10-year MLB veteran pitcher dies at 85

Former MLB pitcher Jim Hannan has handed away at 85, based on an announcement from the Main League Baseball Gamers Alumni Affiliation.

A Jersey Metropolis, N.J., native, Hannan attended Notre Dame earlier than coming into the skilled ranks in 1961. The precise-hander spent one 12 months within the Purple Sox system. He was drafted by the Washington Senators the next winter — within the early years of the draft, groups may choose a participant who had spent one 12 months in one other workforce’s farm system — and jumped to the majors the following season. The 6-foot-3 right-hander would spend the majority of his profession in Washington.

Working in a versatile swing function, Hannan pitched elements of 9 seasons with the Senators. He posted a career-low 3.01 ERA over 140 1/3 innings in 1968 and logged a personal-high 158 1/3 frames through the 1969 marketing campaign. Whereas the late 60s skewed very favorably to pitching, that’s strong manufacturing. Hannan gained 10 video games on a Senators workforce that completed 65-96 in 1968.

In the course of the 1970-71 offseason, the Senators included him as a part of a four-player return to the Tigers for two-time Cy Younger winner Denny McLain. Detroit flipped him to the Brewers after simply seven appearances. Hannan completed his enjoying days with 21 appearances in Milwaukee. He hung up his spikes with a 3.88 ERA over 822 large league innings. He struck out 438 hitters and gained 41 video games.

Hannan remained within the sport lengthy after his 10-year enjoying profession got here to an finish. He helped discovered the MLB Gamers Alumni Affiliation in 1982 and served because the group’s first president. He held that function till 1986. Hannan remained concerned with the MLBPAA gone that stint, serving as its chairman of the board from 1996 till this 12 months.

“Our Alumni Affiliation owes its existence and present standing to Jim Hannan and his influence,” MLBPAA CEO Dan Foster stated in a press release. “Since 1982, Jim has championed former gamers and the MLBPAA will proceed to advocate for our gamers and uphold the integrity of the sport on behalf of Jim and our founding members. The historical past of our group is inseparable from Jim and his eternal affect. His presence will likely be tremendously missed, and our ideas are together with his spouse Carol and youngsters Coleen, Heather, Jimmy and Erin.”

MLBTR joins the MLBPAA and others across the sport in sending our condolences to Hannan’s household, buddies, family members and former teammates and colleagues.