But executive privilege is just that. The whims of one manager can derail a the best chronic illness management/work strategy. One manager in my department took a very strong stand against telecommuting, because it was something every working mother wanted to do. Corporate politics are a huge factor.

I can only reiterate, as I have many times, that it takes a willingness on the part of management as well as super human effort on the part of the employee dealing with a chronic illness.

I was looking on the bright side in terms of Baldelli — he was only signed for one year, he is still no doubt facing the stigma of being a member of a team granted a less demanding schedule. But ten years ago, he would not have been granted these flexibilities. He simply would have been considered a failure, despite his talents and sporadic excellence, unable to sustain the stamina traditionally expected of a professional athlete.

It is important that both he and his employers are showing that people with unpredictable illnesses can be team players — even if their face time on the job is less than the norm.