Former Brewers medical VP still fighting for others from the field

Beyond the Game: Roger Caplinger

He's lived a life on the diamond, always giving and making sure the health of others was at the forefront. After dealing with his own health concerns, he's still fighting for others from the field.

MILWAUKEE - He lived a life on the diamond, always giving and making sure the health of others was at the forefront.

After dealing with his own health concerns, he's still fighting for others from the field, just in a different way.

"I come and go as I please, which is nice. It’s not the day-to-day baseball stuff anymore," said Roger Caplinger.

After an entire career spent with the Brewers, mainly as their medical director, Caplinger’s role is a bit different.

"It’s not the phone calls at midnight. Someone got hurt in the minor leagues or at the major league level. Coordinating physicals and coordinating physicians and doing all those day-to-day baseball stuff," added Caplinger. "That just doesn’t encompass my time anymore, which is nice. But, you know, still mentoring athletic trainers, helping our new vice president of player health and performance."

The major change for roger took place seven years ago in a dramatic way.

"In 2017 I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In all of ’18 I was undergoing treatment. So, chemotherapy and radiation and I had the whipple surgery procedure, and then I had six months of chemo," he added.

After getting the initial diagnosis, he and his family decided to go to the Medical College of Wisconsin and Dr. Doug Evans to attack the disease.

"It’s trusting in your team. Trusting in the process of what they’re doing. Meeting those expectations in every stage that you go through. So, I think that it’s been rewarding. I don’t think we’ve ever said why me, like why not me," he said.

Roger and Jackie Caplinger

After his treatment, he would return to the Brewers in 2019 and felt great heading into the 2020 season cancer-free.

"Bam! Covid hit. Then we tried to put a summer camp together and a 60-game season, which was ultimately challenging. So I sat in spring training in ’22, and I’m like, I think this is it," he said.

But his journey was taking a new direction with the Seena Magowitz Foundation, an organization that raises money to fight pancreatic cancer.

"How can I help someone else? And how can I build awareness in that, with all the trials and tribulations that you may go through, that may help somebody else? So, that was our mindset," he said.

In 2023, the Seena Magowitz Foundation hosted a fundraising event called ‘Dinner on the Diamond’ at American Family Field.

"We had 320 people attend our dinner on the diamond here. Unbelievable showing. We had over 80 survivors of pancreatic cancer, the most ever in one location. We had physicians giving us talks about pancreatic cancer. And the trials and tribulations because everybody’s different," he said.

That record was broken in 2024 when the second ‘Dinner on the Diamond’ was held.

"It’s overwhelming. It’s gratifying. But, we’re not done. Right, the work’s not done," he said.

In the short time since his diagnosis, the progress for patients is very notable, especially in the program he was part of.

"The national survival rate when I was going through pancreatic cancer was 9. Now it’s 13. Here at the medical college, it’s triple. It’s over 30. So, we’re doing it right," he added. "We’re trying to build a center of excellence here in Milwaukee with a great team at the medical college with medical researchers, scientists, nutritionists, genetic counselors, radiation and medical oncologists, surgical oncologists to build this program so we can try to eradicate this disease."

The experience of battling pancreatic cancer has also changed his perspective.

"When I was diagnosed it was like, man, I’m shocked. But I analyze the curveball. All right, you see a hanging curveball’s here and people take those, right? I chose to hit it out of the park. That’s my analogy. You have to make a decision. You can’t be poor to me because we know that positive attitudes create positive outcomes," he said.

Which is clearly what’s been happening as his journey forward continues.

"I have a second chance at life. And I’m not going to disappoint that second chance at life. But I’m also going to move the needle forward. And I’m also going to try to make a difference," he said.

There’s no doubt he’s doing just that.

The Seena Magowitz Foundation has raised more than $2 million for the Medical College of Wisconsin's pancreatic cancer research.

Their goal is to raise a million more this year. If you're interested in helping, click here.