Griffeys were first-ever father-son MLB teammates

Contributed by Richard Cuicchi

In my research for my book Family Ties about baseball’s relatives a few years ago, I came across hundreds of facts about father-son combos and brother combos over the course of baseball history.  The most fascinating for me was the game in which Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. played as teammates in 1990.  It was the first time that situation had ever occurred, and it has only been accomplished once more since the Griffeys.

When you think about what must transpire for this feat to occur, there are several factors that must fall in place at the right time.  The father must have a lengthy career, at least 20 years as a professional.  The son must begin his pro career right out of high school and reach the big leagues by age 20 or 21.  For the father and son to be major-league teammates, a team will likely be compelled to go out of its way to bring them together at the same time.

The odds of all these factors happening are extremely high, especially when you consider there have only been 200+ father-son duos in the history of the majors.

Griffey Jr. was the No. 1 overall pick out of high school by the Seattle Mariners in the 1987 MLB Draft.  He made his major league debut at 19 years of age in 1989 and joined his father Ken Griffey Sr. (with Cincinnati) as the first father-son combo to play in the majors at the same time.  A year later Griffey Jr. was an American League All-Star and one of the most promising stars in baseball.

Griffey Sr. had been drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in 1969 and made his major-league debut with them in 1973. He became part of Cincinnati’s dynasty teams of the 1970s known as the Big Red Machine.  His career took him to the Yankees, Braves, and back to the Reds by 1988.  By then he was on the downside of his career, serving as a pinch-hitter and occasional starter in the outfield and at first base.  However, he provided a valuable veteran presence in the Reds clubhouse.

In mid-August 1990, the Reds informed Griffey Sr. he was at risk of losing his roster spot. He decided to announce his retirement on August 18, in order to help the club with a roster problem. With the prospect of Griffey Sr. being able to team up with his son for Seattle, the Reds agreed to take him off the voluntarily retired list and put him on waivers, so that he could become eligible to play for another club. When Seattle signed him on August 29, Mariners manager Jim Lefebvre insisted Griffey Sr.’s signing was not a publicity stunt. He said, “This is not a dog-and-pony show.  We’re looking for a spark.” The Mariners were looking to capture their first-ever winning season since joining the league in 1977.

Their historical first game as teammates occurred on August 31 against Kansas City. 40-year-old Griffey Sr. played left field and batted second in the lineup, while Junior took his normal centerfield position and batted third.

Facing Royals right-handed pitcher Storm Davis, both father and son singled in the bottom of the first inning and later scored to help the Mariners take a 3-0 lead. They both went hitless during the remainder of the game that the Mariners won 5-2.

On September 14, the father-son duo hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first inning in the Mariners’ game against the California Angels.

Griffey Sr. didn’t hang up his spikes after the 1990 season. He returned with the Mariners in 1991, where he continued to team up with his son until May 31, when he retired after 19 major-league seasons.

Over a decade later, in 2001, 41-year-old Tim Raines and his son 21-year-old Tim Raines Jr., became the second father-son duo to play as teammates in the same game. Raines Jr. was called up late in the season by the Baltimore Orioles, who then made a request to Montreal to trade for his father. On October 3 against Toronto, Raines Sr. made a pinch-hit appearance, while his son was the starting centerfielder. Both father and son started the next day as outfielders against the Boston Red Sox. Raines Sr. retired in 2002 after 23 seasons in the majors.

On at least two other occasions, father-son combos were active players at the same time, although only the fathers were in the majors. Juan Beniquez played in the majors until 1988 (his 17th major-league season), while his 18-year-old son was in his second season in the Kansas City Royals farm system. Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez was active in 2011 (his 21st major-league season), when his 19-year-old son was a rookie in the Twins minor-league system.

Following are examples of other noteworthy father-son duos.

49-year-old pitcher Jamie Moyer was still playing in the majors in 2012 when his son Dillon was drafted out of high school but opted to attend college instead.

45-year-old Fernando Valenzuela and his 23-year-old son Fernando Jr. played together for Mexicali in the Mexican League in 2006. The elder Valenzuela had been a major-league pitching star from 1980-1997, amassing 173 career wins.

53-year-old Rafael Palmeiro and his 28-year-old son Patrick were teammates for independent league team Cleburne Railroaders in 2018. The elder Palmeiro had been a 20-year major-league veteran, collecting over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs.

Rafael Palmeiro Outplaying His Son

Rafael Palmeiro joined his son Patrick on the Cleburne Railroaders, an independent league team, at the beginning of the summer. At 53-years-old, Rafael is trying to make a comeback to major-league baseball.

