Saluting my friend Dan Hanrahan

To say he was low key would be accurate.

To say he was kind would be appropriate.

To say he was good at his job would be affirmative.

Dan Hanrahan passed away Sunday in Texas.

Dan was just 56.

Who was Dan Hanrahan?

The Texas native arrived in the New Orleans area in 1996, along with Jay Miller.

Jay was hired by Rob Couhig as general manager of the New Orleans Zephyrs.

It was a critical hire.

The Zephyrs were in the final year, their fourth year overall, playing at Privateer Park on the University of New Orleans campus.

The team was set to transition to a new ballpark in Metairie in 1997 which became Zephyr Field.

With the transition came a new affiliation with the Houston Astros.

The parlay turned out to be a huge win for our community.

The Astros were a good team and organization and the closest Major League franchise to the New Orleans area.

There was clear loyalty to the Astros here.

The new ballpark was a huge plus.

While the parlay of the new ballpark and the Astros affiliation were a huge success, the parlay of Miller and Hanrahan were equally as important to the success of the franchise.

Under the majority ownership of Couhig and his partners and under the leadership of Miller and Hanrahan, the Zephyrs became a model franchise.

In 1997, the Zephyrs posted a winning record at 74-70 and made the playoffs under Matt Galante.

The team drew 507,164 fans to the new stadium, one of the best totals in minor league baseball, averaging 7,143 fans per game over 71 home dates.

To put it in perspective, there were 177 minor league baseball teams competing that year.

The Zephyrs were seventh in minor league baseball in attendance that year.

Then came the 1998 season.

Miller would depart to go to work for Nolan Ryan to run the Round Rock (Texas) Express franchise. Miller, who was and remains superb at his job, now running the Wichita Wind Surge, left huge shoes to fill.

Ironically, the Wind Surge are the franchise that was previously the New Orleans Zephyrs, who toward the end of their 27-year run here, had the ridiculous, regrettable name “Baby Cakes.”

Hanrahan stepped into the void for Miller.

The success continued.

In 1998, the Zephyrs drew 519,584 fans, averaging 7,530 fans per game over 69 home dates, placing fifth in minor league baseball among 180 minor league teams that season.

On the field, the Zephyrs, under the direction of John Tamargo, won the Pacific Coast League East Division in the first year of the expanded league, which married the PCL to the old American Association as the league featured 16 teams.

In the playoffs, the Zephyrs extracted revenge against Iowa, defeating the Cubs two games to one.

Then, New Orleans downed Calgary three games to two to win the league championship.

Couhig played a huge role in creating the Triple A World Series.

It had been played once previously, in 1983.

The revival featured the winner of the Pacific Coast League taking on the winner of the International League, the Buffalo Bisons.

The Zephyrs went to Las Vegas and won the World Series three games to one.

It was an amazing experience and the high-water mark for the franchise.

Hanrahan was the general manager. He played a huge role in the continued success began under Miller.

The success on the field dissipated in 1999 as New Orleans fielded an awful 55-85 team and still drew 472,665 fans.

Still, the season was memorable as I celebrated doing my 1,000^th Zephyrs broadcast. Hanrahan made it special, deciding to recognize me before the game with a tribute from the public address announcer, mention on the scoreboard, pictures, roses from my wife, and allowing me to throw out the first pitch, which Lance Berkman caught.

New Orleans was more competitive in 2000 but still had a losing record of 68-74 and drew 443,526 fans.

It would be my last year with the franchise.

I had been blessed to serve as the team’s play-by-play voice on radio for the first eight seasons and for several of those on television as well.

Working with Jay Cicero, Jay Miller and Dan Hanrahan was one of the blessings of my professional career.

Cicero went on to tremendous success, serving as President/CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, where he continues to serve in outstanding fashion.

Miller continued in minor league baseball and continues to be a tremendous success.

