Baseball, The Babe and Benefits
By Laura Marzi, April 2013
For me, the official sign of spring is the opening day for major league baseball. This year’s opening day included a match-up between the Boston Red Sox and my favorite team – the New York Yankees. The game reminded me of The Hartford’s historic business connection with the Sox and Yankees – "Babe" Ruth.
On March 19, 1920, the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company issued a sickness policy to George Herman Ruth, Jr., who had just been traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees. The policy protected Ruth’s earnings should illness or injury prevent him from playing during spring training or the regular season. Under the policy terms, he would receive $200 a week for up to 75 playing weeks.
In his first season with the Yankees alone, Ruth hit 54 homeruns – nearly double his previous year’s best. He went on to help the Yankees win seven pennants and four World Series titles. And the renowned ballplayer never filed a claim with The Hartford.
Today, we’re proud to protect the earnings of millions of Americans. We offer disability coverage through employers large and small across the nation.
In today’s competitive economy many employers are struggling to pay for benefits and are asking their employees to pitch in. That means at your next benefits enrollment, you could be asked whether you want to opt-in to disability coverage and help pay for it. I hope you take inspiration from The Babe and prepare for tomorrow by protecting your paycheck.
Happy spring, and go Yankees!
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Laura Marzi
Assistant Vice President of Marketing for The Hartford's Group Benefits. To learn more about Laura, Click here.
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