaheim Angels players David Eckstein, John Lackey, Scott Spiezio, Tim Salmon and Troy Percival connected Oct. 28, 2002, during an occurrence of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." (Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

Back successful his hometown of Morris, Illinois, billboards went up calling Spiezio a hometown hero. The politician gave him a cardinal to the city, helium was honored astatine his precocious school, the municipality named a thoroughfare aft him: Scott Spiezio Drive.

Scott Spiezio was astatine the apical of the world.

==

Spiezio near the Angels aft the 2003 play and signed with the Seattle Mariners connected a three-year, $9 cardinal contract.

In outpouring training, Spiezio was playing 3rd basal for the Mariners. As helium tried to drawback a popup implicit the pitcher’s mound, helium tripped connected the mound astatine afloat velocity and wounded his back. Spiezio blew retired his thoracic T6 and T7 discs.

Another collision for him would hazard paralyzing him. It was the archetypal superior wounded Spiezio had suffered successful his life, and it sent him down a troubling path.

"When I got hurt, benignant of started feeling atrocious for myself and drifted from God. More like, ‘Why I've done everything you wanted maine to do? Why americium I being punished?’ And alternatively of turning to him, I turned to alcohol," Spiezio said.

"They told maine I mightiness beryllium paralyzed. I mightiness not play again, and I got depressed, anxious and each these things that I thought radical made up."

In Seattle, an unfamiliar city, and without an established person group, and present with a superior injury, Spiezio was retired of his element.

"I'm with a caller team. I went retired to effort to acceptable successful and I ended up drinking excessively much, and earlier you cognize it, that archetypal nighttime retired turned into an mundane happening and I was connected a roller coaster thrust of becoming physically addicted to alcohol."

Scott Spiezio of the Seattle Mariners looks connected against the San Diego Padres during a Spring Training crippled connected March 3, 2005, astatine Peoria Stadium successful Peoria, Ariz. The Mariners won 5-4. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Spiezio went from idiosyncratic who was hesitant to instrumentality Advil oregon Tylenol, to drinking each day.

Spiezio went from winning the Oakland Athletics’ Dave Stewart Community Award successful 1997, to being the Angels’ Roberto Clemente nominee successful 2003, to being idiosyncratic who worked with DARE, to becoming an alcoholic without knowing it.

He inactive believed successful God, but Spiezio said helium began to stray from His ways passim his struggles. Spiezio said helium was spending $2,000 to $3,000 a nighttime connected vessel service.

His narration with his begetter became frayed arsenic helium started drinking more. He ended up having an matter with his aboriginal 2nd woman and got divorced from his archetypal wife. He began utilizing cocaine recreationally.

As things were starting to spiral, Spiezio had a gathering astatine his parents' house, erstwhile his begetter told him that things had gotten "crazy" and that "they had to stop." As Scott tried to get into his car and leave, helium pushed his begetter away, and the neighbors called the police. His kids witnessed it each and ran into the backyard.

After that night, helium stopped speaking to his father.

Spiezio ended up getting released from the Mariners during the 2nd play of his three-year contract, and helium called it a reprieve. The pursuing offseason, helium ended up getting joined to his 2nd wife.

Yet nary of his friends wanted to spell to his wedding. Spiezio said astatine that constituent helium was drinking astir a grip of vodka a day. He was a antithetic idiosyncratic than the 1 his friends knew.

In 2006, the St. Louis Cardinals invited him to outpouring grooming arsenic a insignificant league invitee, and it rejuvenated him, coming backmost to the squad his dada played for, and returning home. Despite not speaking to his dad, helium donned his dad’s No. 26.

With the Cardinals, helium had a resurgent season, hitting .272 with 13 location runs and 52 RBI portion playing each implicit the field. Spiezio played a monolithic relation connected their World Series-winning team.

However, this World Series triumph was antithetic for Spiezio. He didn’t get to observe with his dad, arsenic helium did successful 2002.

Spiezio won a World Series for the Cardinals, conscionable similar his dad, but helium wasn’t capable to stock the infinitesimal with him.

The fanfare was besides overmuch different. There was not different enactment astatine the precocious school. He wasn't being covered the aforesaid mode by the newspapers. His estimation didn’t warrant the aforesaid solemnisation it did 2002.

His narration with his dada had deteriorated truthful overmuch that helium wasn’t definite helium would beryllium invited to his funeral.

==

Some things are bigger than baseball.

On Opening Day 2007, and the St. Louis Cardinals were awarding players their World Series rings from 2006.

The Cardinals had a peculiar astonishment for Scott Spiezio. They were bringing retired his father, Ed, to springiness him his World Series ring.

Ed, who inactive had not spoken to Scott since that fateful nighttime astatine his house, wasn’t definite helium should go.

"I didn’t consciousness I should spell down there, but for this lawsuit I did," Ed said.

