Ed Hearn

From The Met Wiki

Ed Hearn was a catcher for the Mets in 1986. He batted .265 with 4 home runs and 10 runs batted in during the team's World Championship season. Hearn played in 49 games for the '86 Mets.

Hearn was called up from the minors during the '86 season. He got a single and a double in his first two major league at-bats on May 17 at Los Angeles. In the second game of a doubleheader on June 15, Ed hit a three-run homer in an 8-5 Mets win over the Pirates at Shea Stadium. He homered in the Mets' 6-5 victory over the Astros in 10 innings at Shea on July 3. Hearn also singled three times in a 7-5 Mets win at Los Angeles on August 20.

On March 27, 1987, Hearn was traded with Rick Anderson and Mauro Gozzo to the Royals for David Cone and Chris Jelic. Plagued by a shoulder injury, Ed was limited to 13 games over two seasons with the Kansas City team. He never played in the major leagues again.

Soon after the sudden end of his baseball career, Ed suffered through numerous health problems. He was treated for cancer twice, had three kidney transplants and needed mechanical assistance for his breathing. Hearn survived these hardships and wrote about his experiences in Conquering Life's Curves: Baseball, Battles and Beyond. He became a motivational speaker whose messages have been inspirations to many people. In 2001, Ed became the first professional athlete ever to be given the presigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation - the highest honor in professional speaking.