Pedigree is a term more often associated with dog shows than baseball.
But, three players on the Brewers’ 40-man roster have major league pedigrees going back one, and in one case, two generations, and none of them have been dogs.
Of course, Prince Fielder’s lineage has been well-documented. His father was Detroit Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder.
Prince was joined on July 15 by Tony Gwynn Jr., whose dad, Tony Gwynn, whose father is a virtual lock to make the Baseball Hall of Fame next summer. Tony Gwynn, Jr., is currently playing center field for Class AAA Nashville in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. David Bell, acquired from Philadelphia in late July, became the third player with a big-league pedigree. He is the son of Buddy Bell and grandson of Gus Bell, who both had long careers in the majors.
"It’s definitely been a positive for me," said Bell, who made his big league debut with Cleveland in 1995. "My father and grandfather were very cautious, yet very supportive as I was coming through baseball. They never pushed it on me and my brothers, but we loved the game as kids. They were a great parent and grandparent first, and then baseball mentors."
The younger Gwynn said he too considered it an asset that he had a baseball star as his dad. "It helped me," he said. "My dad was always supportive and helpful. I was going to ballgames and hanging around clubhouses as a little kid.
"Because of that, I wasn’t all wide-eyed when I first went to the big league camp in spring training and was first called up. I think it was the same for Prince."
Fielder, who is now estranged from his father, agreed. "I think it helped to be around the clubhouse and get to know the players," Fielder said. "My dad would work with me on things. I didn’t do it then for my development. I did it primarily because it was fun, but I know I learned things.
"When I first came to spring training (with the Brewers), I was still nervous. But, after a while, I remember thinking "This isn’t much different than when I was hanging around the clubhouse.""
Gwynn said it also helped to come up through the Brewers’ minor-league system with Fielder, who was his roommate for a time along with Rickie Weeks. "I wasn’t the only guy who had a famous player as a dad," Gwynn said. "It helped me. We were going through similar experiences."
Of course, having a big-league dad, and in Bell’s case, a granddad, inevitably leads to comparisons. Bell’s grandfather, an outfielder, averaged .281 in 15 seasons and had 206 homers and 942 RBI.
Buddy Bell averaged .279 in 18 seasons and had 201 homers and 1,106 RBI. He currently manages the Kansas City Royals.
Tony Gwynn’s dad was one of the all-time great hitters in baseball with a .338 average. Cecil Fielder averaged .255 with 319 homers and 1,008 RBI.
Those are all tough acts to follow. Has that added pressure?
"I think the only pressure I’ve had was the pressure I put on myself," said Bell. "I probably would have felt that, anyway. There definitely was not pressure from my father or grandfather.:
Gwynn, who hit .300 at Nashville, said he dealt with the pressure from Little League on up to the time that he played in college at San Diego State, where the stadium is named for his father. "It was there from the time I started playing, but not from my dad," he said. "The kids knew who your father was. But, after a while, they didn’t talk to you because of who your dad was, but because of who you were and because of the talent you have."
Bell said he has an appreciation for the history of the game, and how much it has changed, because of his lineage.
"I remember hearing stories from my grandfather as a little kid," he said. "It was different for that generation of players than it is today. It was different for my father too. I think every generation faces a little different situation no matter what they are doing."
Bell was acquired after Corey Koskie and Weeks were injured to provide some depth at third base. His long-range future with the Brewers is unknown since he is a free agent after this season.
The Brewers hope Fielder and Gwynn, who will likely join the big-league club after the Class AAA playoffs, make their fathers proud by becoming major contributors to the ballclub for a long time.
But, three players on the Brewers’ 40-man roster have major league pedigrees going back one, and in one case, two generations, and none of them have been dogs.
Of course, Prince Fielder’s lineage has been well-documented. His father was Detroit Tigers slugger Cecil Fielder.
Prince was joined on July 15 by Tony Gwynn Jr., whose dad, Tony Gwynn, whose father is a virtual lock to make the Baseball Hall of Fame next summer. Tony Gwynn, Jr., is currently playing center field for Class AAA Nashville in the Pacific Coast League playoffs. David Bell, acquired from Philadelphia in late July, became the third player with a big-league pedigree. He is the son of Buddy Bell and grandson of Gus Bell, who both had long careers in the majors.
"It’s definitely been a positive for me," said Bell, who made his big league debut with Cleveland in 1995. "My father and grandfather were very cautious, yet very supportive as I was coming through baseball. They never pushed it on me and my brothers, but we loved the game as kids. They were a great parent and grandparent first, and then baseball mentors."
The younger Gwynn said he too considered it an asset that he had a baseball star as his dad. "It helped me," he said. "My dad was always supportive and helpful. I was going to ballgames and hanging around clubhouses as a little kid.
"Because of that, I wasn’t all wide-eyed when I first went to the big league camp in spring training and was first called up. I think it was the same for Prince."
Fielder, who is now estranged from his father, agreed. "I think it helped to be around the clubhouse and get to know the players," Fielder said. "My dad would work with me on things. I didn’t do it then for my development. I did it primarily because it was fun, but I know I learned things.
"When I first came to spring training (with the Brewers), I was still nervous. But, after a while, I remember thinking "This isn’t much different than when I was hanging around the clubhouse.""
Gwynn said it also helped to come up through the Brewers’ minor-league system with Fielder, who was his roommate for a time along with Rickie Weeks. "I wasn’t the only guy who had a famous player as a dad," Gwynn said. "It helped me. We were going through similar experiences."
Of course, having a big-league dad, and in Bell’s case, a granddad, inevitably leads to comparisons. Bell’s grandfather, an outfielder, averaged .281 in 15 seasons and had 206 homers and 942 RBI.
Buddy Bell averaged .279 in 18 seasons and had 201 homers and 1,106 RBI. He currently manages the Kansas City Royals.
Tony Gwynn’s dad was one of the all-time great hitters in baseball with a .338 average. Cecil Fielder averaged .255 with 319 homers and 1,008 RBI.
Those are all tough acts to follow. Has that added pressure?
"I think the only pressure I’ve had was the pressure I put on myself," said Bell. "I probably would have felt that, anyway. There definitely was not pressure from my father or grandfather.:
Gwynn, who hit .300 at Nashville, said he dealt with the pressure from Little League on up to the time that he played in college at San Diego State, where the stadium is named for his father. "It was there from the time I started playing, but not from my dad," he said. "The kids knew who your father was. But, after a while, they didn’t talk to you because of who your dad was, but because of who you were and because of the talent you have."
Bell said he has an appreciation for the history of the game, and how much it has changed, because of his lineage.
"I remember hearing stories from my grandfather as a little kid," he said. "It was different for that generation of players than it is today. It was different for my father too. I think every generation faces a little different situation no matter what they are doing."
Bell was acquired after Corey Koskie and Weeks were injured to provide some depth at third base. His long-range future with the Brewers is unknown since he is a free agent after this season.
The Brewers hope Fielder and Gwynn, who will likely join the big-league club after the Class AAA playoffs, make their fathers proud by becoming major contributors to the ballclub for a long time.
Gregg Hoffmann is a veteran journalist, author and publisher of Midwest Diamond Report and Old School Collectibles Web sites. Hoffmann, a retired senior lecturer in journalism at UWM, writes The State Sports Buzz and Beyond Milwaukee on a monthly basis for OMC.
