He's back in the minors now, but former major leaguer Shawn Chacon (a 2003 All-Star), credits his adoptive parents with giving him the opportunity to achieve his dreams -- and the ability to deal with the setbacks that often accompany the life of a professional athlete.

Chacon's adoption experience was part of an Aug. 30 feature by John Schumacher of the Sacramento Bee:

After his biological mother gave him up for adoption when he was 4, Chacon, who was born in Anchorage, Alaska, spent a year in the foster care system before being adopted by a Colorado couple.

The 31-year-old right-hander credits his adoptive parents with quickly recognizing his baseball talent, which has taken him on a roller-coaster ride through the major leagues. ...

He said he never met his biological father and lived with his single mother until he was put in the foster system.

"I don't look back and try to research or ask my biological parents why," the baseball star told the Bee. "If I hadn't been adopted, I don't know where I would have ended up."

Labels: adoptive_parents

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