Need parenting advice? Ask the Yankees
BOSTON -- Many of manager Aaron Boone’s favorite childhood memories of his father transpired within the walls of a big league clubhouse. The youngster would often wander between the Phillies’ lockers, eyeballing sluggers Greg Luzinski or Mike Schmidt, or maybe working on his flawless pantomime of manager Danny Ozark’s trudge to the pitcher’s mound.
There would be his dad, Philadelphia catcher Bob Boone -- with a chest protector and shin guards -- close by as he reviewed scouting reports for that night’s opposing lineup. Whether at old Veterans Stadium or the dinner table, baseball was the language most frequently spoken between Boone, his father, and his grandfather, former big leaguer Ray Boone.
“I’m just so grateful that I had a dad that took us to work with him all the time,” Boone said on Sunday. “He came up at the end of ’72, and I was born in the spring of ’73. He played until my senior year in high school, and literally I was at the ballpark -- my brothers and I, in unis, shagging [fly balls] and doing everything you could possibly imagine. It was a great way to grow up.”
Bob Boone caught for 19 seasons in the Majors with the Phillies (1972-81), Angels (1982-88) and Royals (1989-90), winning seven Gold Glove Awards and earning four All-Star selections.
“I just had a dad that loved us, wasn’t overbearing as far as forcing us into any direction,” Boone said. “Do what you love and do it to the best of your ability. That was kind of the rule we lived by. I’m grateful for him and grateful he’s still around.”
This Father’s Day weekend, MLB.com surveyed a few of the Yankees’ dads for their best parenting advice:
Willie Calhoun (son due July 30): “I’d say the best advice I’ve gotten is to cherish every moment, especially as you see them growing up. I know I will definitely be appreciative of that, every moment from when he’s born all the way to watching him grow, making sure I enjoy the good and the bad. Everyone has told me: ‘He’s your son. He might do things that get under your skin, but you’ll never be able to replace him.’ It’s exciting. I’m looking forward to it.”
Gerrit Cole: “My dad told me to watch the kids right after they were born very intently. The first two minutes is very much how they will react to life. My son, Caden, was opening his eyes, listening and hearing voices. He was focusing, focusing, focusing. And that’s exactly who he is: high-motor, always going, trying to figure something out. Everett was very similar, in that he had this awareness that he was in a new place, but he had a bit more chill. Right away, you could tell. Caden is more like me; Everett is a little more like his mom.”
Luis Severino: “I love being a dad. It’s really fun. You learn so much from your kids. It’s unbelievable how kids make you grow up as a person. It’s not about you or your wife anymore. You have your kids, and everything that you do, it’s about them.”
Jose Trevino: “Enjoy it, especially the hard times when they’re little. When they’re crying, when they’re not in a good mood, when they want to play -- enjoy that stuff, because it goes by quick. I can already see that a little bit. What I tell people is, ‘You’re never ready, you’re never prepared.’ You’ve just got to run with it and learn from all the little things that come up.”
Boone: “Best advice I got? Love their mom. When your kids see you love your wife and their mother, hopefully that’s a powerful example.”