GaryMrMets
06-16-2002, 01:41 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mil/news/mil_news.jsp?ymd=20020611&content_id=50460&vkey=news_mil&fext=.jsp
06/11/2002 7:58 pm ET
Father's Day: Kid Leskanic matures
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
Curtis Leskanic is listed in the Brewers media guide as 34 years old, but his teammates say he acts younger. Much, much younger. Even though he acts like a kid, Leskanic and his wife, Susan, have two children of their own: 7-year-old son Brandon and 4-year-old daughter Chandler.
Leskanic took a break from rehabbing his injured shoulder, which is progressing slowly since off-season shoulder surgery, to talk about his kids and his role as Dad.
MLB.com: What changed the most when you became a father?
Curtis Leskanic: I aged about 10 years because I didn't sleep much those first weeks. But I'll never change my personality. I think it's just being more responsible, actually. You have to watch everything you do around them. No more TV shows because everything you've got to watch now is Barney. Before, you give me a TV, a remote and a couch and I was pretty much set. That's different now.
MLB.com: How has baseball played a role in your role as a father?
Leskanic: My family travels a lot with me so that's not much of an issue. The biggest thing is that my son looks at me as a role model because he sees me on the video games and stuff. So if I do something, he's going to try to replicate it.
I really have to be careful about what I do or say around the house because when you're in the clubhouse six, seven, eight months out of the year and it's a totally different thing. But the kids look at you and think, 'Man, my dad is on ESPN' and they start looking at you in awe, like you're a god to them. It's a great feeling.
MLB.com: What motivates you as dad?
Leskanic: Say a babysitter comes to the house when you and your wife are out to dinner. She goes, 'Man, your kids are just darlings. They're awesome.' That means a lot to me.
MLB.com: How was your childhood different than your kids'?
Leskanic: I grew up in the Pittsburgh projects, man. It was totally different. I love giving them things, but at the same time you're trying to teach them to be responsible. When I was growing up, if something broke, that was it. So now I'm trying to teach my kids the value of a dollar.
My wife taught me a lot about not spoiling them. Sometimes going out and buying the kids things is so easy, but it's harder to stay home and do the little things. Just sitting around and making things, or doing things together, is more important than buying things.
MLB.com: Do you want your son to play baseball?
Leskanic: When I was coming up and my wife first got pregnant, my first thing was 'Man, I'd love to have a son who grew up to be a Major Leaguer.' But after a while, you know what? You just learn that you want the best for your kids. He likes baseball -- he likes to swing the bat and stuff like that. But he doesn't really love the game itself. He's more into football, and soccer and hockey. And that's fine. Whatever he wants to do is fine. I like watching him grow up and figure out what he wants to do and try to accomplish those goals.
Adam McCalvy covers the Brewers for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/11/WOzXEtTj.jpg
Curtis Leskanic had to give up his couch potato ways for the good of his children. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
06/11/2002 7:58 pm ET
Father's Day: Kid Leskanic matures
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
Curtis Leskanic is listed in the Brewers media guide as 34 years old, but his teammates say he acts younger. Much, much younger. Even though he acts like a kid, Leskanic and his wife, Susan, have two children of their own: 7-year-old son Brandon and 4-year-old daughter Chandler.
Leskanic took a break from rehabbing his injured shoulder, which is progressing slowly since off-season shoulder surgery, to talk about his kids and his role as Dad.
MLB.com: What changed the most when you became a father?
Curtis Leskanic: I aged about 10 years because I didn't sleep much those first weeks. But I'll never change my personality. I think it's just being more responsible, actually. You have to watch everything you do around them. No more TV shows because everything you've got to watch now is Barney. Before, you give me a TV, a remote and a couch and I was pretty much set. That's different now.
MLB.com: How has baseball played a role in your role as a father?
Leskanic: My family travels a lot with me so that's not much of an issue. The biggest thing is that my son looks at me as a role model because he sees me on the video games and stuff. So if I do something, he's going to try to replicate it.
I really have to be careful about what I do or say around the house because when you're in the clubhouse six, seven, eight months out of the year and it's a totally different thing. But the kids look at you and think, 'Man, my dad is on ESPN' and they start looking at you in awe, like you're a god to them. It's a great feeling.
MLB.com: What motivates you as dad?
Leskanic: Say a babysitter comes to the house when you and your wife are out to dinner. She goes, 'Man, your kids are just darlings. They're awesome.' That means a lot to me.
MLB.com: How was your childhood different than your kids'?
Leskanic: I grew up in the Pittsburgh projects, man. It was totally different. I love giving them things, but at the same time you're trying to teach them to be responsible. When I was growing up, if something broke, that was it. So now I'm trying to teach my kids the value of a dollar.
My wife taught me a lot about not spoiling them. Sometimes going out and buying the kids things is so easy, but it's harder to stay home and do the little things. Just sitting around and making things, or doing things together, is more important than buying things.
MLB.com: Do you want your son to play baseball?
Leskanic: When I was coming up and my wife first got pregnant, my first thing was 'Man, I'd love to have a son who grew up to be a Major Leaguer.' But after a while, you know what? You just learn that you want the best for your kids. He likes baseball -- he likes to swing the bat and stuff like that. But he doesn't really love the game itself. He's more into football, and soccer and hockey. And that's fine. Whatever he wants to do is fine. I like watching him grow up and figure out what he wants to do and try to accomplish those goals.
Adam McCalvy covers the Brewers for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/11/WOzXEtTj.jpg
Curtis Leskanic had to give up his couch potato ways for the good of his children. (Ted S. Warren/AP)