Cleveland Indians Owner Shaves Head To Support Mike Aviles’ Cancer-Stricken Daughter

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan had his head shaved off on June 7 as a show of support for the cancer-stricken daughter of shortstop Mike Aviles.

Cleveland Indians owner Paul Dolan has had his head shaved off to support Mike Aviles’ cancer-stricken daughter. 

According to a June 7 update from MLB.com Cleveland Indians reproter Jordan Bastian, it was Aviles himself who buzzed off Dolan’s hair inside the team’s dugout on Sunday, the same day the team took on the Baltimore Orioles. 

Dolan pointed to his head with both hands as a sign for Aviles to begin. As soon as he was done, Dolan cracked a joke. 

“What are those things sticking out the side of my head?” Dolan asked MLB.com. “Are those my ears?”

.@Indians owner Paul Dolan shaves head in support of Mike Aviles’ daughter who has leukemia http://t.co/mryWjzcK7y pic.twitter.com/RjqkfxOgCk— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 7, 2015

For his part, Aviles thanked his owner for supporting his young daughter, Adriana. 

“I appreciate this,” Aviles told Dolan (via MLB.com). “I’m not going to lie to you. I really do.”

Dolan and Aviles were all smiles during the process as teammates, team staff and the media looked on. Indians switch hitter Nick Swisher, who shaved his own head to support Adriana Aviles last month, was joking all throughout, per Bastian.

“Mr. D,” Swisher told Dolan (via MLB.com). “This is going to shave minutes off your time!”

Once Aviles was done cutting Dolan’s hair, the Indians ower was impressed with his shortstop’s new talent.

“I felt like I was with a pro,” Dolan told The Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Zach Meisel. 

Indians owner Paul Dolan shaves head to support Mike Aviles’ daughter http://t.co/go47cBPzeG pic.twitter.com/F91V7bZPUe— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) June 7, 2015

Dolan also told Bastian he’s happy to support Aviles and the team by going bald for the first time:

“At the beginning of the year, they talked about what teammates meant to each other and how that was important to succeed. We’ve seen how the team has stepped up for Mike and his family and what they’re going through. I’m really proud of that, as proud as winning games.

“The first shower will be interesting. It’s kind of weird running my hands through my hair, or lack of hair. It was a little shocking when I saw my reflection. I have a big, thick head of hair. Or, used to have a big, thick head of hair. I’m counting on it coming back eventually.”

Indians manager Terry Francona commended Dolan’s gesture, per MLB.com:

“I think it’s really cool. He’s unassuming. I’m not surprised he wanted to join in. I think (general manager Chris Antonetti) and his guys should do it, too. I think they’re being a bunch of big babies.”

The Indians shaved their heads off on /4/27 to support four-year-old Adriana Aviles, who was diagnosed with leukemia earlier last month. Her father found out about her condition while the Indians were playing the Kansas City Royals on the road on /4/7, per a separate MLB.com update from Bastian.

Indians owner joins players in shaving head to support Mike Aviles’s daughter: http://t.co/L4Czxp4PKV pic.twitter.com/hxpr0YAPHO— SI Wire (@SI_Wire) June 7, 2015

Aviles missed Cleveland’s next nine games as he was placed on baseball’s Family Medical Emergency List to be by his daughter’s side.

He told Bastian he appreciated what his teammates did:

“It means a lot for me. It goes without saying, everybody in here has families, and they know how it is. It’s a tough time, but to know that my team, the coaching staff, everybody, is on my family’s side, it helps out a lot and makes me feel good.

“You want to be home the whole time. It kills me not to be home the entire time. At the same time, I know my wife is a great mom. She’s doing a great job with her, so everything is good at home. 

“I have to get back and do the things that help provide for the family. I’ve spent a lot of time on FaceTime, talking through there

“It’s definitely an interesting time. The way I see it is, she’s going to fight, and I’ll be right there with her. It’s good to know that we have a lot of support on her side.” 

Aviles has amassed 691 hits, 283 RBIs and 56 home runs in 748 career regular-season games for the Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians, per ESPN stats. 

Tribe owner Paul Dolan talks poignantly about why he shaved his head this morning in support of Mike and family: https://t.co/LPhhILiEjP— #VoteKip #VoteTribe (@Indians) June 7, 2015

Make sure to log on to I4U News for the latest trends and developments for the geek mind.