World Series Hero Beats Alcoholism With 20% Survival Odds

When Scott Spiezio walked out of his MRI appointment in 2018, his skin had turned yellow and doctors delivered devastating news: his liver was failing, and he had just a 20% chance to live.

The former World Series champion, who hit one of the biggest home runs in Angels history, had reached rock bottom. Years of alcoholism had caught up with the 47-year-old athlete, and doctors told him he needed to stay sober for six months before qualifying for a life-saving liver transplant.

"I went from a guy that never drank alcohol to thinking I don't know if I can go six months without drinking to save my own life," Spiezio recalled.

Spiezio's baseball career had been the stuff of dreams. In Game 6 of the 2002 World Series, with his team down 5-0 and facing elimination, he crushed a three-run homer that sparked the Angels' comeback. They won the championship the next day, bringing Anaheim its first World Series title.

But fame changed everything. Letterman, Leno, and Daly all wanted him on their shows. His band played to crowds of 1,500 people. His hometown erected billboards calling him a hero and named a street after him.

"People tell you how great you are and you start believing," Spiezio said. He describes ego as "edging God out," and that's exactly what happened after his World Series glory.

A severe back injury in 2003 during spring training started his downward spiral. The pain and self-pity led him toward alcohol, and the addiction took hold fast.

Why This Inspires

Spiezio faced down those impossible odds and chose life. He stayed sober for the required six months and survived without needing the transplant after all. His liver began healing on its own once he stopped drinking.

Now Spiezio shares his story openly, appearing in an upcoming documentary called "Spiezio." He talks candidly about his relationship with faith and how it evolved during his darkest hours. His message resonates with anyone fighting addiction: recovery is possible, even when the odds seem impossible.

The same determination that made him a World Series hero now fuels his mission to help others struggling with substance abuse. Spiezio's comeback isn't measured in home runs anymore, but in days sober and lives touched by his honesty.

His greatest victory didn't happen on a baseball diamond; it happened in choosing survival when his body was failing and his spirit was broken.