From the Wide World of Sports

If you know Jack, you know that he is a HUGE sports fan. As a result, having successfully completed the Postcards for Jack project, we've begun reaching out to people throughout the world of sports to see if they'd be willing to send Jack notes of encouragement as he fights leukemia and attempts to #JackUpCancer. If you have any connections with athletes, coaches, or other sports-related individuals that you think he might get a kick out of hearing from, please let them know about Jack. Thanks!

Here are some of the great responses Jack has already gotten. We can't say "THANK YOU!" enough to all of these wonderful folks:

Hall of Fame manager, Tony LaRussa not only sent Jack a really meaningful heart-felt note, he also added in a an autographed baseball card and an autographed Hall of Fame postcard. To receive such a thoughtful response from a Cardinals legend was an absolute thrill for Jack! Thanks from our whole family to one of the greatest managers in baseball history, and an even better person according to our scorecard!

Wes Unseld Jr. is the Lead Assistant Coach for the Denver Nuggets and a lifelong friend of my sister's husband. He really went above and beyond, not only sending Jack a note, but also sending him a care package including a ball autographed by the Nuggets and an assortment of hats and tee shirts to make sure Jack is outfitted to root for Mizzou alum Michael Porter Jr. and the squad this year. Thanks so much, Wes! Your friendship and kindness are truly appreciated!

Jack's dad played basketball back in the day at Webster Groves High School, averaging about two points AND two rebounds per game. I know, impressive, huh? Drew Hanlen also played at Webster Groves, but was more than a little bit better. He was an all-state player and led his team to a state championship. He went on to play college ball at Belmont, where he was a starter on an NCAA tournament squad. 

Where Drew has really made his mark though was in starting Pure Sweat, his own basketball training company. He works out the elite of the elite as a skill trainer for some of the top players in the NBA, including Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, and many others. He reached out to Jack, encouraging him and inviting him to drop in on one of his pro workouts if he ever gets out to Los Angeles. Thanks, Drew! And keep being the best at what you do!

We are a Mizzou family. As such, we don't really have a dog in the whole Maize & Blue/Green & White thing up here in Michigan. That said, our appreciation for Michigan Wolverine basketball took a giant step forward when Michigan head coach John Beilein not only sent Jack a signed photo and a nice note, but actually called Jack and left an amazingly thoughtful minute long message on his voice mail. We're still clad in the Black & Gold of Ol' Mizzou, but when the Tigers aren't involved, we'll gladly yell, "Go Blue!" Thanks a million, Coach Beilein!

Charlie Blyth may not be as famous as some other folks from the world of sports to reach out to Jack, but he was one of the first. Blyth played minor league hockey with the UHL's Missouri River Otters from 1999-2005 (with the exception of one year with the Tacoma Seacats of the WCHL). As it turns out, before that, he played for four years at my father's alma mater, Amherst College. For many years he has been involved with Hockey Ministries International, and he reached out to Jack sending him a real nice note and a hockey card from his playing days. Thanks, Charlie. And nice to make your acquaintance!

Picture from August, 2017 visit to Washington University

Mark Edwards has been a friend of my family for nearly four decades, and is one of the nicest folks you'll ever meet. What he's best known for though is his stellar 37-year career as head coach of the Washington University men's basketball team. Coach Edwards led the Bears to 685 victories, 15 UAA titles, and a pair of national championships before retiring this spring. His note to Jack was extremely encouraging as he brought a perspective that only a coach can. Thanks so much, Coach Edwards!

My good friend and high school basketball teammate, Nathanael Magre (a.k.a., "The Vendor") now lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas. He reached out to Dave Van Horn (who managed the Arkansas Razorbacks to the championship game of this year's College World Series) and sent Jack an autographed ball and some shirts! Thanks, Vendor!

