Baseball’s Family Dynamic

If you’re from a sports loving family, you know that an affinity for particular teams or sports is often passed down through generations.  And among what many would consider lucky families, careers in sports run among generations, too. 

Stan and Jeff Van Gundy, brothers who have both coached NBA teams and whose father was a basketball coach, recently made a family trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  Below, Bill Francis of the Hall of Fame tells us about the visit and about this basketball family's deep connection to baseball.

Despite the fact that Stan and Jeff Van Gundy have made their names in basketball, the brothers' affection for a game that uses a much smaller ball was evident with their recent visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

"We've been meaning to come here for awhile," said Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who also brought with him his 16-year-old son Michael. "With work schedules and we both have families and other things around it was hard, but finally Jeff just said, 'Get a date and I'll go,' so we came up with a date."

While Stan was making his first visit to Cooperstown, Jeff Van Gundy, who coached the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets prior to his current gig broadcasting the NBA for ABC/ESPN, thinks he might have come years ago.

But what was clear was how much the siblings were enjoying their Hall of Fame visit.

"It's just unbelievable," Stan Van Gundy said. "We've been baseball fans since we were little kids and been meaning to come here for years and years and years. It's incredible how much stuff is here and how much history is here. You really feel connected to it."

With a father who was a basketball coach, the Van Gundy brothers were exposed to that game from an early age. But as Stan explained, baseball brought with it a special family dynamic.

"We're all involved in basketball and so we weren't really together at a lot of games. We were watching my dad's team or watching Jeff play a game or watching me play a game or whatever, but baseball's something you can do together," Stan said. "And it's been the same way with me and my son. He may come to my games or I might go to his games but we're rarely at a basketball game together. Baseball we can share. It's a family experience. I remember going to baseball games with my family, so I think that's been a big part of it."

For Jeff Van Gundy, an A's fan whose family lived in the Bay area in the 1970s, an early baseball memory comes from the 1972 World Series between Oakland pitcher Rollie Fingers and Reds batter Johnny Bench.

"I still remember vividly (A's manager) Dick Williams walking out to the mound and calling for an intentional walk and they throw the strike. It was one of the great memories of my life," Jeff said. "And I can still remember that we used to go out for a dollar and sit in the bleachers (in Oakland)."

Having lived in Florida for many years, Stan Van Gundy now roots for the Marlins.

"The 2003 World Series with the Marlins, we were living in Miami and got to know some of those guys," Stan said. "And probably my biggest baseball memory is Jeff Conine throwing J.T. Snow out at home plate in the first round of the playoffs. The only time a play at the plate ended a series. And J.T. Snow tries to run Pudge Rodriguez over and he comes up with the ball.

"Baseball's so many memories for all of us. And to be here, where there are memories from the entire history of the game... It's really overwhelming."

Bill Francis is a library associate for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.  This blog post originally appeared on the Cooperstown Chatter, the official blog of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Find more ideas for spending time with family at the library in the Connect with your kids @ your library Family Activity Guide.