Three months after he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a stroke, Pedro Guerrero took his place among other Dodgers greats Saturday.
The 58-year-old former outfielder, who shared MVP honors in the 1981 World Series, got a rousing ovation at Dodger Stadium when he made an appearance at the team's old-timer's game.
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Old Timer's Day at Dodger Stadium: Pedro Guerrero returns to Dodger Stadium. pic.twitter.com/R7LnsBj37y
— Tony Ciniglio (@TCiniglio) May 16, 2015
“It was serious. It was scary,” Guerrero said of the February ordeal, via MLB.com. “All the doctors that attended to me in the Dominican, they all said the same thing: ‘They can’t believe I’m alive.’ I’m serious. There’s one doctor who told me, ‘I don’t know if it’s the color of your blood or what, but 92, no 99 out of 100 people who had the same thing you had, they’re gone.’
“I know some day we’re all going to die, but I didn’t want to go that early. Keep me here a little longer so I can see my youngest daughter and my grandsons play ball.”
Guerrero said he has stopped smoking and is eating better since the medical scare. Most of all Saturday, he was thrilled to be back among friends on familiar turf.
“This was very important for me to be here,” he said. “I don’t know how to express this, but this made me feel active again, more alive. Especially seeing these guys. You can tell I’m so happy to be here. I wish I could live here. The Dodgers gave me everything and I feel like I grew up here.”