Philly teacher wins World Series tickets on ‘Good Morning America’

When the email came telling Juan Namnun he didn’t win the chance to buy Phillies World Series tickets, he was crushed.

”I know it would have been hard financially — we’re in a tough spot — but it would have been nice. Oh my God, to go to a World Series!” said Namnun.

Things turned around for Namnun Friday, when TV cameras, Good Morning America correspondent Will Reeve, the Frankford cheerleaders, and the Phillie Phanatic all entered the Frankford High gym to surprise Namnun — the longtime Frankford baseball coach, who’s currently battling breast cancer — with tickets to Game 4.

”No way — are you serious?” Namnun, who thought he was holding a baseball workout and filming a good-luck video for the Phillies, said as Good Morning America cameras rolled. “The Philadelphia Phillies, it’s been like a jolt of medicine for me. When you can have three or four hours every night and forget what’s happening to you, and concentrate on the amazing energy that the Phillies have brought our city and myself included, it’s been a drug that I can’t explain.”

Namnun, his wife, Lena, and their three sons are headed to the game.

It was a serious boost for Namnun, who had a double mastectomy in September.

”It’s been tough; the meds that I’m on have been kicking my butt a little bit,” said Namnun, whose battle was chronicled in an Inquirer story, and who aims to raise awareness of male breast cancer. “But I’m fighting, and I get the chance to fight. Not everybody has that.”

He was still flying high a few hours after the surprise Friday, driving home to Delran with Lena, who’s also a Frankford High teacher — and his high school sweetheart. The two met as Frankford freshmen.

Lena Namnun helped engineer the surprise. Good Morning America reached out to the Philadelphia School District to see who might be deserving of Phillies tickets; they recommended Namnun, the beloved baseball coach. (He’s also been a faithful Good Morning America viewer during his medical leave.)

It was a tricky thing, said Lena, who was sitting on the couch next to Juan when she got a call from a Good Morning America producer. She had to figure out a way to talk without Juan knowing.

”I called the woman back five minutes later from the backyard,” said Lena.

The moments before the surprise were a little tense. After 30 years together, Lena and Juan typically operate in tandem. Juan is a little Type A, and he runs practices a certain way, with music playing loud to encourage his players. But Lena was vigilant about when the crew would come into the gym. (Namnun’s assistant coach was in on the surprise, but the players didn’t know.)

”He’s yelling at me because I kept turning down the radio,” said Lena, who said she had a million thoughts running through her mind, chiefly “please tell the Phanatic to be very gentle -- Juan is still very tender from surgery.”

The actual surprise was a blur. (And for the record, the Phanatic didn’t jostle Juan too much.)

”My legs were shaking. I’ve been in the closest baseball games, I’ve met celebrities, I’ve met Ryan Howard, Mike Schmidt, but I’ve never had jelly knees like that,” said Juan.

To say the Namnuns are looking forward to Game 4 is an understatement.

”As a baseball guy, with my family, there are no words for that,” said Juan. “People say, ‘It’s a dream come true,’ but this really is.”