MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — Cam Booser left baseball in 2017.
After years of injuries, setbacks and a battle with alcohol addiction, Booser thought his baseball career was over.
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He went home to Seattle, joined the carpenters' union and started doing roofing work with his dad.
But something didn't feel right.
In 2020, while driving to work one morning, Booser realized he couldn't shake the feeling that he was supposed to be playing baseball.
"I had this pit in my stomach like I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing in life. I sent a text to my dad, 'If you're cool with it, I want to go back and try to play.' His immediate response was, 'Hell yeah.' Now it's on me to figure out how to get back," Booser said.
Booser started giving pitching lessons to kids.
And then he discovered something.
He could still throw 98 miles per hour.
That opened the door to an independent league — and eventually, back to the major leagues.
Now, at 34, the left-handed reliever is pitching on baseball's biggest stage.
"As I've gotten older, I just hoped I could play in any meaningful baseball game. To be able to do this is a dream come true," Booser said.
And Booser isn't just happy to be back.
“He keeps his body in great shape, his arm in great shape," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He’s prepared and ready to go whenever he’s called upon. But I hope he’s cherishing these moments. It’s been a long winding road to get to this point and he’s made the most of it.”
He's become an important part of the Rays' bullpen.
In Game 4 of the ALCS in Cleveland, Booser entered a high-leverage eighth inning and struck out a Guardians hitter to help the Rays win.
His wife, Jessica, was watching from the stands.
She was on the edge of her seat, holding her breath through the moment and then, when it was over, letting the emotion take over.
For Booser, that moment represented much more than a big-league appearance.
It represented everything he and Jessica had been through together.
"We all need someone in our corner to help fight for us when we may not believe in ourselves. That's what she's been to me. She's been my rock, a best friend through all this," Booser said.
And maybe the most important part of Booser's comeback happened long before he ever returned to the mound.
Those years working construction forced him to refocus his life.
They taught him that his identity wasn't tied to baseball.
When he finally returned to the game, he could appreciate it in a completely different way.
From walking away from baseball to pitching in the postseason at 34, Cam Booser's comeback is about a lot more than baseball.
It's about getting a second chance and being ready when it comes.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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