In the quiet sanctuary of the living room, she sought solace, forsaking the bedroom’s comfort for the familiar embrace of the couch. Nights stretched endlessly as she patiently awaited her husband’s return from the toils of work, eager to share in his triumphs and shoulder his burdens.

Past midnight, with dawn approaching, Nicole Hazen never wavered in her resolve to stay awake for her beloved husband, Mike, the esteemed general manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“Her unwavering presence,” Hazen reflected, his eyes brimming with emotion, “brought me immeasurable joy whenever we emerged victorious.”

This is the tale of a grief-stricken baseball executive, whose heart has been uplifted by the resounding success of his team’s postseason campaign. Just 14 months since the untimely loss of his beloved wife to a relentless form of brain cancer at the tender age of 45, Mike Hazen’s journey serves as a poignant subplot to the unfolding World Series duel between the D-backs and the Rangers.

As the series reaches its climactic Game 3 at Chase Field, deadlocked at 1-1, the sight of Hazen, 47, pacing his suite with bated breath, his focus fixated on every pitch, carries added weight when one comprehends the depth of his personal tribulations and ongoing struggles in raising four teenage sons who yearn for their departed mother.

Each triumphant celebration, drenched in perspiration and champagne, enfolded in the embrace of steadfast friends with whom he has toiled side by side for years, bears a sweeter taste for a man who has endured as much as Mike Hazen.