photo courtesy of http://www.emerson.edu
Left to Right: Jim Taylor, Buddy Hanley, David Hanley
It’s a story that starts out like all the rest.
A father starts coaching when his kids are young and moves up with them as their little athletes progress through the leagues. Tee ball, then little league—springs bleed into summers, and winters never leave quickly enough.
But it’s also a story that ends differently than most.
David Hanley is a Medford man, born and raised, and he is the only one of his family who stayed both close to home and close to his roots. He had an active childhood, playing baseball, football, and hockey. Hanley was out on the diamond every day that it was at least 40 degrees. Like most children, he inherited his affinity for baseball from his father.
“Growing up, everything we did was just passing time until baseball came around in the spring.”
Hanley was enamored with the intricacies of the game, with the passion and professionalism the boys of summer carried on and off the field. And like any sports fan, he loves the impossible.
“I really like Mike Lowell, he's a professional with a real passion for the game. I had a bunch of idols when I was younger. I'm a huge Red Sox fan but I'm also a real baseball fan. I loved the New York Mets when they first came into the National League. I love the underdog,” explained Hanley. “I was a big Ed Kranepool fan. He was the only original Met to stay with the Team until they became the Miracle Mets of 1969. I loved the '68 Tigers and the Earl Weaver Orioles. I always loved the underdog.”
Hanley began coaching once his daughter was old enough for tee ball, or most likely, for baseball fanatics like him, strong enough to swing the tiny bats. Eventually, he climbed the ranks with his son, Buddy, through the Babe Ruth and Senior Babe Ruth Leagues.
And while the father–son duo parted ways for some time, they kept climbing.
Buddy Hanley was voted his team’s most valuable player in high school for three years in a row. He graduated and went to Clark University, where he lettered all four years with the Cougars. Hanley split most of his time between shortstop and the mound, and hit over .300 twice. Throughout his collegiate career, he had several highlight-reel accomplishments: pitching a 5-hit game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute and pitching a 5-hit complete game against Babson in the NEWMAC playoffs his senior year.
Meanwhile, David Hanley was working on his coaching career. To date, he’s coached six years in the PONY and Senior Babe Ruth League and four years of Little League. He’s in the midst of his sixth season at the collegiate level and his fourth as a varsity coach. On top of all that, he also coaches the Medford Maddogs, one of the premier semi-pro wood bat leagues in New England. During his tenure with the team, Hanley has had three players sign professional contracts and has an incredible winning percentage of over .650. Additionally, he was voted Yawkey Baseball League’s Manager of the Year by his peers for the ’04 and ’06 seasons.
When Coach Hanley joined the Emerson baseball program in January of 2005, the team was still at club level. He led them back to varsity status in the spring of 2007, and the team has secured postseason berths in the GNAC playoffs every year since. According to Emerson’s website, “The Lion’s Baseball Program is most proud of the fact that two players have been named to the ESPN: The Magazine College Division Academic All-District team. Bryan Fennessey, in ‘08 and Peter Karl in ’09.”
When Buddy graduated from Clark in 2006, it was an easy decision for his father to ask him to join the Lions’ coaching staff.
“He was an obvious choice to get onto the staff once he graduated… Buddy can get points across more directly to the players because he is only a few years older. He bridges the generation gap. It is a wonderful experience to be coaching with my son; I realize how lucky I am.”
Though the pair split briefly for their respective teams, they have now spent the last four years working to elevate the status of the Emerson Lions baseball program, along with the help of assistant coach Jim Taylor.
It was a story that had started out like all the rest.
Father to son, over and again, passing down one of America’s greatest pastimes. Ingraining in their child a distinct love of the smell of freshly mown grass and the feel of dirt as you slide safely into home.
But it is also a story that ended differently than most.
Father and son, side by side in a dugout, transforming their mutual love and bond into a lifetime of adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment