Fathers and Sons
One of my favorite memories of my Dad is our spending summer evenings together in the backyard tossing a baseball. We tossed and chatted, mostly about baseball, for a good thirty or forty five minutes until he would call it a night. When I was 15, I took my first job as an umpire – District 18 Knothole. Dad loved hearing my stories about some of the crazy things that happened in little league baseball. I met Ken Griffey, Sr., the Reds’ star right fielder, in person at one of my umpiring assignments. It was a Saturday morning I’ll never forget. I witnessed this future superstar, his son, Kenny Jr., and his sweet swing in a game featuring two 8-year old teams. Let’s explore some MLB fathers and sons:
The Griffeys. Ken Sr. and Jr. are my personal favorites. I grew up during the Big Red Machine years, and Ken Griffey Sr. was the table-setter for the greatest lineup that ever played the game. Although he was a three-time NL All-star, a defensive standout, a fleet baserunner, and maintained a lifetime batting average of .296, he is one of the lesser known Reds during that era. Let’s just say that his son more than made up for it in terms of fame. Jr. came out of Cincinnati Moeller in 1987 as the U.S. high school player of the year. Drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the MLB stage in a big way – 22 seasons (played in four different decades); 630 HRs (7th most in history); ten Gold Gloves; 13-time All-Star; and a Hall of Fame first ballot (99.32% of vote). Ken Sr. joined Jr. in Seattle for the 1990 and 1991 seasons, becoming the first father-son to be in the same batting lineup and even hit back-to-back HRs (September 14, 1990). After playing his first 11 years in Seattle, Jr. joined the Reds in 2000 for nine seasons. On June 17, 2004, I was with my daughters on Father’s Day in St. Louis to see Jr. hit his 500th career HR. And so was his Dad, Ken Sr., one of my favorite baseball moments (pictured above)!
Bonds. This is another father-son duo where the son kind of outdid the dad. Bobby Bonds was a star outfielder for 14 seasons, mostly with the Giants, and set records for his combination of power hitting and speed. He was the first player in MLB history to have more than two seasons of 30 HRs and 30 stolen bases, doing it five times. Bobby also was the second player in history to achieve 300 HRs and 300 SBs, joining the great Willie Mays. The Pirates drafted his son, Barry, as the sixth overall pick, in 1985. Barry Bonds spent the first seven seasons in Pittsburgh, but made his fame in San Francisco for the next 15 years. Here are just some of the numbers: seven NL MVP awards; most career HRs (762); most HRs in a single season (73 in 2000); 8 Gold Gloves; and a career 514 stolen bases (yes, that same combination of power and speed). It goes without saying that Barry’s career ended in a dark cloud.
Vlad. Speaking of power, how about today’s AL superstar Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., and his dad, Vlad Sr. Vladimir Guerrero Sr. played in sixteen seasons (1996-2011) for four teams, most notably with the Montreal Expos early in his career. He is a nine-time All-star; 2004 AL MVP; feared hitter (.318 lifetime average with 2,590 hits and 449 HRs); and defensive standout. He is also known as one of the great “bad ball” hitters in the game, once hitting a pitch that bounced before it reached the plate. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is just making his name in the game. In 2021, he led the major leagues in HRs (48, tied), runs scored (123), and total bases (363). That year in the All-Star Game Vlad Jr. became the youngest All-Star MVP in history. The future is powerful.
The Alomars. Defense runs in this family. Sandy Alomar Sr. played in 14 MLB seasons (1964-1978) as a defensive wizard. In 1975 he led all major league second basemen in fielding percentage. He also excelled in a dying art – the skill of bunting, one of the best ever in the game. Sr. became an exceptional MLB coach for another 24 seasons. He coached the Padres in 1988 when both of his sons landed on the MLB scene. Sandy Alomar Jr. starred in the MLB as a catcher for 20 seasons on 7 different teams (1988-2007), most notably as a Cleveland Indian where he was a 6-time All-Star and a member of two AL pennant winners. Both Sandys though need to step aside for the youngest Alomar, Robbie. Roberto Alomar, in sixteen MLB seasons, is regarded as one of the greatest second basemen ever – 12 time Gold Glover! He ranks near the top in most offensive and defensive categories for all-time second basemen. Robbie was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Bell. One of my Dad’s favorite players was Gus Bell, whose MLB career spanned 15 seasons and four teams (1950-1964), mostly with the Reds. Gus was a versatile outfielder, playing all three positions and wielding a lifetime fielding percentage of .985. A four-time NL All-Star, the left-handed hitter batted .281 lifetime. He also left Cincinnati with a wonderful family lineage. His son, Buddy Bell, starred as a six-time Gold Glove third baseman with the Indians, Rangers, and Reds, for 17 seasons. He compiled a lifetime batting average of .279, very similar to his Dad. Buddy went onto manage three teams, the Tigers, Rockies, and Royals, for 12 seasons. The baseball family tree doen’t stop there. Buddy’s two sons, Mike and David Bell, played in the MLB as well. It’s one of just five families who have had three generations of players in professional baseball. David Bell has served as the Reds’ manager for the past five seasons.