As the Cardinals announced that Ed was presenting Scott with his ring, the lad burst into tears.

Scott Spiezio astatine a ringing ceremonial with his dad, Ed. (Spiezio Family)

"The Cardinals brought my dada backmost without maine knowing to springiness maine my ringing successful 2007. The archetypal clip successful past and lone clip successful past that a begetter and lad person won with the aforesaid organization. They called him up and presented my ringing to him and past called maine up and helium presented my ringing to maine and we hugged and that was the prodigal lad infinitesimal that turned everything around," Scott said.

Ed said determination wasn’t a adust oculus successful the full stadium.

Scott called that infinitesimal a pivotal infinitesimal successful their relationship. While helium wished helium had gotten sober close past and there, astatine slightest helium knew helium had his dada backmost successful his corner.

St. Louis Cardinals inferior subordinate Scott Spiezio receives his World Series ringing from his begetter Ed during a ceremonial earlier the crippled against the New York Mets astatine Busch Stadium connected April 3, 2007, successful St. Louis, Mo. (Scott Rovak/Getty Images)

Later that year, Scott spoke astatine Christian Day successful Busch Stadium aft a game, and his begetter attended.

"I deliberation helium started realizing that determination was a greater intent and uh we started opening up to each different aft I spoke astatine Christian Day astatine Busch Stadium with the Cardinals. And helium told maine astatine that moment, we hugged and helium said, ‘I'm arrogant of you. Like, I couldn't beryllium prouder of you,’" Scott said.

However, portion his dada was backmost successful his life, his narration with intoxicant worsened. During games, Spiezio was drinking intoxicant retired of h2o bottles successful the dugout and was playing shot drunk.

The ineligible bounds is .08. Spiezio theorized helium was playing astatine 0.20. He would portion during the crippled due to the fact that helium had the shakes, and helium had cocaine connected him truthful helium wouldn’t sleep.

Spiezio yet collapsed successful beforehand of the Cardinals' trainers, and they sent him to an outpatient rehab installation successful St. Charles, Missouri, adjacent St. Louis.

The proximity of the installation to St. Louis was a detriment due to the fact that radical knew who helium was successful St. Charles, and Spiezio didn’t stock astatine each and waited until it was over.

He checked a container and was successful the Cardinals lineup 28 days later, but helium was inactive an addict and an alcoholic.

After the 2007 season, Spiezio was progressive successful a hit-and-run, and went to rehab successful Tucson, Arizona. He rejoined the squad successful 2008 but past got released aft a warrant went retired for his arrest.

The Atlanta Braves past signed him to a insignificant league deal, but helium retired from shot successful 2008 due to the fact that helium didn’t privation to beryllium excessively acold from home. Upon his retirement, Spiezio dove consecutive backmost into intoxicant and cocaine.

He divorced his 2nd woman successful 2010. Spiezio was drinking 1 to 2 handles of vodka a time and spending thousands of dollars connected cocaine per week.

From 2007 to 2016, Spiezio was successful 11 antithetic rehabs. He spent hundreds of hours successful AA meetings and with counselors. At that point, Spiezio ceded power of his spot and the wealth helium had near to his parents.

"(My parents) strung maine on to bring maine nutrient and would assistance me. They saved my spot truthful I had determination to live. Otherwise, I would person spent everything and thrown everything away. And yet I was astute capable to springiness – I trusted them truthful overmuch that I gave them powerfulness of lawyer and I got escaped of each my cars, got escaped of each my recognition cards, got escaped of my checks, and fto them bash everything truthful I wouldn't person entree to money," Spiezio said.

At 1 point, things got truthful debased for Spiezio that helium had a decease wish.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is having thoughts of suicide, delight interaction the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline astatine 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

"I retrieve the cops were called," Kevin Donoho, Pastor of Crossbridge Community Church said successful the documentary.

"And fundamentally (Scott) had taken disconnected connected ft and helium was retired successful the field. The cops are retired looking for him and fundamentally they spot him. And helium said, ‘I’m going to tally astatine them truthful they sprout maine and they tin conscionable enactment an extremity to each of this. I conscionable thought, ‘That’s arsenic debased arsenic it gets.’"

Spiezio was weighed down with guilt and shame implicit letting his kids down, letting his municipality down, letting his parents down and wasting his platform. His beingness revolved astir drugs and intoxicant for a decade.

He didn’t privation to amusement his face.

==

For truthful long, Spiezio asked God for help, past took implicit the instrumentality and went backmost to his aged ways. He got a wake-up telephone erstwhile an MRI for his backmost successful 2018 changed his life.

"I would inquire God for help, and helium would assistance maine and past I'd instrumentality the instrumentality back. And past yet I deliberation helium was like, ‘Hey man, you're not getting this. I'm going to person to aftermath you up.’ And I ended up getting jaundice," Spiezio said.

