GaryMrMets
06-16-2002, 02:06 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/bal/news/bal_news.jsp?ymd=20020613&content_id=52409&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp
06/13/2002 5:31 pm ET
Father's Day: Matthews Sr. is proud
Gary Matthews Sr. watches son follow his footsteps
By Becky Dubin Jenkins / MLB.com
By the time Gary Matthews, Jr. played in his first Major League game in 1999, while with the Padres, he already had established a big-league pedigree of sorts. After all, when you're the son of Gary Matthews, Sr., who spent his 16 Major League seasons playing for five clubs, that's to be expected. MLB.com caught up with Matthews Sr., the Brewers' hitting coach, to discuss when he knew 'Junior,' as his family calls him, was going to make the Majors; why education was the family's foundation; and what was the best advice he ever gave to his son.
MLB.com: When did you say to yourself, "This kid's going to be a big-leaguer"?
Gary Matthews, Sr.: It's funny -- Gary was always the one who told that to us. Of course I listened to him, but I also knew the hard work that went into getting to that point. I think all little boys have that dream of being a Major League ballplayer. So Gary was no different from any other kid. And of course it's rewarding as a parent to have him realize his dream.
MLB.com: What was Gary like as a kid?
Matthews: He was like any other kid, as were his brothers. (laughing) That meant broken windows and the like, you know, par for the course. There was always something going on with them -- not in bad way. All my kids were good. There were really no problems at all.
MLB.com<: How much more pressure do you think was on Gary to become a successful big-leaguer because of you?
Matthews: I truly think a lot of people think sons of former players have it much easier. But I think there's a lot more pressure put on kids of guys who are ex-Major League players; these kids are expected to be better or at least as good as their dad. It can cause some problems. And that's a lot of undue pressure put on them because of you. That's not right. These kids work just as hard as a kid who doesn't have a dad who played.
MLB.com: Since joining the Orioles, Gary has really seemed to endear himself to the fans, the media and everybody involved with the organization. You were like this as a player, too. How gratifying is it to have raised not only a good person but a good ballplayer?
Matthews: The best thing about Gary is that he wants to play and wants to prove that he wants to play every day. He plays hard all the time. And growing up, this ends up separating yourself from a lot of players in the league. People around the country have come up to me -- reporters and fans -- and told me what an enjoyable person Gary is. And that's just great to hear. He signs autographs and takes the time to be with the fans. And people notice these things. That's how he is. He's always been like that.
As for being a player, he believes in himself, but he knows he should probably be hitting better. But that will come. He will and can develop. Guys who have confidence in themselves can do that because they're able to see what the hard work can do for you.
MLB.com: The work ethic -- do you think that's the greatest lesson you taught him?
Matthews: That -- and the importance of education.
MLB.com: Gary did mention that when he was growing up, his friends were off playing sports during the summer and you had him taking French classes at Latin [a high school in Chicago].
Matthews: (laughing) All of that is true. That's how things were in our house. If you didn't do your schoolwork or brought home a bad grade, you were not going to play sports. And that was made very clear to the kids. That's how it should be.
Really, the main job as a parent is having the responsibility of being a role model for your children. With the strictness in our house on education, they all learned this. You know, it's hard to make it in the Major Leagues. He knew he had to have something to fall back on in case it didn't work.
In our house, you didn't really get a lot of accolades if you did something well in sports. That wasn't even talked about. If you brought home a good grade, that's when you got accolades. Maintaining that 3-something GPA for the year, that is what was important. And they knew that, yes they did.
MLB.com: As a father, what's the best advice you can give a child?
Matthews: In life in general, you need to be respectful of all your peers, adults. That respect is the most important thing in establishing relationships in your life. And that's what it's all about -- being the best person you can be. For Gary, he knows he needs to make sure he takes care of the fans. He's good at that, and I'm happy about it.
