Former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher Jim Hannan has died at the age of 85, as announced by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Hannan, who was born in Jersey City, attended Notre Dame before starting his professional career in 1961. After spending one year in the Red Sox system, he was drafted by the Washington Senators in the following winter. Hannan then made the jump to the majors the next season and spent the majority of his career with the Senators.
Hannan played in a versatile role as a pitcher for nine seasons with the Senators. In 1968, he achieved a career-low 3.01 ERA over 140 1/3 innings and recorded a personal-high 158 1/3 frames during the 1969 campaign. Despite the favorable pitching conditions in the late 1960s, Hannan’s performance was solid. In the 1968 season, he won 10 games for a Senators team that finished with a record of 65-96.
During the offseason of 1970-71, Hannan was part of a four-player trade that sent him to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for two-time Cy Young winner Denny McLain. However, the Tigers quickly traded him to the Milwaukee Brewers after just seven appearances. Hannan concluded his playing career with 21 appearances in Milwaukee, finishing with a 3.88 ERA over 822 innings. He struck out 438 batters and earned 41 victories.
Even after retiring from his playing career, Hannan remained involved in the MLB. He co-founded the MLB Players Alumni Association in 1982 and served as its first president until 1986. Hannan continued to be associated with the MLBPAA, serving as the chairman of the board from 1996 until this year.
Dan Foster, the CEO of MLBPAA, expressed his gratitude towards Hannan for his contributions to the organization, stating that the association owes its existence and current status to him. Foster also emphasized that the MLBPAA will continue to advocate for former players and uphold the integrity of the game in honor of Hannan and the founding members. Hannan’s wife Carol and children Coleen, Heather, Jimmy, and Erin are in the thoughts of the MLBPAA during this time.
MLB Trade Rumors (MLBTR) joins the MLBPAA and others in the baseball community in extending their condolences to Hannan’s family, friends, loved ones, and former teammates and colleagues.
According to the Source mlbtraderumors.com