Former Phil Shane Victorino On Cusp of Another World Series Championship

New York Times takes a closer look at his back story.

Former Phil Shane Victorino is on the cusp of another World Series championship—this time with the Red Sox. He’s featured in the New York Times today, with a look at his ADHD condition.

The Times reports:

In the mid-1980s, when Victorino first learned he had the disorder, an estimated 3 to 7 percent of children were thought to have A.D.H.D. (then called attention deficit disorder “with or without hyperactivity”). Today, the national average is estimated to be around 11 percent, with rates as high as 16 in every 100 children in some states.

Even on medication, Shane Victorino visibly struggles to inhibit what are called his “prepotent responses” — something he immediately, instinctively, wants to do, like approaching the mound to talk to a pitcher about a wild pitch (that one started a benches-clearing fight and led to a three-game suspension) or 
flipping off an opposing team member’s family
 during a high school soccer game.

Like many people with A.D.H.D., Victorino also struggles with emotional regulation, or as he has been quoted as saying, “letting my emotions get the best of me.” We’re not talking about being “sensitive” or getting upset every once in a while, we’re talking about a lifetime of disruptive, embarrassing and emotional displays that have had very negative consequences.

We’re still big fans of the Flyin’ Hawaiian, even if he’s no longer in Philadelphia. Knowing what he’s overcome just makes us love him more.