So, how is he doing?

Rafael’s slash line is .291/.419/.523. He is currently outperforming his 28-year-old son by 30 points in batting average, 104 points in On-Base Percentage, and 101 in Slugging Percentage.

Click on the link below to read more about the Palmeiro father-son combo:

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/7/20/17595618/rafael-palmeiro-baseball-comeback-dad-move

Rafael Palmeiro Teams Up With Son Patrick to Play on Independent Team

53-year-old former major-league player Rafael Palmeiro wanted to play again, so he joined his son Patrick in signing with the Cleburn Railroaders in the American Association independent league.  Four months ago, Palmeiro indicated he would like to make a comeback in the majors, but there was no interest by MLB teams.

Palmeiro’s 20-year major-league career included 3,020 hits, 569 home runs, and 1,835 RBI, one of only six members of the 500-homer, 3,000-hit club.

This isn’t the first time Palmeiro has played in an independent league game with Patrick.  They joined up to play a game for the Sugar Land Skeeters in 2015.

Son Patrick played in the Chicago White Sox organization from 2012 to 2014 and has played in independent leagues since then.

Palmeiro’s son, Preston, currently plays in the Baltimore Orioles organization.

For more information about Palmeiro’s attempted comeback, follow the links below:

https://sports.yahoo.com/rafael-palmeiro-officially-back-pro-baseball-age-53-play-son-161836737.html

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2018/05/19/former-ranger-rafael-palmeiro-wasnt-surprised-hitless-debut-thecleburne-railroaders?f=r

Rafael Palmeiro to Attempt a Comeback

Former major-leaguer Rafael Palmeiro has put the word out that he is interested in making a comeback in Major League Baseball.  Now 53 years old, Palmeiro last played in the majors in 2004 as a 40-year-old.  Only a handful of players have previously made big-league appearances over the age of 50, most recently Minnie Minoso who pinch-hit in a 1980 MLB game as a publicity stunt.

Palmeiro had a productive career as one of only five major-leaguers to have hit at least 500 home runs and 3,000 hits.  He would be in the Baseball Hall of Fame if he had not tested positively for PEDs in his last season.

Palmeiro has two sons who are pursuing professional baseball careers of their own.

Preston completed his second year in the Baltimore Orioles organization in 2017, when he hit 13 home runs and drove in 77 RBI.

Patrick completed his third season in the independent leagues, after having played in the Chicago White Sox organization from 2012 to 2014.  In 2015 Patrick and his father appeared in the same game for the Sugar Land Skeeters, an independent team.

For more information about Rafael Palmeiro’s pursuit of a comeback, follow the link below from sportsday.dallasnews.com:

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/texas-rangers/rangers/2018/01/17/rafael-palmeiro-nuts

 

 

Father’s Day All-Star Team Rooting for Potential Major League Sons

Contributed by Richard Cuicchi, June 17, 2016

On Father’s Day last year, I compiled a list of major-league all-stars who were fathers of major-league players. The mythical team represented a good look back in history at some dads who were among the best players in the game. There were some pretty good names on the list—Berra, Griffey, Bonds, Raines, and Rose.

To honor baseball dads this year, I’m taking a different twist on the same subject.

The all-star team I’ve compiled this time is indeed comprised of fathers who starred in the big-leagues. However, their sons, who are currently following in their dad’s baseball footsteps, are prospects still grinding their way through college and the minors.

Not that long ago, most of these sons were hanging out with their dads in major league clubhouses or shagging balls in the outfield during dad’s batting practices before games. Those early childhood experiences likely fueled their aspirations to ultimately join the ranks of “major leaguers” like their fathers.

On this Father’s Day, the tables will be turned, since these all-star dads will be pulling for their sons to pitch and hit well enough, so as to improve their chances of one day getting to the “Big Show” themselves.

Starting Pitcher – Roger Clemens won 354 career games and is 3^rd on the all-time leader list in career strikeouts.  He won the Cy Young Award a record seven times.  Twice he struck out 20 batters in a game.  He would already be in the Baseball Hall of Fame if it were not for his suspected involvement with PEDs.  Three of Clemens’ sons have followed in his footsteps.  (Note that all the sons’ names begin with “K” – the symbol for “strikeout.”) Kacy and Kody played for the University of Texas this year, after having been drafted by major league teams out of high school. Koby has played in the minors for the Astros and Blue Jays organizations and later in independent league baseball.

Relief Pitcher – Mariano Rivera is the all-time saves leader in baseball with 652.  He pitched in seven World Series for the Yankees and recorded an astonishing 0.70 ERA and 42 saves during his post-season career that included 96 games.  He is a lock to be voted into the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Mariano’s son, Mariano III, is a relief pitcher like his father.  He was the 4^th round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2015 and is currently pitching at the Class-A level.

