Asbestos-related lung cancer takes former major league pitcher Dave Roberts
Dave Roberts, known for his career as a major league pitcher, died recently of lung cancer at the age of 64. Roberts played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in their 1979 World Series championship win. Between 1969 and 1981, he played for a total of eight teams, including the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers.
When Roberts was young, he spent the offseasons working as a boilermaker—a job that exposed him to asbestos and ultimately caused his lung cancer. Asbestos exposure causes malignant mesothelioma (which can involve the lining of the lungs, heart or abdomen), lung cancer and other serious diseases. Generally the effects of asbestos exposure aren’t seen until decades later.
Dave Roberts was a native of Ohio, but he lived the last part of his life in West Virginia, where he died surrounded by family approximately 120 miles from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
To learn more, read the Associated Press story.