Ted Kluck is quite the renaissance man. He currently serves as an assistant professor of Communication Arts at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee. Prior to that though, he has been a football player both in college and in arena leagues, and he coached (American) football in France as well as at the high school level stateside. In addition to that, he has trained as a professional wrestler, and once had a boxing ring in his basement. Ted has written for ESPN the Magazine, USA Today & ESPN.com, and also wrote a screenplay currently being made into a movie about an ex-USFL quarterback living as a squatter in the Silverdome before it was demolished. Ted has also authored nearly 20 books, on topics ranging from Mike Tyson to international adoption. Best of all though, Ted is a real good guy, and my favorite thing that he has written was the truly encouraging letter he sent to Jack. Thanks, Ted!
 

Cam Hilton is a graduate of one of my alma maters and currently attends another. Like me (actually, much better than me!), he played basketball at Webster Groves High School. Where he really made a name for himself though was on the gridiron as a wide receiver and defensive back on the school's football team, where his All-Metro and All-State performances earned him a scholarship to the University of Missouri.


It's been a blast following Cam throughout his career, both in high school and now in college. He has received considerable playing time all four seasons at Mizzou, and is a starter at strong safety this year. Just the other day, he started off his senior year by making a number of nice plays in the Tigers' opener, including picking up a fumble recovery.

Of all his plays though, my favorite one was when he got a bunch of guys from the team to sign a football (pictured here from various angles) and sent it to Jack! Thanks a ton, Cam, for truly going above and beyond! And best of luck the rest of the way this season! Fight, Tiger! MIZ!

In a year that has certainly had its sour notes, one of the highlights for our family in 2018 was the trip to New York we took over spring break.  The first stop on our trip was the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Not surprisingly, Jack and Pete especially liked that stop!

Jack was already looking forward to a return trip some day, but is even more so now, having received a nice gift pack and letter from Jeff Idelson, President of the Hall. He offered some very kind words and said to let him know if we get back to Cooperstown, because he'd love to greet Jack in person. Thanks so much, Mr. Idelsen.

Mike Smith is one of the official scorers at Busch Stadium, and is a friend of out family. He helped set up a fantastic surprise for us when the Cardinals visited Detroit. Mike arranged for Jack to meet Cardinals manager Mike Schildt and pitcher Adam Wainwright. Both were incredibly kind to Jack, showing genuine concern for his well-being as they interacted with him. The time spent with them was cool enough, but Wainwright also signed a ball and a card, and Schildt gave Jack some really sharp shirts! Thanks so much to everyone involved!

While at the Cards/Tigers game, we also got to chat with Cardinals broadcaster (and former pitcher) Rick Horton. We reached out to him, and he graciously agreed to hook up with Jack and Pete before the game. Rick is  a great guy and we had a real nice conversation with him, in addition to him signing a card for Jack. Thanks, Rick!

Just a few days after being present as the 1968 Detroit Tigers were honored in their 50th anniversary season, Jack received a get well note from the organization, signed by Willie Horton, a star of the 1968 team and one of the most popular Tigers ever.

Thanks so much to the Tigers and to Willie!

Normally when kids go off to college, their parents might send them a care package at school. In a strange, fun twist, Jack (who was supposed to have attended Miami University this fall) got an amazing care package from the school! Darrell Hallberg, who is an Assistant Athletic Director at Miami.

Darrell sent Jack a real nice note, a cool Miami football medallion and some awesome Miami football shirts.  Now Jack will definitely be outfitted well as he prepares to head to Miami in the fall of 2019!







Plus, Jack got a really nice note from Miami's baseball coach, Danny Hayden:

Jack recently got a neat gift from his girlfriend's parents. Unbeknownst to us before that time, her father went to the same high school as Hall of Fame pitcher, John Smoltz. Beyond that, their mothers are longtime friends, and he arranged for Smoltz to sign a ball and a couple cards for Jack, and gave him a copy of Smoltz's autobiography. It was a pretty fantastic gift as Smoltz even inscribed a personal message to Jack on the ball:

To Jack
Keep fighting
God Bless
John Smoltz
HOF 15

Some signed photos...

A whole bunch of signed Hall of Fame post cards...

Some signed baseball cards as well...