Touching Story: When CLE Teammates Band Together to Help a Friend

HD MM

SatelliteGuys Master
Original poster
Nov 2, 2006
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Believeland, Ohio
Jack Hannahan is batting just .214 for the Cleveland Indians this year. But he dazzles in the field. As a matter of fact, he has the highest fielding percentage (.978) of any third basemen in the league!

Plus, he's a good teammate.

So, the other day, Hannahan's wife Jenny was in Cleveland and expecting to go into labor with the couple's first child at any minute. Only problem. Hannahan was with the team in Boston.

The journeyman ballplayer was desperate to get back to Cleveland as Jenny was on the phone from the dugout, telling Jack to "come home"!!

Only one problem. There weren't any flights out of Boston until the morning! No doubt, too late to witness the miracle of childbirth and the welcoming of their first born.

As he told teammates about his plight, Justin Masterson asked about a private jet as an option instead. A private jet and its $35,000 price tag was out of the question to Hannahan and his league minimum contract. That's when Masterson stepped in.

From the St. Paul Pioneer:

"Book it," Masterson told Hannahan.

"I can't. It costs too much," Hannahan replied.

"Book it!" Masterson said.

Then Masterson passed a hat around the clubhouse. Teammates immediately contributed $35,000 to help chip in for the flight.

Hannahan made it back to Cleveland to be by his wife's side with 15 minutes to spare. The baby, though born premature, is healthy. John Jack Hannahan V weighed 2 pounds, 12 ounces when he was born at 3:11 a.m. on Aug. 5.

"He's a little miracle," said Hannahan, who added that John is doing great and will remain in the hospital for another two months.

The Indians tried to keep the kind gesture quiet, but news trickled out in the past couple days, and Hannahan delivered a public thank you before Wednesday's game.

"It just tells you about this team that we have," Hannahan said. "That the guys would do that for me I think speaks volumes about the character of our team.

"I've played on four different big league teams and that just doesn't happen on any team. It takes a great group of guys to do that," he said.
 
mccoyrj said:
Pass the hat and collect $35K. Wow. Must be nice to live on that planet.

Too hard for me to relate to be touched.

Yeah. I need some money maybe they can collect for me.

I would love to make the league minimum, but I don't play a game for a living.
 
I think you two are missing the point. Jack Hannahan is a league minimum player. His career may not exist past this year. Like you or I, he couldn't afford to fly home to be with his wife to see the birth of his first born. His more blessed teammates chipped in to help him be with his family. They didn't have to do that, but they did. It was awesome gesture. I don't see how you can NOT see that as anything but an awesome thing.
 
It is a touching story of true camaraderie among teammates....BUT....what I am trying to understand is...the minimum salary for the 2011 season is $414,000.....HOW can you not afford to go home? I will even prorate it to HALF, $207,000 ...how can you not have money to go home?
 
It is a touching story of true camaraderie among teammates....BUT....what I am trying to understand is...the minimum salary for the 2011 season is $414,000.....HOW can you not afford to go home? I will even prorate it to HALF, $207,000 ...how can you not have money to go home?

He COULD afford a regular plane ticket. But that flight wasn't until the next morning. The $35,000 that he couldn't afford was for a private jet, getting him to the hospital (from Boston to Cleveland) just in time to see his wife's birth.

And furthermore, you have to understand, that YES, a journeyman at the league minimum makes more than the average person, but with taxes, he makes half that. And he might be out of work next year. He's not an established player. He needs to budget his money if he only has a 5-7 year career and has to retire at 35.
 
He COULD afford a regular plane ticket. But that flight wasn't until the next morning. The $35,000 that he couldn't afford was for a private jet, getting him to the hospital (from Boston to Cleveland) just in time to see his wife's birth.

And furthermore, you have to understand, that YES, a journeyman at the league minimum makes more than the average person, but with taxes, he makes half that. And he might be out of work next year. He's not an established player. He needs to budget his money if he only has a 5-7 year career and has to retire at 35.

Never mind....will leave it at that.
 
He COULD afford a regular plane ticket. But that flight wasn't until the next morning. The $35,000 that he couldn't afford was for a private jet, getting him to the hospital (from Boston to Cleveland) just in time to see his wife's birth.

And furthermore, you have to understand, that YES, a journeyman at the league minimum makes more than the average person, but with taxes, he makes half that. And he might be out of work next year. He's not an established player. He needs to budget his money if he only has a 5-7 year career and has to retire at 35.

He will make more in his lets say 6 year career than I will probably make in my 50 year career so no I don't feel sad or anything for this story. The people who passed the hat makes millions a year so giving $1,000 in a hat is like me giving $10.
 
You guys really need to get past the money aspect and hatred you have for people that make more money than you and see the gesture for what it was. More gifted teammates stepped up to give a less gifted teammate the ability to be with his family the day they were giving birth to a premature baby who may not have made it though the night. The important part is the gesture and players that stepped up to make this possible.
 
You guys really need to get past the money aspect and hatred you have for people that make more money than you and see the gesture for what it was. More gifted teammates stepped up to give a less gifted teammate the ability to be with his family the day they were giving birth to a premature baby who may not have made it though the night. The important part is the gesture and players that stepped up to make this possible.

Never mind....you can like this "Feel good touchy" story, I'm done out of respect for ramy.
 
...From the St. Paul Pioneer:

The baby, though born premature, is healthy..."He's a little miracle," said Hannahan, who added that John is doing great...

...a premature baby who may not have made it though the night...
Did this all take place during a hurricane too? ;)

I'm just teasing you HD. Sounds like a nice gesture by your Indians. And good for Hannahan. Heck, I might even pass the hat around my place...maybe collect enough to send a fellow Irishman a cigar. :D
 
I think you two are missing the point. Jack Hannahan is a league minimum player. His career may not exist past this year. Like you or I, he couldn't afford to fly home to be with his wife to see the birth of his first born. His more blessed teammates chipped in to help him be with his family. They didn't have to do that, but they did. It was awesome gesture. I don't see how you can NOT see that as anything but an awesome thing.

Great Story HDMM ....

I've watched Hanahan for a long time, he spent alot of years in Toledo playing for the Mud Hens.
I don't know him personally, but he's always been a good guy, I'm glad the Big League guys stepped up for him.
Now had he been with the Tigers, there wouldn't have been a need for the hat to be passed.
Mr. Illitch would have fired up the Team plane "Red Bird One" and away they would have went.
Btw, the Red Wings use RB1, I'm not sure if the Tigers do or not. I believe Illitch has 2.
 
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