Boone. And here’s another last name filled with generations of players. Ray Boone, who played for 12 seasons with the Cleveland Indians, started the MLB family tree as he debuted in 1948. He was a two-time All-Star and led the AL in RBIs with 116 in 1955. His son, Bob Boone, an All-Star catcher for four seasons, played for the Phillies and Royals (1972-1990). He is also noted for his managerial expertise as he led the Royals and Reds for six seasons. The third generation of Boone’s, Bret and Aaron, also starred on MLB diamonds. Aaron Boone will always go down in Yankees vs. Red Sox history as hitting the walk-off HR for New York in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS. Most recently, Aaron has successfully managed the Pinstripers for six seasons. He currently has a managerial winning percentage of .602.
Alou x 3. One of my favorite baseball cards growing up had 3 panels with each of the Alou brothers – Felipe; Matty; Jesus. Felipe Alou is the oldest and most famous of the three. He played in 17 MLB seasons (1958-1974), leading the NL twice in hits and once in runs scored. Felipe was the consummate leadoff batter. In fact, he led off with an HR in 20 games. After his playing career, Alou managed the Expos and Giants for fifteen seasons. He is one of three persons to have 2,000 hits, 200 HRs, and 1,000 managerial wins. Felipe’s son, Moises Alou, starred for several NL teams in a 19-year career. Moises was certainly his own person. He refrained from using batting gloves at the plate, a practice not shared by many modern players. While Moises compiled a .303 lifetime batting average, he is most noted for his involvement in the Bartman incident during Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS.
Yaz. Every Saturday afternoon in the 1960s NBC featured the “Game of the Week”. It seemed like more often than not the game was played at Fenway Park and featured Yaz’ Red Sox. Carl Yastrzemski played his entire MLB career with Boston, mostly manning left field in front of the Green Monster. This left handed hitter could really stroke it, garnering 3,419 hits and a lifetime .285 batting average. An 18-time All-Star, he also captured seven Gold Gloves. Yaz took the Red Sox to two AL pennants (1967 and 1975) but could never get them a World Series crown. In 1967, he accomplished the Triple Crown (AL leader in HRs, RBIs, and average) and was easily named the AL MVP. His talent skipped a generation, but certainly landed in the lap of his grandson, Mike Yastrzemski, an outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. Mike made a big splash in 2020, hitting his 30th HR in just his 151st game, joining Giant greats Bobby Thomson and Dave Kingman.
Iron Men. The Ripkens were “iron men” in different ways. Cal Ripken, Sr. spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles system as a minor league player, coach, and manager. His two sons, one in particular, were really good baseball players. Sr. took great pride in that Cal Jr. and Billy played for the Orioles when Sr. coached and for one year managed the team. Cal Ripken, Jr. set all kinds of records in his 21 MLB seasons, all with the Orioles. The first ballot Hall of Famer produced 3,184 hits, was a 19-time All-Star, captured two Gold Gloves, and won the AL MVP award two years (1983, 1991). Of course, he set one record that may never be broken, appearing in 2,632 consecutive MLB games.
Fielders. The last name is a misnomer for this father-son duo. They should have been named Power. Cecil Fielder played 14 MLB seasons and crashed many American League ballpark fences with extra base hits. In 1990, he became the first player to hit 50 HRs in a season since George Foster in 1977. Winning the world championship as a Yankee in 1996, he finished his career with 319 HRs. His son, Prince Fielder, a six-time All-Star, playing 12 seasons for the Brewers and Rangers, remarkably ended his career with that same number of HRs, 319, and just 20 RBIs more than his Dad (1,028 to 1,008). When he hit a season high of 50 HRs early in his career, he became the youngest player in MLB history to do so. Power, indeed!
I met Ken Griffey Sr. a second time. As my 40th birthday present, I attended the Reds baseball fantasy camp in Sarasota, Florida, then the spring training home of the Reds. I felt like a giddy 15-year old that entire week, pitching and playing for and against fellow campers and former Reds players. On the first day of camp I ran into Griffey Sr. in the locker room and expressed my great joy in getting to see him. He shrugged, and simply said, “Hey, I’m not Jr.” I often recall that thought in parenting – it’s not about me; it’s about them. For those fathers and sons who have shared the MLB with us, thanks especially to the Dads. Happy Father’s Day!
Until next Monday,
your Baseball Bench Coach