Catcher – Mike Matheny played thirteen major league seasons for the Brewers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Giants.  While he never played at an all-star level during his career, Matheny developed a keen sense for the game that has allowed him to become one of the top young managers in major league baseball today.  Matheny’s son, Tate, was a fourth-round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox in 2015, and the outfielder currently plays at the Class-A level.  Mike has two other sons with futures in pro baseball. Jake has committed to play for Indiana University, while Luke has committed to Oklahoma State University.

First-Base – Rafael Palmeiro is one of only five players in history to get 3,000 hits and slam 500 home runs in his career.  However, his fabulous career has been stained by failing a drug test during his last season.  Consequently, he won’t likely get elected to what would have otherwise been a sure spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame.  However, his sons have put on the spikes to follow in dad’s footsteps. Patrick played in the Chicago White Sox organization for three seasons and is currently playing in the independent leagues.  Last year, his 50-year-old father came out of retirement for one game to play with Patrick in a league game. Rafael’s other son, Preston, was drafted this year out of North Carolina State University by the Baltimore Orioles in the 7^th round.

Second Base – Craig Biggio could have landed a spot on this imaginary all-star team at three different positions.  He has the distinction of being a regular starter for the Houston Astros at three different positions during his career: catcher, second base, and centerfield.  He attained all-star status as a catcher and second baseman.  He compiled over 3,000 hits, 660 doubles, and 1,800 runs scored during a Hall of Fame career. Biggio coached his two sons in high school, and both went on to play baseball at the University of Notre Dame. Cavan was drafted this year by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 5^th round. Conor was selected by his dad’s team, the Astros, in the 34th round of the 2015 draft.

Third Base – Dante Bichette was a four-time National League all-star for the Colorado Rockies and was runner-up in the MVP voting in 1995.  He compiled a .299 batting average, 274 home runs, and 1,142 RBI during his 14-year career.  Bichette, coached his son, Dante Jr., in the Little League World Series competition in 2005, and Dante Jr. is now playing in his sixth season in the New York Yankees organization.  Bichette’s other son, Bo, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2nd round of this year’s draft.

Shortstop – Cal Ripken Jr. is the Hall of Fame shortstop best known for his consecutive game streak of 2,632 for the Baltimore Orioles.  He was a 19-time all-star and two-time American League MVP.  His physical size of 6’ 4” and 200 lbs. re-defined the shortstop position in the major leagues during the 1980s.  Ripken comes from a baseball family, as his father was a long-time coach and manager of the Orioles, while his brother Billy played in twelve major league seasons as an infielder.  Cal’s son, Ryan, was drafted in 2012 and then again in 2014, and is now playing at the Single-A level in the Washington Nationals organization.

Outfield – Vladimir Guerrero was often noted as wild-swinging hitter, but he managed to hit 449 home runs, drive in 1,496 runs, and hit for a .318 average during his sixteen-year career.  He was the American League MVP in 2004 and was an all-star selection nine times.  His performance should earn him a spot in Cooperstown.  Guerrero’s 17-year-old son from the Dominican Republic, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was one of the top international free agents last year and was signed by the Toronto Blue Jays for $3.9 million. However, he has yet to play in the minor leagues in the U. S.  Guerrero Sr. had a brother who also played in the major leagues, and his nephew, Gabby Guerrero, is currently a top prospect in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

Outfield – Carl Yastrzemski is one of the all-time great Boston Red Sox players.  He’s in the Hall of Fame based on his career numbers of 452 home runs, 1,844 RBI, and .285 batting average.  He was an all-star in three different decades, the Triple Crown winner in 1967, and MVP of the American League in 1967.  He’s on my list of all-star dads, but in fact he is the grandfather of Mike Yastrzemski, currently playing at the Triple-A level in the Baltimore Orioles organization.  Mike is a third-generation professional player, as his father, also named Mike, played five seasons of minor league baseball.

Outfield – Magglio Ordonez was a six-time all-star in the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers organizations.  During his 15-year career, he managed to hit for a .309 average, slugged 294 home runs and 1,236 RBI.  In 2007, he finished second in MVP voting in the American League.  Ordonez’ 20-year-old son, Magglio Jr., played for Detroit’s rookie league team last season.

