By JD Heilmann
PBR Ohio Director of Scouting

As you roll up to 4101 Founders Boulevard in Batavia, Ohio, you are greeted by several corporate office buildings.

But, tucked beyond those buildings is a place that many call home, the Midland Baseball complex.

And, this week, that home lost it’s patriarch, “Papa Joe” Hayden.

It all started in 1958 when Papa Joe went with his wife, Lois, to see two of his sons playing for a winless Little League team. Upon being notified that their coach was being transferred to a job in St. Louis, he took the reigns and one could argue, since that time, the amateur baseball world was never the same.

Over the years, he created one of the most recognized and successful amateur baseball teams in the United States, the Midland Redskins.

13 Connie Mack National Championships.

65 players and counting that have played Major League Baseball.

Ken Griffey, Jr, Barry Larkin, Mike Matheny, Eric Hosmer, Mark Mulder, and more have sported the Midland name across their chest.

However, to simply list accomplishments and notable alumni would be a disservice to Papa Joe’s legacy.

See, before I started coaching at Xavier and Cincinnati, I coached for Midland, and I witnessed, first-hand, the impact that Papa Joe had on his players.

His generosity and love were unmatched.

And, while winning was important to Papa Joe, his greater passion was teaching young men about life through this wonderful game.

Every player and coach became a part of his extended family, and it didn’t matter if you went on to play in the Big Leagues or simply became a local insurance salesman, he treated you the same.

Because at the end of the day, Papa Joe was rooted in his family.

If he taught me anything, it was always to put family first.

So, as we celebrate his life and contribution to baseball, may his legacy, much like his cigars, never burn out.

Thank you, Papa Joe.