Juan Namnun knew something was up.
It’s not unusual for former players to show up at Frankford High School for a baseball game. But it is unusual to have the stands packed with former Pioneers.
It’s not crazy for Namnun’s mentor Bob Peffle to turn out to see his Pioneers, but he usually comes when the stakes are higher in the postseason.
And it’s not unusual for many of Namnun’s friends in the school where he teaches to check out a game, but it’s not usually all of those teachers there for the same game.
There was one great reason all of Namnun’s friends and family were in the house for Frankford’s win over Fels.
That reason was Juan Namnun.
Namnun, a 1995 graduate of the high school who has spent the past 26 years on the bench – including the last 18 as head coach – had his number retired after Frankford’s win over Fels.
Namnun’s No. 24 will now hang up on the fence alongside Bobby Higginson’s No. 8 and Bob Peffle’s No. 6.
Not bad company to be in.
And while Namnun certainly wouldn’t mind having his name come up in the same conversation with Higginsion, who played in the MLB, the one that’s really special is sharing a banner with Peffle.
Namnun’s journey to his dream job, where he has helped Frankford win 13 championships in the past 26 years, started off with a phone call.
Namnun’s college career was winding down.
He knew he wanted to teach, he knew he wanted to coach, and he knew there was a man at Frankford who could be a great mentor.
It was Namnun’s first great coaching decision.
He stepped right in and learned from the best. He was a sponge, but he wasn’t second fiddle for long.
After a few seasons together, Peffle and Namnun became the dynamic duo. Namnun was making key decisions and together they grew Frankford into a Public League powerhouse and a team that was respected for how they play, and just as important, how they acted off the field.
When Peffle retired, he handed the keys of his program to Namnun, and he couldn’t have been prouder of his protege.
When Namnun spoke following the surprise ceremony, he was very emotional. The voice cracked a little more when he talked about his relationship with Peffle.
Peffle may have set Namnun up, but once the team became his, he took over right where Peffle left off.
And we’re not just talking about championships.
Like Peffle was for him, Namnun became coach, parent, guardian and fatherfigure to every player he has coached.
Whether he was, along with Peffle, keeping his team and alumni together after the untimely death of his very popular player Edwin “Tito” Rohena in 2013 or helping his team get out of Florida in 2020 when the world shut down due to COVID Namnun puts his players first in every situation. He’s formed the same relationship he had with Peffle with all of his charges, and whenever they need something, he’s there.
It goes both ways, too.
When Namnun was diagnosed with male breast cancer, a very rare form of cancer, he was in for the fight of his life.
Luckily, he didn’t fight alone. He had hundreds of Pioneers standing behind him. There were some rough days. There were some days where he didn’t have the energy to fight. He didn’t have to look far for support.
And while the support came from Frankford friends and players, his biggest supporter was a Frankford girl he met freshman year.
Namnun and his wife Lena met when they were in ninth grade together. Together, they have formed one of the greatest husband-wife combos at Frankford, where she also teaches.
When Namnun was sick, Lena was his biggest supporter, although his boys Jarred, Derek and Jake were huge helpers, too.
Lena handled MC duties at the ceremony, and it was evident that she was extremely proud of her husband.
The feeling is mutual.
Namnun isn’t much of a bragger unless he’s talking about his wife. He probably can’t tell you how many wins he has, but he’ll quickly tell you his record as a baseball coach can’t touch her skills as a history teacher and mentor.
He’s a family man first, and he can safely say that because that’s how he treats Frankford, his other great love.
Purely off numbers, Namnun’s number deserves to be retired because of what he’s done for the Frankford baseball program as a coach.
But he had so many people at his ceremony because of the person he is as a player, teacher, coach, father, son and husband. And that’s an even better reason to have that name hanging above the backstop.
The No. 24 will never be worn again, and even better, the number will still be at every Frankford game for the foreseeable future.
Namnun’s record makes him look much older than he is. He’s still shy of 50, and he’s got a lot of coaching left to do.
It’s probably good they did it this year, though.
Frankford’s baseball field is big, but might not be big enough to hold all his boys if they did it in another 10 or 20 years.