Manager – John Farrell is currently in his fourth year as manager of the Boston Red Sox, having claimed a World Series championship in 2013.  A former major league pitcher, Farrell has three sons involved in professional baseball. Luke is currently pitching in the Kansas City Royals organization at the Triple-A level. Jeremy was drafted in 2008 and played in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization last season. Shane was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, but chose a career as a pro scout, currently working in the Chicago Cubs organization.  The three Farrell sons represent a third generation of ballplayers, as their grandfather, Tom, played briefly in the minors in the mid-1950s.

Odds of MLB Draft Legacies Making the Big Leagues

Each year there a number of sons, brothers, and cousins of current and former major-league players who are selected in the 2016 MLB Draft.

Bleacher Report provided an interesting assessment of the probabilities of several legacy prospects from the 2016  draft actually reaching the major-league level.

The assessment included the following drafted players who have relatives in pro baseball:

• Bo Bichette, son of Dante Bichette and brother Dante Bichette Jr.
• Cavan Biggio, son of Craig Biggio and brother of Conor Biggio
• Conner Capel, son of Mike Capel
• Trey Griffey, son of Ken Griffey Jr. and grandson of Ken Griffey Sr.
• Jacob Heyward, brother of Jason Heyward
• Torii Hunter Jr., son of Torii Hunter Sr.
• Preston Palmeiro, son of Rafael Palmeiro and brother of Patrick Palmeiro
• Cal Quantrill, son of Paul Quantrill
• Nick Shumpert, son of Terry Shumpert and cousin of Mookie Betts

For the full report see the link below from Bleacher Report:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2645856-odds-of-each-2016-mlb-draft-legacy-prospect-reaching-the-majors

 

 

Palmeiro Father-Son Combo Plays on Same Team

50-year-old Rafael Palmeiro and his son, Patrick, appeared in a professional independent league game together on September 18, playing for the Sugar Land Skeeters.  The duo went 4-for-9 with  each of them getting two hits.  Patrick drove in four runs, while Rafael also got one RBI.

The elder Palmeiro last played in the big leagues in 2005, his 20th season in the majors.  He hit 569 home runs and collected 3, 020 hits in his career.

Patrick played for three seasons in the Chicago White Sox organization from 2012 to 2-14.

Ken Griffey Senior and Junior and Tim Raines Senior and Junior are the only father-son combos to play in the major leagues.

Read more about Rafael and Patrick Palmeior at the links below:

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/rafael-palmeiro-returning-to-pro-baseball-to-play-with-son-145634738.html

http://www.foxsports.com/baseball/story/rafael-palmeiro-father-son-combo-minor-league-game-sugar-land-skeeters-091815

Sons of Major Leaguers Are Teammates in Cape Cod League

Cavan Biggio and Preston Palmeiro were teammates for the Harwich Mariners in the Cape Cod League this summer.  They both have some big footsteps to follow in baseball, since both of their fathers were major league all-stars who compiled over 3,000 hits in their careers.

During the school year, Biggio plays college baseball for Notre Dame, while Palmeiro competes for North Carolina State University.

Both players say it is both a blessing and a curse playing in their father’s shadows.

Read more about Biggio and Palmeiro at the link below from the Boston Globe:

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2015/07/21/sons-are-rising-cape-cod-league/pVWRr296Aw5YRyIMNYQ1mM/story.html

Preston Palmeiro Commits to NC State

Preston Palmeiro, son of former Major Leaguer Rafael Palmeiro, recently committed to North Carolina State University to play baseball. Preston was not selected in the most recent MLB draft.

Another of Rafael’s sons, Patrick, is currently in his second season in the Chicago White Sox organization.

See below link for article on maxpreps.com for story on Preston:
http://www.maxpreps.com/blogs/maxwire-national-blog/Hc3rZA2FAU2v3GaMBkTL_w/preston-palmeiro,-son-of-rafael-palmeiro,-commits-to-play-baseball-at-north-carolina-state.htm

Bristol White Sox Has Five Players Whose Fathers Played in the Majors

The Bristol White Sox minor league team has five players whose names would be very familiar to Major League Baseball fans. The five share a sort of bond among themselves because of their baseball bloodlines. They include: Patrick Palmeiro, son of Rafael Palmeiro; Nick Parent, son of Mark Parent; Cody Yount, son of Larry Yount and nephew of Robin Yount; Toby Thomas, son of Larry Thomas; and Audry Santana, son of Rafael Santana.

The current manager of Bristol, Mike Gellinger, also managed Toby’s father (Larry) in 1991, when they were with the Utica Blue Sox in the New York-Penn League.

The attached article in TriCities.com is about these five sons of former Major Leaguers:
http://www.tricities.com/sports/article_7ee8c9c2-e394-11e2-946a-001a4bcf6878.html