2008 Woodie Awards
Former Mets player, cancer survivor speaks at First Pitch dinner
Jason Bohanan
Issue date: 2/13/07 Section: Sports
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Ed Hearn's plan to impact the lives of others was similar to that of countless professional athletes.
The former New York Mets catcher wanted to be a role model. Little did Hearn know, his life after baseball would inspire many more than his on-field career.
The major leaguer turned motivational speaker brought a message of perseverance and making the best of situations to the UTM baseball team and supporters Saturday at the second annual First Pitch dinner and silent auction.
"I think maybe the jist of his message was about perseverance. You get knocked down a lot of times and you have to keep swinging. I think he's a reflection of that, too," baseball coach Bubba Cates said.
Hearn, a rookie when the Mets won the 1986 World Series, speaks to about 50 groups per year, with audiences ranging from doctors and nurses to garage door makers. While Hearn earns a living through his career, his mission is to impact others with stories of his experiences.
"That's how I like to connect to the audience is through stories. The greatest teachers in the history of the world have connected with people through stories," Hearn says.
"It's totally about making a positive difference in the lives of the people. I consider that to be much larger, much more important [than baseball]."
Although he tailors his messages to specific audiences, Hearn often speaks about the importance of perseverance, taking risks, dealing with change and other topics.
"Everybody faces change and everybody faces challenges. You don't find out about yourself until you go through challenges," Hearn says.
He would know. Since being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1987, Hearn has faced more than his share of trials. The trials began in Kansas City, where Hearn played only a few games before enduring a career-ending shoulder injury.
"I thought that was about as tough as things could get in life. That's the perspective I had," he says.
The former New York Mets catcher wanted to be a role model. Little did Hearn know, his life after baseball would inspire many more than his on-field career.
The major leaguer turned motivational speaker brought a message of perseverance and making the best of situations to the UTM baseball team and supporters Saturday at the second annual First Pitch dinner and silent auction.
"I think maybe the jist of his message was about perseverance. You get knocked down a lot of times and you have to keep swinging. I think he's a reflection of that, too," baseball coach Bubba Cates said.
Hearn, a rookie when the Mets won the 1986 World Series, speaks to about 50 groups per year, with audiences ranging from doctors and nurses to garage door makers. While Hearn earns a living through his career, his mission is to impact others with stories of his experiences.
"That's how I like to connect to the audience is through stories. The greatest teachers in the history of the world have connected with people through stories," Hearn says.
"It's totally about making a positive difference in the lives of the people. I consider that to be much larger, much more important [than baseball]."
Although he tailors his messages to specific audiences, Hearn often speaks about the importance of perseverance, taking risks, dealing with change and other topics.
"Everybody faces change and everybody faces challenges. You don't find out about yourself until you go through challenges," Hearn says.
He would know. Since being traded to the Kansas City Royals in 1987, Hearn has faced more than his share of trials. The trials began in Kansas City, where Hearn played only a few games before enduring a career-ending shoulder injury.
"I thought that was about as tough as things could get in life. That's the perspective I had," he says.
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