Becky Dubin Jenkins is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/04/12/VgbqdrSH.jpg
Gary Matthews, Jr. was taught the importance of education, not baseball, from his Major League dad. (M. Spencer Green/AP)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/05/30/xdGWzsRR.jpg
Gary Matthews, Sr. is now the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers (courtesy Brewers)
06/13/2002 5:31 pm ET
Father's Day: Matthews Sr. is proud
Gary Matthews Sr. watches son follow his footsteps
By Becky Dubin Jenkins / MLB.com
By the time Gary Matthews, Jr. played in his first Major League game in 1999, while with the Padres, he already had established a big-league pedigree of sorts. After all, when you're the son of Gary Matthews, Sr., who spent his 16 Major League seasons playing for five clubs, that's to be expected. MLB.com caught up with Matthews Sr., the Brewers' hitting coach, to discuss when he knew 'Junior,' as his family calls him, was going to make the Majors; why education was the family's foundation; and what was the best advice he ever gave to his son.
MLB.com: When did you say to yourself, "This kid's going to be a big-leaguer"?
Gary Matthews, Sr.: It's funny -- Gary was always the one who told that to us. Of course I listened to him, but I also knew the hard work that went into getting to that point. I think all little boys have that dream of being a Major League ballplayer. So Gary was no different from any other kid. And of course it's rewarding as a parent to have him realize his dream.
MLB.com: What was Gary like as a kid?
Matthews: He was like any other kid, as were his brothers. (laughing) That meant broken windows and the like, you know, par for the course. There was always something going on with them -- not in bad way. All my kids were good. There were really no problems at all.
MLB.com<: How much more pressure do you think was on Gary to become a successful big-leaguer because of you?
Matthews: I truly think a lot of people think sons of former players have it much easier. But I think there's a lot more pressure put on kids of guys who are ex-Major League players; these kids are expected to be better or at least as good as their dad. It can cause some problems. And that's a lot of undue pressure put on them because of you. That's not right. These kids work just as hard as a kid who doesn't have a dad who played.
MLB.com: Since joining the Orioles, Gary has really seemed to endear himself to the fans, the media and everybody involved with the organization. You were like this as a player, too. How gratifying is it to have raised not only a good person but a good ballplayer?
Matthews: The best thing about Gary is that he wants to play and wants to prove that he wants to play every day. He plays hard all the time. And growing up, this ends up separating yourself from a lot of players in the league. People around the country have come up to me -- reporters and fans -- and told me what an enjoyable person Gary is. And that's just great to hear. He signs autographs and takes the time to be with the fans. And people notice these things. That's how he is. He's always been like that.
As for being a player, he believes in himself, but he knows he should probably be hitting better. But that will come. He will and can develop. Guys who have confidence in themselves can do that because they're able to see what the hard work can do for you.
MLB.com: The work ethic -- do you think that's the greatest lesson you taught him?
Matthews: That -- and the importance of education.
MLB.com: Gary did mention that when he was growing up, his friends were off playing sports during the summer and you had him taking French classes at Latin [a high school in Chicago].
Matthews: (laughing) All of that is true. That's how things were in our house. If you didn't do your schoolwork or brought home a bad grade, you were not going to play sports. And that was made very clear to the kids. That's how it should be.
Really, the main job as a parent is having the responsibility of being a role model for your children. With the strictness in our house on education, they all learned this. You know, it's hard to make it in the Major Leagues. He knew he had to have something to fall back on in case it didn't work.
In our house, you didn't really get a lot of accolades if you did something well in sports. That wasn't even talked about. If you brought home a good grade, that's when you got accolades. Maintaining that 3-something GPA for the year, that is what was important. And they knew that, yes they did.
MLB.com: As a father, what's the best advice you can give a child?
Matthews: In life in general, you need to be respectful of all your peers, adults. That respect is the most important thing in establishing relationships in your life. And that's what it's all about -- being the best person you can be. For Gary, he knows he needs to make sure he takes care of the fans. He's good at that, and I'm happy about it.
Becky Dubin Jenkins is an editorial producer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/04/12/VgbqdrSH.jpg
Gary Matthews, Jr. was taught the importance of education, not baseball, from his Major League dad. (M. Spencer Green/AP)
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/05/30/xdGWzsRR.jpg
Gary Matthews, Sr. is now the hitting coach for the Milwaukee Brewers (courtesy Brewers)