CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You're Jack Hannahan and you're not supposed to be here.

Not at third base when the Indians opened their six-game homestand at Progressive Field against Kansas City on Tuesday night.

Forget that, you're in Wahoo red, white in blue.

You're 32 years old and you're supposed to be done. Career bush-leaguer. Maybe in training to one day become a minor-league coach. For years, next to your name was this scouting report: Good glove, bad hit, no future.

But the present finds you with your baseball pants pulled up, your socks out and your cap down over your eyes as if this were 1965 and you were in the same Tribe lineup as Rocky Colavito and Leon Wagner.

You look like a guy who can't wait to get his uniform dirty. You're a throwback. And perhaps the biggest surprise of the past two Tribe seasons.

As Tribe manager Manny Acta said, "Admit it, when we signed Jack, people made fun of us."

It was such a small announcement, no one even noticed enough to yawn about it.

Early in spring 2011, Acta manager called you in and said, "To make this club, you have to hit."

Would he hit?

You knew that. Just as you knew the Indians had a phenom named Lonnie Chisenhall being prepared to play third base. Just as you knew you were 31 with a career .228 big-league average with three different teams.

Just as you knew that in 2010 you batted .237 with two teams in Class AAA. Just as you knew that if Jason Donald hadn't broken his hand in spring training -- you would have been again sent to Class AAA Columbus.

"Players in Jack's spot sometimes need a break," Acta said. "They need someone to believe in them."

You wanted to believe that they believed. But that's hard after being cut so many times. You dreaded hearing the words, "The manager wants to see you."

But in April 2011, Acta put you at third base. You batted .273 with four homers. When you're Jack Hannahan, there's nothing wrong with being Mr. April. It gives you a chance to stay in the majors in May.

"You get labeled," you said. "You have to prove them wrong. I'll always have to bob and weave around all the prospects."

Chisenhall is only 23. He is hitting .315 with four homers at Class AAA Columbus. You know all about baseball being "here today, gone tomorrow" for players such as yourself ... players called JAG ... Just Another Guy.

But Acta says you "may be figuring it out" at the plate. That something happened in the middle of last season when you switched to a heavier bat and a lighter swing. You batted .322 (.871 OPS) after the All-Star break.

The new birth

That also coincided with the birth of John Joseph Hannahan. Jenny, your wife, was in the hospital for a month before John's birth. Every night you were in town, you were with her at the hospital. The expected birthdate was Oct. 26.

But on Aug. 4, the doctors knew they had to go get the baby. You were at Fenway Park with the Tribe, and your teammates took up a collection to pay $35,000 to rent a private jet so you could be there in time for the birth at 3:11 a.m. Your first child weighed 2 pounds, 11 ounces. Jenny made it through the ordeal.

You batted .368 after the birth, compared to .213 before.

So many good things happened at once. You felt the love and respect of your teammates. While Chisenhall had been promoted to Cleveland, you remained on the roster. Your manager raved about your defense. You sensed that you belonged, you who so often had been the last guy to make the team in spring training and one of the first to return to the minors in the summer.

And you began to hit.

Last week, you charged on the field twice in Kansas City because you were upset when Royals pitcher Jonathan Sanchez hit Shin-Soo Choo. The idea that someone was trying to hurt one of your guys was maddening, and you were tired of people throwing at Choo.

Tribe players and fans had never seen that side, the Mad Jack Hannahan whose favorite movie is "Braveheart."

You're Jack Hannahan and you came into Tuesday's game hitting .341 with 11 RBI in 12 games, later delivering two runs on a fifth-inning double off Sanchez. It's more of what fans saw in the second half of last season.

You said that you've "stopped trying to be someone else." Acta said not to worry about power, just catch the ball. Don't be afraid to settle for singles and doubles. Play the game the right way.

You were the 2000 Big Ten Player of the Year at Minnesota, a third-round pick by the Detroit Tigers. You were supposed to hit home runs. But that didn't happen. You spent part of three years in Class AA Erie, parts of three more years in Class AAA Toledo. You were traded and sold and told you were a disappointment.

Until now. Until you came here. Until you felt the cheers of the fans.

"I'm a blue-collar guy [from St. Paul, Minn.] and this is a blue-collar town," you said. "I'm just thankful to be here."