Dave Stewart’s weeklong staredown with a sickness his family believed to be coronavirus is over. Final score from his San Diego-area home: Oakland A’s World Series hero 1, COVID-19 0.
After spending seven days in self-isolation, bed-ridden and sick with coronavirus-like symptoms, the former A’s star pitcher announced Tuesday afternoon he does not have the virus.
The 63-year-old Stewart, who was the World Series MVP when the A’s last won a world championship 31 years ago, tweeted his gratitude that his coronavirus test finally came back negative.
“SEVEN LONG DAYS FOR A VIRUS I DIDN’T HAVE! #falseimprisonment #NEGATIVE #Covid 19. I really appreciate ALL the love & support! PLEASE-PLEASE self isolate! We can all protect each other!”
Stewart has been quarantined in a room at the Poway home he shares with his wife and sports agent business partner, Lonnie Murray. Stewart’s wife insisted on him getting tested while keeping the four-time 20-game winner confined to a bedroom.
This led to a series of good-natured tweets about his wife’s care during their wait for test results.
The no-nonsense (on the field) ace of three straight A’s World Series teams from 1988-90, Stewart has remained involved in the game since his retirement in 1995. He’s served as the Diamondbacks general manager as well as a pitching coach for the Blue Jays, Padres and Brewers. Most recently, Stewart has spent time mentoring A’s pitchers during spring training the past few years, including last month in Mesa, Ariz.
Stewart and Minnesota’s Jack Morris remain the only two American League pitchers over the last 35 years to throw a complete-game shutout in the World Series. Stewart’s brilliant start against the Giants in Game 1 of the ‘89 Series — he pitched a five-hitter in a 5-0 win over San Francisco as Oakland went on to a four-game sweep — helped him earn MVP honors during the earthquake-delayed series.
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The Oakland-born and socially conscious Stewart spent time during the 10-day break between Series games helping the rescue and clean-up efforts around his hometown, mainly near the collapsed Cypress Freeway. The 6.9 earthquake killed 67 people and caused more than $5 billion in damages.
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