Hayes has taken road less traveled since MLB days

Former Phillies outfielder Von Hayes played his college baseball at St. Mary’s in his home state of California. Drafted by Cleveland in the 7th round of the 1979 MLB Draft, Hayes did not sign immediately. Instead, he returned for a second season to the little town of Clarinda, nestled in the cornfields of Iowa.

• Phillies Alumni

Clarinda had a top-notch summer collegiate league program. A team so good that Hayes had been cut from the squad the previous season. Nobody could have predicted that Clarinda would make such an impression on Hayes, and that he would one day come to call it home. Hayes had such a good summer there that he was invited to be part of a USA all-star team that played a series in Japan. His play was superb, and when he returned, he led the Clarinda team to the once prominent National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, KS. At the series, he slammed a then-record seven home runs in seven games.

Cleveland farm director Bob Quinn watched Hayes go 9-for-10 in a three-game series, slugging three home runs. After that, Cleveland would not be denied. It wanted its man. He signed too late to play in 1979, and when '80 rolled around, he was invited to big league Spring Training camp. Those invitations were almost never given to seventh-round picks, but the club made an exception.

“My Dad was a good agent” Hayes said.

A couple of injuries to regular players got Von some extra playing time, and he played well enough to be on the club’s radar. He was sent to Waterloo, Iowa of the Midwest League where he spent the summer, and his team won the league championship.

Hayes was again invited to big league camp in 1981. This time, he made Cleveland's Opening Day roster, an almost unheard-of jump from Class A ball to the big leagues in just one year!

Cleveland, wanting him to continue to get vital playing time, sent him to the Minors just prior to the strike that year. He remained in Cleveland in 1982, and that winter was involved in the famous five-for-one deal with the Phillies. What made that deal even more unique is that all five of the players who were dealt to Cleveland reached the Major Leagues. Hayes was a youngster on the Phillies' 1983 “Wheeze Kids” club that won the NL pennant before losing to the Orioles in the World Series.

A couple of years later, on June 11, 1985, he became the first MLB player to hit two home runs in the first inning during a 26-7 drubbing of the Mets.

June 8, 1989, brought another crazy game. This time against Pittsburgh at Veterans Stadium. The Pirates erupted for 10 runs in the top of the first inning, which prompted Pirates broadcaster and former Major League pitcher Jim Rooker to proclaim, “If we lose this game, I will walk back to Pittsburgh”.

Well, the Buccos lost, aided by two home runs by Von Hayes and Steve Jeltz! True to his word, Rooker did indeed walk the 327-mile trek from Philly back to the Steel City for charity following the season.

Hayes continued to be a regular in the Phillies' lineup during the lean years of the mid-eighties and early nineties. He’s one of only five players in Phillies history who started regularly at three different positions: right field (1983-84, 1989-90), center field (1985) and first base (1986-88). He was selected to the NL All-Star team in 1989.

Late in the 1991 season, Hayes was hit on the wrist by Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds. After that, his wrist never completely healed.

In the following off season, Hayes was traded to the California Angels for pitcher Kyle Abbott and outfielder Ruben Amaro Jr. While Abbott never really had success, the trade brought hometown boy Amaro Jr. to a team that he followed as a kid when his father was a player and later a coach. Ruben Jr. also had served as a bat boy. Amaro’s run with the Phillies lasted long past his playing days and has included stints as assistant GM, general manager and currently as a broadcaster on the club’s television network.

Hayes’ run in Anaheim was short-lived, as he never fully recovered from the wrist injury. The Angels released him in late August, and he never played again.

A few years later, Von took up managing. His run from 2003-2017 included numerous stops in the Minor Leagues, independent baseball and three stints in Mexico.

Following that, Clarinda came back to the picture -- a town of about 5,000, where many former big leaguers had once played in the old Jayhawk League. A few years prior, Hayes had purchased some land just outside of Clarinda to hunt and fish in the off-season. A place “completely off the grid” as he called it. He found himself returning more frequently. First, he put a mobile home on his property and later decided to move there full-time and built a house. Von even served as a helper on the construction of the home.

“I just found the people of this place to be so welcoming that I decided to call it home," said Hayes.

A person can only hunt and fish so much, so four years ago Hayes decided to pursue another interest ... truck driving.

“When I was a kid, my father used to sell advertising in a truck magazine, called 'My Little Salesman.' I used to ride along with him sometimes when he would go photograph the heavy equipment to be advertised in the magazine. I was always fascinated by the semi-trucks," sad Hayes.

He learned to drive a truck and found a job working as an over-the-road, long haul truck driver. Certainly, a long way from a life as a Major League ballplayer!

These days, Von and his dog Max, a black lab, can be found driving on the highways across the United States in their 53-foot reefer tractor trailer.

"Max and I love it," he said. "We sleep, eat, and watch TV all in the cab of the truck. If we see a lake or a stream that looks inviting, I’ll buy a license quickly online and throw a line in the water”.

It’s been fun catching up with No. 9, former Phillies outfielder Von Hayes. As the truckers say, “catch you on the flip flop!”

(Frank Coppenbarger spent 50 years in baseball, including the 30-plus with the Phillies, first as equipment manager then director of travel and clubhouse services. He retired in 2019 and currently is coaching high school baseball in Ocean City, NJ, where he resides).