If you ask John Hart what he loves most about his job as executive vice president and general manager of the Cleveland Indians, his answer may surprise you.
“Baseball is one of those rare professions that can mobilize people,” he says. “Baseball is sort of like life. We make connections. And at the end of the day … it’s about players and families and what can be established to make the community a better place.”
So it should come as no surprise that hundreds of people showed up at Southpark Mall in late December to connect with Tribe All Star first baseman Jim Thome and trade him children’s toys for autographs. Thome has made it an annual tradition to dress up as Santa Claus and pass out toys to children at local agencies across Northeast Ohio.
“He came to us three years ago and said he wanted to do this,” explains Angela Brdar, coordinator of public relations for the Cleveland Indians. “Jim said he wanted to give back to the community that supports him as a member of the Indians.”
So Thome, clad as Santa and accompanied by an entourage of elves and Mrs. Claus (his wife, Andrea), distributed gifts to children at the Achievement Centers for Children and Christian Family Outreach one week before Christmas. He also joined Indians pitcher Steve Karsay, dressed like a giant elf, for a larger present exchange at the Cleveland Clinic.
Actions like this, says Hart, exemplify the Indians’ commitment to community service. Getting involved is more than blindly throwing money at causes. The Indians, honored in December with a Pillar Award for Community Service, instill a sense of commitment within every member of their organization and try to put faces with their donations.
“There’s a great joy we can provide,” Hart said recently at a fund-raiser for ACC, which works with physically and mentally handicapped children. “It ties in with the ability for these youngsters to have opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t get if it wasn’t for organizations that work in the community. There’s no better sight in the world than the bright eyes of a child.”
That’s exactly why Thome says he’s gotten involved in the annual Santa tradition.
“I’ve done this for years in my hometown of Peoria (Illinois) and devoted a lot of time to it,” he says. “I felt I hadn’t done a lot in Cleveland for the fans, who have done a lot for me. I could have just given a lot of money and bought a lot of presents for large groups and dropped them off, but I’d rather go to small groups and meet everyone one on one.”
It’s what Thome did at ACC. The gentle giant met with 12 children and their families, spending as much time with the children as they wanted — and needed. They, in turn, were elated to have one of the Indians’ most visible faces drop by. It was a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by ACC’s management.
“I watched his face,” says Patricia Nobili, ACC director. “It was filled with care and concern for each child he met. He gave each of them the time they wanted to meet their idol. Jim Thome is just a good person.”
Thome says what he does each year is just one more way for the players to connect with members of the community who support the team.
“It’s a chance for them to meet me, and for me to meet them,” he says. “I like to bring the kids up here one at a time, help them open the presents and enjoy the joy this holiday brings. For me, it’s part of being a role model.”
Hart agrees, and says Thome’s belief spreads organizationwide.
“The Indians go for the type of players who get involved in the community,” he says. “They have a passion for people as well as for baseball. We want our players to be role models, and to do that, they have to be socially responsible as well.”
Thome says he plans to continue his involvement with the community, even if he rolls up in his Hummer instead of a traditional Santa sleigh.
“Baseball is secondary to life,” he says. “Any professional athlete should devote a little bit of time back to the community. It makes a world of difference.”
How to reach: Cleveland Indians Baseball Co., (216) 420-4200
Dustin Klein ([email protected]) is editor of SBN.
