Michael Baer’s career night amid tragedy exemplifies closeness of Siena family

Michael Baer has rallied Siena this past week with his performance in the face of tragedy, coping with passing of not only his father, but honorary teammate Evan Franz as well. (Photo by Eddie Quinn/Siena College Athletics)

ALBANY, N.Y. — Michael Baer arrived at Siena this summer as a graduate transfer, a former manager and walk-on at Iowa, where his brother, Nicholas, had played before him. It was this experience with the Hawkeyes that had loosely connected him to Loudonville, after all, Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery remains revered in the Capital Region for guiding the Saints to three consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships from 2008 to 2010.

A role player for most of the season as Siena has relied upon Javian McCollum and Jackson Stormo as the centerpieces of its offense, Baer added to his own legacy in upstate New York this past week with a defensive masterpiece in a losing effort to Fairfield before recording 18 points and 12 rebounds in a nationally televised upset of Iona Friday, all the while playing with a heavy heart due to the passing of not only his father last week, but also honorary Siena teammate Evan Franz the following day in a double dose of tragedy no man should have to bear.

“It’s been hard,” Baer said of coping with the losses. “I don’t think it’s really set in yet that my father’s not here anymore, I think that’ll set in at his funeral and visitation this weekend. But my teammates have really rallied around me and really helped me out. They’ve done anything they could for me, everyone wants to help.”

“Evan Franz meant a lot to us. He wouldn’t just come to games and break us down, he’d come to practice and he’d be there for three-hour practices, sit there (and) talk to us after. He meant a lot to us.”

Baer later said it was “not a question” he would play both last Sunday against Fairfield — mere hours after John Baer succumbed to bladder cancer — and Friday against Iona, a night on which Franz was honored in a pregame moment of silence after his death from brain cancer on Monday. Where Michael felt the tension in MVP Arena the first time he took the court after his father’s passing, it eased up Friday during a 20-2 run in the second half in which he and Andrew Platek shot the Saints out of a cannon to begin the second half and unleash an emotional tidal wave that carried them to victory.

“It was tough on Sunday,” Baer admitted. “I wanted to get that win against Fairfield (and) we weren’t able to do it, but it was a little weird. I felt like I could feel all the eyeballs on me, and I just wanted to come out (Friday) and do what I usually do, just play as hard as I can and do what I can to help the team win.”

“It’s not far-fetched to think there was some divine intervention. I think the crowd was just waiting for something to cheer about, something to let everybody loose. We just wanted to go make a play. We were playing for Evan, playing for my dad, playing for first place in the MAAC. It doesn’t get any bigger than that.”

Baer’s courage under pressure has not been lost on those closest to him, and the recent moments in the Siena program have yielded mutual growth. While Michael is grateful for his teammates’ presence as a welcome security blanket, his own grace in handling adversity has made everyone else in the locker room better for it as well.

“I can’t say enough good things about Mike,” said Platek. “He not only inspires me, but our entire team. For someone to go through what he’s going through, it’s just incredible how he comes into work every day with a smile on his face and a positive attitude. It’s absolutely mesmerizing to watch. And I learn so much from him…how to carry myself every day, how to carry loss and grief. The way he handles it with such maturity and positivity, he’s an incredible guy. I’m lucky to be friends with him.”

“I think it started with our trip to Italy, when I first heard Michael’s dad was sick,” head coach Carmen Maciariello said of the timeline of events surrounding Michael, his father, and John Baer’s situation. “The team had known about it, we had talked about it. These guys all knew what Michael was going through. So many teams use the word family and put it on the back of their shirt and stick it on the wall, and it doesn’t mean what it means here at Siena College. And for me, that’s the most inspiring and special thing, and the fact that I’m honored to be their coach.”

Michael Baer is back in his native Iowa today as he and his family prepare to lay John to rest, but before his magnum opus Friday against Iona, he revealed a source of strength that lifted him even higher moments before his breakthrough against Rick Pitino and the Gaels, an encounter with Franz’s father as Siena went through warmups.

“His dad came over during pregame warmups and kind of yelled out to me,” Baer recalled. “And I came over and gave him a big hug. That was real meaningful to me. Evan’s services are the same day as my dad’s services, so I’m not going to be able to be there. I really wish I could be there, but sharing that hug with him before the game meant a lot to me. I think we’re playing for Evan as well.”

The impact of Evan Franz and his role in inspiring Siena, as well as John Baer, who wanted to travel to Orlando while Siena was in the ESPN Events Invitational and did take part in the Saints’ victory celebration on January 6 after Siena defeated Saint Peter’s, further illustrates what many coaches frequently impart, that some things are just bigger than basketball. This past week has merely reaffirmed that.

“We all know we want to go out there and play for each other,” Baer reiterated. “That’s what family’s all about, not caring about yourself, caring about everyone as a collective unit. It’s definitely helped me not being able to be at home, but be here with my basketball family. I really appreciate all these guys.”