Hanrahan continued for one more season with the Zephyrs, in 2001, when New Orleans went 82-57 and won the PCL Eastern Division and shared the league title after the championship series was canceled due to the 9/11 attacks.

During Hanrahan’s tenure with the Zephyrs, New Orleans hosted a very successful Triple A All-Star Game in 1999 and an incredibly successful, memorable NCAA baseball super regional series between Tulane and LSU in 2001.

For the first time since moving to Metairie, the attendance fell under 400,000, to a total of 385,447, over 65 dates, in 2001. Had all home games been played as some were rained out, that figure would have eclipsed 400,000.

Clearly, the shine of the new stadium and affiliation had worn off a bit but the franchise was still solid.

So was Hanrahan.

As is the case in many businesses, new majority ownership resulted in a change of general managers.

Couhig and his partners had sold their interest in the team to Don Beaver, who opted to hire a new general manager.

After serving six excellent seasons with the Zephyrs, Hanrahan was gone.

He has not been forgotten.

Hanrahan remained in town for three years, serving as the general manager at Lakewood Country Club.

Hanrahan came to New Orleans from the Texas Rangers, where he served from 1990-96 as a season ticket coordinator for the team.

Most recently, Hanrahan served as director of authentics for the Rangers.

Appropriately, Hanrahan finished his career where he started.

In 2001, I notified Hanrahan and Zephyrs management that I was resigning my cherished position as play-by-play voice of the team to accept an executive position in athletics at the University of New Orleans.

It was the most difficult move I ever made in my professional career.

I loved my time with the Zephyrs and with the people I worked with, from Cicero to Miller, along with many others, including Scott Sidwell, Galante, Chris Bando, Jim Hickey, Heather Menendez, Dawn Mentel, Rene Nadeau, Les East, J.L. Vangilder, Ron Swoboda, Aaron Lombard, Brian McGuinness, Jamie Howard, Walter Leger and many, many more.

That included Hanrahan.

I notified management at dinner while at spring training in Kissimmee, Florida, where I was to cover the Astros and would-be Zephyrs.

Hanrahan and team manager Tony Pena, along with Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker were there. All were disappointed but supportive.

The following week, I made a trip to Zephyr Field and ventured into Hanrahan’s office.

I told him how much I appreciated him and how difficult it was for me to make the move.

Suffice it to say that we both got emotional and it was genuine.

I was leaving behind a job I loved and leaving behind many friends whom I had worked with.

That included Hanrahan.

In 2021, my wife, Denise and I made a trip to Arlington to see a Rangers game.

I called Hanrahan.

He was kind enough to get us two tickets to the game.

We had a chance to visit on the concourse before the game.

Dan was a bit frail.

Dan was as amiable, as kind as he had ever been.

I updated him on many of those he had worked with while with the Zephyrs.

I also had the chance to let him know how much I appreciated him and how much I enjoyed working with him.

The feeling was mutual.

The experiences were heartfelt.

It is a true shame that out-of-town ownership, a lack of effective marketing, poor Major League affiliations and the emergence and presence of the NBA, along with other factors, pushed the franchise out of the marketplace.

I remain a firm believer that minor league baseball was good for the community, providing jobs and an economic boost with up to 70 playing dates a year. I remain a believer that it could work again here again, with proper local ownership.

Of course, that ship has sailed.

Denise and I discussed going back to Arlington to see another Rangers game and to see Dan. We never got that opportunity. Dan was still working for the franchise he loved as the Rangers experienced a renaissance this season and have made the playoffs.

The ship of Dan Hanrahan on this earth has sailed and landed at its port in eternity, his human existence ending a bit prematurely, just as his professional existence here in baseball did.

Dan was kind to me throughout his time here.

Dan was kind to Denise.

He was kind to our children, Sabrina and Travis, who spent many days at the ballpark.

He was simply kind.

I will miss my friend.

Our deepest sympathies, prayers and condolences go out to Julie, JT, Jackson and the entire Hanrahan family.