Great friends of my family (who I call my Aunt and Uncle), my Aunt Sue’s mother dated Hank. Hank caught the game winning touchdown pass in the 1938 NFL Championship game for the New York Giants. After his football career, Hank served as the head coach of the Basketball Association of America’s (The pre-cursor to the NBA) Providence (RI) Steamrollers. He then went on to be an MLB umpire for 25+ years! He was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame as an umpire. In our visit to Cooperstown in 1995, the Hall of fame provided this photocopy that Hank later signed. The following year he served as “honorary umpire” for a reunion of the 1946 Yankees and Red Sox, held on Cape Cod (MA)…I was lucky enough to have met him, but I also feel not too many people know his story, but I definitely think they should. There likely will never be anyone else like him in the future of professional sports. ❤👍🏼. RIP Hank! You made the smallest state in the United States proud!!!