Scott Spiezio with jaundice successful the hospital. (Spiezio Family)

His liver was failing. Doctors gave him a 20% accidental to live. If helium could marque it six months without drinking, they could bash a liver transplant.

Spiezio didn’t deliberation helium could halt drinking to prevention his ain life.

"I went from a feline that ne'er drank intoxicant to reasoning I don't cognize if I tin spell six months without drinking to prevention my ain life. I conscionable cried retired to God. I said, ‘God, instrumentality distant my cravings.’ And that was April 6, 2018," Spiezio said.

"From that time on, I've had zero cravings. When I spot alcohol, I get physically sick erstwhile I spot it. I consciousness similar I'm going to propulsion up."

Spiezio said helium was going to bash what God wanted him to do. He knew it was his past chance.

Every mates of weeks, helium returned to the infirmary to person 2 liters of fluid drained from his abdomen. Slowly but surely, Spiezio felt better.

When helium returned to Northwestern Hospital for the 4th time, the doctors were dumbfounded by what they saw.

"By the 4th clip I went in, they work my scans, they looked astatine my humor enactment and said, ‘We don't cognize however to explicate it, but your liver is mean and your humor enactment is great. We've ne'er seen thing similar this before. All we tin accidental is idiosyncratic upstairs is looking retired for you,’" Spiezio said.

"And I knew that that God had performed a 2nd occurrence connected me."

And past helium started moving sticks.

Moving sticks successful the gait truthful helium could mow the lawn. Then helium got a wheelbarrow and created a pain heap with the sticks. Just that elemental enactment gave Spiezio the information to spell retired and speech to people.

He started gathering his narration with the Lord. He was going to religion more. He asked Donoho if helium could enactment astatine the religion and started cleaning the bureau complex.

He started speechmaking the Bible. Spiezio started reconnecting with friends. His narration with Jesus grew stronger. He felt a calling to stock his story.

Spiezio utilized to person millions. According to Baseball-Reference, helium made much than $16.5 cardinal playing baseball. Yet present helium lives period to period and is happier present than helium has ever been.

Spiezio has a documentary coming retired Sept. 10, titled "Spiezio," which details his tumultuous journey. He released a memoir successful July, called "The Hardest Comeback."

For his memoir, determination was a crushed wherefore helium settled connected "The Hardest Comeback."

"I thought of a clump of antithetic titles for the publication and 1 of them was ‘It's ne'er excessively late,’ and ‘Never Give Up. Like determination was each sorts of of titles. We went with ‘The Hardest Comeback' due to the fact that we wanted to radical to recognize however hard it truly was. I had the comeback with the Game 6 location tally successful the World Series, but the hardest comeback was this by far," Spiezio said.

For radical who are struggling with addiction oregon intelligence health, Spiezio wants them to cognize that determination is hope.

"I privation radical to cognize that there's hope, if you're susceptible and you fto radical successful your beingness that that tin steer you successful the close absorption and tin clasp your manus portion you're going done stuff, you person to beryllium consenting to privation to stop. And I tin archer you from a feline that thought I couldn't halt drinking successful bid to prevention my ain beingness to a feline that wonders wherefore successful the satellite I ever enactment immoderate of that worldly successful my system," Spiezio said.

"Life is truthful overmuch better."

Scott Spiezio with his family. (Spiezio Family)

Spiezio present runs a shot installation and gives one-on-one lessons to kids. He shares his religion anytime helium gets a chance, and is precise progressive with his church. He goes to schools to speech astir the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

He is repairing his relationships with his kids. He has a 26-year-old, 24-year-old, 22-year-old, and an 11-year-old. Spiezio said the 11-year-old is teaching him however to fish.

He lives backmost successful his hometown, due to the fact that the assemblage helped him get backmost to his roots and retrieve who helium truly is.

Now, joyousness for him is helping others.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Scott Spiezio with his sons, Cody (L) and Tyler (R). (Spiezio Family)

"I had millions and millions of dollars. Now, I unrecorded period to month. But I'm happier present than erstwhile I had 7 cars and 3 houses and was hanging retired with each these, you know, celebrated people. I person existent joyousness present due to the fact that I cognize however the communicative ends. And the biggest thrill for maine is erstwhile radical archer maine that, you know, aft talking to you I've saved my marriage," Spiezio said.

"Or I've restored my religion successful God oregon person 12 months sober oregon 5 years sober oregon 30 days sober. There's thing similar getting those texts wherever radical are like, convey you for taking the time."

"It's ne'er excessively late. I ever accidental arsenic agelong arsenic you got a breath, you got a pen to constitute a large ending. As agelong arsenic you got a pulse, you got a purpose. It's ne'er excessively precocious to get sober. It's ne'er excessively precocious to mend breached relationships."

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.