GaryMrMets
06-16-2002, 01:12 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/cws/news/cws_news.jsp?ymd=20020611&content_id=50496&vkey=news_cws&fext=.jsp
06/11/2002 8:38 pm ET
Father's Day: Howry proud papa
By Jimmy Greenfield / MLB.com
Whenever two-year-old Kalyn Howry gets to visit the White Sox clubhouse she's like a kid in a candy store.
Really.
Kalyn's father is Sox relief pitcher Bob Howry, who often carries his daughter into the clubhouse with him so she can partake in some of the unlimited gum and candy that is provided for the players.
Turns out Kalyn will have some company in the near future as Bob and his wife, Dena du Pont, are expecting their second child, and first son, late next month.
With Father's Day upon us, Jimmy Greenfield of MLB.com talked with Bob about the impending birth of his son, how being a father changed his life, and what Kalyn does when she sees her Daddy on television pitching.
MLB.com: I see you bring your daughter with you into the clubhouse after games. Is it fun to have her at the park here with you?
Howry: It is. I mean, we spend so much time at the ballpark and so much time traveling that anytime I can spend with her I try to. It's little things. She likes the candy jar, that's something that's fun for her. I want her to enjoy being here, too.
MLB.com: What kind of an idea of what you do, do you think she has at this point in her life?
Howry: Well, she knows what I do. I don't think she knows why or anything. She recognizes on TV when a baseball game comes on. She still has trouble recognizing me. Some guy will be up there pitching and she'll say "Is that Daddy?" So when I finally come on and they show my face, from what my wife says, she talks to me on the TV and stuff like that.
MLB.com: Have you ever been with her when you come on a highlight?
Howry: No, that hasn't happened.
MLB.com: I guess you're not watching too much video of yourself with your daughter, either.
Howry: No, too busy watching Barney.
MLB.com: What was it like when she was born? How did that change your life?
Howry: Regular lifestyle, baseball?
MLB.com: Well, what was it like first going from not being a father to being a father, aside from being a ballplayer?
Howry: Just in your everyday life it changes everything because you're used to having the freedom of being able to go anywhere, do anything, you and your wife whenever you want. And now you have this responsibility to take care of this little baby who's completely helpless. Pretty much all your time goes to that. But there's no greater feeling when you look down and she's able to smile at you or laughs or something. That's just a great feeling.
MLB.com: Is it what you anticipated being a Dad would be like, if in fact you did anticipate anything?
Howry: Right. It's hard to know what to expect. I can't say I had any idea what it would be like. I think I wanted to get to the point where we're at now where she's old enough that we can play and we can wrestle around and do things together. At first it was kind of tough because she didn't do anything, she just lays there. Going through the process of sitting up, crawling, walking, talking. All those things are priceless things that you never forget.
MLB.com: And then as a baseball player because you're on the road so much and you're at the park so much, were there certain things that you had to miss because of your job?
Howry: The things I was missing were when she was first starting to walk and stuff like that. I caught her first two steps, I was lucky enough to catch that. But as she was really getting into that process, yeah, I missed out on a little bit of that. I've been fortunate that most of the stuff I've been able to be there for.
MLB.com: Did you try to time it so that she was born during the off-season, was that something that you and your wife consider?
Howry: We did. When she was born we wanted to try and have her in October or November. I was there and I wanted to be able to spend the entire off-season with the baby before I had to leave. That way I'd get a chance to know her and she'd get a chance to spend time with me. Even with that, the first year was still tough. Being gone a lot, she'd turn to her Mom but she's getting to the point now where she realizes it and when I come home she's ready to be with me and do stuff with me.
MLB.com: I think they go with their Moms anyway, even if you're home.
Howry: I don't know, I don't have anything else to compare it to.
MLB.com: She was born in November?
Howry: Yeah.
MLB.com: What was it like that first spring when you had to take off for Spring Training?
Howry: What was nice is since I live in Phoenix they were able to come down (to Tucson) and spend like five days down there and then go back home for a couple days. I'd get a couple nights to sleep and then they'd come back down again. Actually, this year we're getting ready to have number two in July, so it'll be interesting to see how it is having the newborn during the season.
MLB.com: Do you have a due date yet?
Howry: July 23. We're having a boy.
MLB.com: That's my birthday.
Howry: Is it? Well, we'll see what happens.
MLB.com: Do you have a name picked out yet?
Howry: Tyler Austin.
MLB.com: Do you know if there's a game that day?
Howry: Oh, there is. There are games all through there. I think that's right after we come off a road trip. Hopefully, she holds out until I make it back. I don't want to have to catch that last-minute flight and try and make it back in time to see it. I really don't want to miss it.
MLB.com: Are you almost resigned that you might have to miss it because the timing is so bad?
Howry: If there's any chance of me making it, I'll do whatever. Middle of the game, whatever. Baseball will be there the next day and every day after that. But seeing your kid be born, that only happens once and I'm not missing that for anything.
