Hall of Fame Hot Tub
By Shawn Devenish
It isn’t every day that a person you play ball with and consider a friend gets inducted into a Hall of Fame. Well, I have that great opportunity right now.
On Sunday July 25th, 2021, my fellow Renegade Rob “Hot Tub” Thayer was enshrined in the Brockton Athletics Hall of Fame. He joins athletes like Marvin Hagler and Rocky Marciano. When I asked Rob about being inducted he said, “It was an absolute honor to be in the Hall of Fame.” He expressed his undying gratitude to those who inducted and thanked all of those who came to support him.
Rob, who was told at one point by a doctor that he would never play a team sport due to vision loss, has been a Renegade fixture since 2011. He can be seen at almost every practice regardless of the weather, or the great distance he has to travel just to get to practice. Hot Tub, as he is known to all Renegades, not only is at every practice, but he gives 100% effort in everything he does.
What sets Rob apart from most others, is his selflessness. Off the field, he can always be
counted on to jump into anything to help the team. Rob is happy to assist any organizational tasks or contribute to all fundraising events. Couple all of that with his tremendous attitude and always has a joke to lift the team’s spirit when it is called for.
counted on to jump into anything to help the team. Rob is happy to assist any organizational tasks or contribute to all fundraising events. Couple all of that with his tremendous attitude and always has a joke to lift the team’s spirit when it is called for. On the field, Hot Tub is the epitome of a great teammate. If you have success, he is happier for you then you are for yourself. After scoring a run, Hot Tub is always the first to greet you with one of his legendary bear hugs. He is always sure to ask anyone who is on the bench if they need anything after a long run. He is quick to offer water or a Gatorade to his teammates.
Rob’s caringness for his teammates is unparalleled. I know this from experience. When I got sick in Rochester, NY during a tournament, Rob called me the day after just to make sure I was ok. Another time, he came up to where I live just to help me out with a project I was doing. Needless to say, it really meant a lot to me that he would do these things.
Rob Thayer – Off the Field
Rob’s greatness doesn’t stop when it comes to Beepball. He is also a pinnacle in the Brockton
community. Rob served as the President of the Brockton Lions club for 3 years before stepping down. He is now the zone chair for the Lions in southern Massachusetts. Rob is always at all kinds of Lions events and is always happy to help charitable causes. As a matter of fact, he is participating in a skydiving event on August 4th, to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. That’s wild. Hot Tub will literally jump out of a plane to help people.
community. Rob served as the President of the Brockton Lions club for 3 years before stepping down. He is now the zone chair for the Lions in southern Massachusetts. Rob is always at all kinds of Lions events and is always happy to help charitable causes. As a matter of fact, he is participating in a skydiving event on August 4th, to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation. That’s wild. Hot Tub will literally jump out of a plane to help people. All of his other teammates and friends would echo these sentiments. He has helped so many people and has no plans to stop. As a matter of fact, when I spoke to him about his own induction, he eventually turned the conversation to how we can help the team with a logistical situation.
I wish everyone had an opportunity to meet someone as kind and caring as Hot Tub. Every team should have a teammate like Rob. His dedication and devotion to the Renegades is what makes him a tremendous person and a more than deserving member of the Brockton Athletics Hall of Fame.
See Rob Thayer in The Enterprise here: https://www.enterprisenews.com/picture-gallery/sports/2021/07/27/brockton-athletic-hall-of-fame-class-2021-inductees-induction-ceremony-sidelines/5374151001/
Watch Rob Thayer get inducted with front row seat from the ceremony in Brockton: