(Editor’s note: Jeff Tageant was head baseball coach at Franklinton High School for 35 years, retiring after the 2023 season.)
I first met Joe Jaeger in the summer of 2008. I had heard of the beautiful rooms he had created at the old glass place and that he owned the old Hayes Farm north of Franklinton.
Earlier in 2008 he purchased the old Rutter Rex building at the end of my street and was hosting a neighborhood meeting at the 1010 Club on Bene Street to introduce himself to Babington Subdivision residents and explain his plans for the property. As soon as we sat down my wife whispered that the 1010 Club would be a great place to host the Field of Dreams Fundraiser that we began in 2006 to raise money for the new baseball field on the FHS campus.
Joe and his lawyer were both at the neighborhood meeting. He explained that he did not have "regular" hobbies like hunting, fishing, or sports but instead collected things like memorabilia, cars and since first coming to Franklinton, real estate. He noted that the Rutter building was blighted, and he thought someone should purchase it so that its ruin wasn't the first thing people saw when they came into town on Hwy. 25. After some questioning by neighbors who had heard rumors of a truck stop and other plans, he assured us that he just wanted to improve the town.
At that time, I was battling kidney cancer. Joe's son had similar issues and so he took a liking to me. After the meeting his lawyer gave us his card and wanted to hear more about the baseball fundraiser. Long story short, Joe invested more than simply money in Demon Baseball. He invested in the program by allowing us to have ten Field of Dreams events at his venue at no cost. He and his wife Becky also sourced items for us to auction ranging from nights at their hotels in New Orleans to Saints and Pelicans tickets and game-used collectibles and tickets to Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World.
Joe's generosity didn't stop there. He purchased some barbecue chicken dinners from the baseball team and was so impressed when he picked them up that the players and their parents were there that morning doing all of the work. Around that time he began to talk to me about my plans for the new field. Joe Jaeger's vision was far bigger than mine. Instead of helping fund a locker room, he took the reigns and personally oversaw the building of a "clubhouse" for the team. He used his own crews and craftsmen, and FHS Demon Baseball is now housed in one of the premier facilities in the state.
But Joe wasn't done. He then proposed that we park cars during the Washington Parish Fair in the old Rutter Rex space to help finance the program's costs, such as travel, uniforms, and officials. Once again, he had the bigger vision of what we could accomplish. He set our goal for the first year, and he and Ms. Becky believed in us. I am pleased they were not wrong. Thanks to Joe and Becky Jaeger, Demon Baseball is an exemplary program and known throughout the state as having a first-class facility.
Through the years I have thoroughly enjoyed the relationship my family and I have had with the Jaegers that has gone far beyond finances. We have been invited to events and been guests at their home at "the Farm." Joe was a blessing to not only me and the baseball program and each player he touched, but also to Franklinton as well. Another great example is his allowing the Franklinton Community Theater to use his building for numerous productions. His generosity and love for this community will be part of his legacy.
The Tageants are very saddened by Joe’s passing and we are praying for Ms. Becky, his children, and grandchildren.
Farewell to one of the best. He was a man I am proud to call my friend.