Jimmy Greenfield covers the White Sox for MLB.com and can be reached by e-mail at jcgreenx@yahoo.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/11/rAErXMbC.jpg
Bobby Howry is prepared to do whatever he can to witness the birth of his second child in July. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
06/11/2002 8:38 pm ET
Father's Day: Howry proud papa
By Jimmy Greenfield / MLB.com
Whenever two-year-old Kalyn Howry gets to visit the White Sox clubhouse she's like a kid in a candy store.
Really.
Kalyn's father is Sox relief pitcher Bob Howry, who often carries his daughter into the clubhouse with him so she can partake in some of the unlimited gum and candy that is provided for the players.
Turns out Kalyn will have some company in the near future as Bob and his wife, Dena du Pont, are expecting their second child, and first son, late next month.
With Father's Day upon us, Jimmy Greenfield of MLB.com talked with Bob about the impending birth of his son, how being a father changed his life, and what Kalyn does when she sees her Daddy on television pitching.
MLB.com: I see you bring your daughter with you into the clubhouse after games. Is it fun to have her at the park here with you?
Howry: It is. I mean, we spend so much time at the ballpark and so much time traveling that anytime I can spend with her I try to. It's little things. She likes the candy jar, that's something that's fun for her. I want her to enjoy being here, too.
MLB.com: What kind of an idea of what you do, do you think she has at this point in her life?
Howry: Well, she knows what I do. I don't think she knows why or anything. She recognizes on TV when a baseball game comes on. She still has trouble recognizing me. Some guy will be up there pitching and she'll say "Is that Daddy?" So when I finally come on and they show my face, from what my wife says, she talks to me on the TV and stuff like that.
MLB.com: Have you ever been with her when you come on a highlight?
Howry: No, that hasn't happened.
MLB.com: I guess you're not watching too much video of yourself with your daughter, either.
Howry: No, too busy watching Barney.
MLB.com: What was it like when she was born? How did that change your life?
Howry: Regular lifestyle, baseball?
MLB.com: Well, what was it like first going from not being a father to being a father, aside from being a ballplayer?
Howry: Just in your everyday life it changes everything because you're used to having the freedom of being able to go anywhere, do anything, you and your wife whenever you want. And now you have this responsibility to take care of this little baby who's completely helpless. Pretty much all your time goes to that. But there's no greater feeling when you look down and she's able to smile at you or laughs or something. That's just a great feeling.
MLB.com: Is it what you anticipated being a Dad would be like, if in fact you did anticipate anything?
Howry: Right. It's hard to know what to expect. I can't say I had any idea what it would be like. I think I wanted to get to the point where we're at now where she's old enough that we can play and we can wrestle around and do things together. At first it was kind of tough because she didn't do anything, she just lays there. Going through the process of sitting up, crawling, walking, talking. All those things are priceless things that you never forget.
MLB.com: And then as a baseball player because you're on the road so much and you're at the park so much, were there certain things that you had to miss because of your job?
Howry: The things I was missing were when she was first starting to walk and stuff like that. I caught her first two steps, I was lucky enough to catch that. But as she was really getting into that process, yeah, I missed out on a little bit of that. I've been fortunate that most of the stuff I've been able to be there for.
MLB.com: Did you try to time it so that she was born during the off-season, was that something that you and your wife consider?
Howry: We did. When she was born we wanted to try and have her in October or November. I was there and I wanted to be able to spend the entire off-season with the baby before I had to leave. That way I'd get a chance to know her and she'd get a chance to spend time with me. Even with that, the first year was still tough. Being gone a lot, she'd turn to her Mom but she's getting to the point now where she realizes it and when I come home she's ready to be with me and do stuff with me.
MLB.com: I think they go with their Moms anyway, even if you're home.
Howry: I don't know, I don't have anything else to compare it to.
MLB.com: She was born in November?
Howry: Yeah.
MLB.com: What was it like that first spring when you had to take off for Spring Training?
Howry: What was nice is since I live in Phoenix they were able to come down (to Tucson) and spend like five days down there and then go back home for a couple days. I'd get a couple nights to sleep and then they'd come back down again. Actually, this year we're getting ready to have number two in July, so it'll be interesting to see how it is having the newborn during the season.
MLB.com: Do you have a due date yet?
Howry: July 23. We're having a boy.
MLB.com: That's my birthday.
Howry: Is it? Well, we'll see what happens.
MLB.com: Do you have a name picked out yet?
Howry: Tyler Austin.
MLB.com: Do you know if there's a game that day?
Howry: Oh, there is. There are games all through there. I think that's right after we come off a road trip. Hopefully, she holds out until I make it back. I don't want to have to catch that last-minute flight and try and make it back in time to see it. I really don't want to miss it.
MLB.com: Are you almost resigned that you might have to miss it because the timing is so bad?
Howry: If there's any chance of me making it, I'll do whatever. Middle of the game, whatever. Baseball will be there the next day and every day after that. But seeing your kid be born, that only happens once and I'm not missing that for anything.
Jimmy Greenfield covers the White Sox for MLB.com and can be reached by e-mail at jcgreenx@yahoo.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/11/rAErXMbC.jpg
Bobby Howry is prepared to do whatever he can to witness the birth of his second child in July. (Ted S. Warren/AP)