Son's games no fun for dad
CHICAGO—This whole father-and-son reunion thing was getting to be too much for the dad of Blue Jays relief pitcher Justin Speier.That would be Chris Speier, the 19-year major leaguer, three-time all-star and steady-handed shortstop for the Montreal Expos during their late-1970s-to-early-1980s glory years.
The elder Speier is now the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs and was none-too-pleased this week at the thought of having to ruin his son's night if he took the mound.
"I love seeing him but I don't like being in that scenario where I'm coaching third and he's out on the mound,'' the 54-year-old said during a series in which the Jays won two of three.
"It's happened before and I don't like to be in the situation where I'm trying to win the ball game and you've got your son out there and you've got to see him give up the game-winning hit.
"I've been in that situation,'' he added. "I've also been in the situation where he's pitched well against our team and shut them down. So, it's a Catch-22. Who do you root for? Your blood? Or whoever's name is at the bottom of that cheque?''
Speier's dad need not have worried since the pitcher didn't see any action in the three games here. The closest they came to each other was exchanging lineup cards on behalf of their respective teams before Wednesday's finale.
Things weren't quite so touchy when Jose Cruz Jr. and Sr. squared off a few years back, one as a San Francisco Giants outfielder and the other a Houston Astros hitting coach. Even when former Cubs outfielder Moises Alou came to play against his father, Felipe, manager of the Giants, the face-to-face element wasn't so prevalent.
But it's the third base coach's job to get runners home and inflate the earned-run average of whatever pitcher is out there. The younger Speier, 31, figures he's played about 10 games against his father, mainly as a pitcher for the Cleveland Indians and Colorado Rockies while dad coached in Milwaukee, Arizona and Oakland.
"I have no problem with it, but I guess, as a parent, you might view things a little differently,'' the Jays reliever said.
Things got a little too cozy for some folks when Speier was pitching for Cleveland and hooked up for an interleague game with his father's Brewers.
"He was in Milwaukee coaching third base and before the game he was throwing me some batting practice,'' Speier said. "All of his coaches and players were ribbing him about throwing to an opposing player. I came in that game, got out of a bases loaded jam where I struck someone out and my dad gave a fist pump and then tried to hide it as if he hadn't done it.
"And then I came up the next inning, in that same game, and I got a base hit to right field. I looked into their dugout and said, `Hey, Dad, thanks for the early batting practice'. And he never heard the end of that."
A pained expression came across the elder Speier's face when reminded of the incident.
"He always wanted to hit,'' he said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head at the memory.
But his father still checks the boxscores every morning to see whether Speier pitched for the Jays. They'll talk on the phone and his dad will offer advice when things aren't going so well.
"He knows the attitude and the mental makeup you need to play this game,'' Speier said. "So, sometimes I'll ask him questions.''
And his father will provide the answers. As long as it's off the field of play.
Source: http://www.thestar.com/
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