But it was the other story that made Dick Schofield’s eyes start to tear up, his chest swell and, for a few seconds, his words falter.
Schofield was introduced as the new Dayton Dragons manager. While he's the eighth man to hold the job in the club's 17 seasons of baseball, he comes from one of just five families to ever have three generations of players make the big leagues.
The others are the Bells, the Boones, the Colemans and the Hairstons, but none of them match Schofield’s family tree. His is the only one to have four consecutive generations play professional baseball.
Schofield played 14 seasons in the Majors – from 1983 to 1996 – with four different teams and for a decade was considered the best defensive shortstop in the American League. Though most of his time was spent with the California Angels, he won a World Series ring with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
His dad, whose name was also Dick, was known by his nickname, Ducky.
One of the game’s first ever Bonus Babies, he won a World Series ring with the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, spent 19 years in the big leagues and played alongside 30 Hall of Famers, including Stan Musial, Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente and Sandy Koufax.
Ducky’s grandson – and Dick’s nephew – is Jayson Werth, the home run hitting outfielder of the Washington Nationals. He won his World Series ring with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and two years later signed a seven-year contract with Washington worth $126 million, at the time the 14th richest deal in MLB history.
As for the start of the family’s association with pro ball that goes back to Dick’s grandfather – John – who first was nicknamed Ducky. He played 11 seasons of minor league baseball and even toured with the famed House of David, the bearded, barnstorming team that often included big leaguers while representing the Israelite commune in Benton Harbor, Mich.
Some of this colorful baseball story was touched on during the Dragons get-to-know-the-manager press conference.
Later, in private, Schofield told the other father-son story.
It involves his own two sons – Hank and Hayden – standout prep athletes themselves, who decided not to follow the family path to pro ball.
Both of them instead have joined the military.
Hank, now 22, is a Navy SEAL and 20-year-old Hayden is in the Marine Corps.
In today’s volatile world, the pair could both end up in harm’s way as they serve their country. When that was brought up to Schofield, he grew quiet and his eyes soon glistened.
“I’m proud of them and a little scared,” he said quietly before quickly correcting himself. “I don’t want to say scared. No, I don’t want to use that word. They don’t go into it scared.
“But I can’t imagine the emotions you have when you’re about to be deployed into some unknown situation. There’s just a mental strength there. That’s why I’m more proud than anything. Proud not only that they wanted to do this, but then that they actually went through it and got there.
“I’d like to take credit for that, but no, they’re better men than me.”
Athletic family
They’re different men than he, but when it came to baseball, Schofield was pretty darn good himself.
He admits he was following in familiar footsteps first set down by his granddad, who used to come to his games when he was a high school player and then, before he died, got to see him begin his big leaguer career.
“He was a pretty cool guy,” Schofield remembered. “He had some great stories and he cussed like a truck driver. (SOB) was his favorite saying.”
As for his father, Schofield remembers as a young boy following him into the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse and sitting and talking with Lou Brock, whose locker was next to his dad’s.
After his father retired, he often spent time throwing batting practice to his son, while Dick’s two sisters – Kim and Tammy – shagged balls.
The two girls were talented prep athletes themselves and Kim went on to track and field stardom at the University of Florida, competed in the 1976 U.S. Olympic Trials in the long jump and 100 meter dash and now – married to former pro ball player Dennis Werth – has three top caliber athletes of her own.
Along with Jayson, daughter Hillary was a heptathlete at UCLA and Hannah was a volleyball star at Nebraska before playing professionally.
“I always give Kim a hard time,“ Schofield said with a grin. “People say ‘Your sister is really the best athlete in the family’ and I say, ‘No, not at all. She could run and jump, that’s all she could do. She couldn’t hit, throw or catch!”
The old line made him laugh again.
As for him, in a career that included 1,368 Major League games, he was known mostly for his defense and not his hitting.
He had just 56 home runs, but one was the stuff of legend.,
On Aug. 29, 1986, the Angels trailed Detroit, 12-5, entering the the bottom of the ninth inning. They rallied, but still trailed 12-9 and had two outs when Schofield came to the plate with bases loaded.
Tigers closer Willie Hernandez quickly hung two strikes on him with a breaking ball and then a screw ball down and away.
“I’ve seen film of it a few times and I remember after that I walked around the umpire before I stepped back into the box,” Schofield said. “I was saying to myself, ‘Just make contact.’ Literally, if I didn’t put it into play we didn’t stand a chance.
“And then he threw me another screwball and I just hit it.”
He drove the ball over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam that gave the Angels the improbable 13-12 victory.
As he was circling the bases – headed to an entire team welcoming party at home plate – Schofield said he was thinking: “’What just happened?’ All I remember is that it was pretty cool.”
After retiring and returning back home to the St. Louis area – he and wife Lisa also have two daughters, 24-year-old Gracie and 16-year-old Millie – he got back into coaching.
He's now been with the Cincinnati Reds organization four seasons and the past two years managed the rookie league team in Billings, leading it to a Pioneer League title in 2014.
While he draws on his experiences as a player when he manages, there are times he finds motivation and inspiration elsewhere.
He said when his young players complain about being tired, he may reflect to his own boys, who are their same age and going through a vigorous military regimen
“I’ll say, ‘You have no idea what tired is,’ and some of the guys who know what my sons are doing, they understand,” he said.
These days, Dick Schofield can draw on two father-and-son storylines.
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