By Stan Grosshandler

       In the 1952 movie THAT'S MY BOY, Jarrin Jack Jackson, a loud, obnoxious, overbearing, former All-

American portrayed by Eddie Mayehoff tries to coerce his non-athletic son, Jerry Lewis, into becoming a star athlete.  Throughout the movie he cajoles, threatens, and pleads with his heir to achieve stardom, finally succeeding in the end.   Does this really happen?

       Everyone has heard how the fathers of Bob Feller and Mickey Mantle worked constantly with them to become ballplayers; but what about the boy whose dad was already a star player?

       "I probably had less baseball instruction from my Dad than the average kid whose father is not a professional athlete," replied Mike Hegan of the Yankees.  Mike's Dad, Jim, was a great catcher in the majors for 17 years.   "I never thought of my Dad as anything special," Mike continued, "He was like any other kid's Dad in the neighborhood who went to work in the morning and came home at night.    Often after a game he was too tired to play catch with me.   He never pushed me, and I am sure he would have been just as happy if I had gone into a business or profession.   In fact, my brother has no interest in the game.   When I did decide to go into baseball, we sat down and discussed the positive and negative factors and frankly he gave me more negative."

       "I always took baseball for granted," Mike said.  "It was no problem to see a game, and I used to chase flies during batting practice.   After the game while I waited for my father to dress I would play with the kids of the other ball players    During the 14 years we spent in Cleveland the players I remember the best -- for they were often at our house -- were Al Rosen, Bob Lemon and Mickey Vernon.    It was Mickey who gave me my first first-baseman's mitt."

       Mike, who set a record of 178 errorless games at firstbase, signed with the Yankees for a bonus and appeared in the 1964 series.  Following stints in Seattle, where he was chosen to the All-Star team, Milwaukee, and Oakland, he returned to the Yanks where his Dad is a coach.

      The Hegans are the only father-son combination to have appeared in two World Series.  Besides the Yankees in 1964, Mike was with Oakland in 1972.  Jim caught for the Indians in both the `48 and `54 classics.    There have been five other father-son combinations who have appeared in World Series.  Billy Sullivan, Sr. caught all the games as the Chicago hitless wonders of 1906 upset the Cubs; while Billy, Jr., also a catcher, was with the 1940 Tigers.

      The Bagby's, Jim senior and junior both pitched in the fall classic.  Senior won 31 games for the 1920 Indians and then pitched twice in the series.  He won the fifth game, a contest that saw three records established.   Bill Wambsganss made the only unassisted triple play in series history, Elmer Smith hit the first bases-loaded homer in a series, and Jim became the first pitcher to hit one out of the park in a series.   His life record was a fine 127-86.   Jim, Jr. appeared in the 1946 series for the Red Sox.  He posted a career record of 97-96.

     Dolph Camilli, slugging Dodger first sacker, played for the Bums in the 1941 series; while son Doug, a catcher, was eligible to play for the LA Dodgers in the 1963 games but did not appear.  Another member of a father-son combo who was eligible but did not appear was Gene Moore, Sr.  A pitcher for the 1909 Pirates, he did not see action.  Son Gene played right field for the Browns the only time that club made the classic in 1944.  Ernie Johnson was a utility infielder with the 1923 Yankees; while Don played 2B for the 1945 Cubs.  Both saw action in the fall games.

     There has been a total of 78 father-son combinations in major league baseball.  The first player to have a son appear in a major league uniform was James Henry “Orator Jim" O'Rourke.  Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945, Jim was a versatile player who started in the National Association in 1872.  He then played in the National League in 1876 with Boston.   Performing at every position, Jim lasted 19 years and had a career average of .310.   Son James Stephen played with the 1908 New York AL team.  Five years before his debut, however, John Henry Doscher Jr. began pitching for Brooklyn.  He was the initial second generation player to make it to the majors, his father having played in 1879-82.

      Besides O'Rourke, four other members of the Hall of Fame have seen their sons follow them to the big leagues.  George Sisler's boys Dick and Dave enjoyed moderate success in the majors.  It was Dick whose home run in the 10th inning enabled the Phillies Whiz Kids to gain the 1950 NL title.   A hard hitter, Dick played 8 seasons with the Cards, Phillies, and Reds.   Dave pitched seven years with four different clubs.  George and Dick also were the only father and son to manage in the majors, George leading the Browns 1924-26, and Dick the Reds 1964-65.

      Eddie Collins, Jr. was a most mediocre outfielder for his Dad's old club, the Philadelphia Athletics.  One of Manager Connie Mack's sons, Earl, also had a cup of coffee with the A's.   Ed Walsh, Jr. posted a 11-24 record over four seasons with his pop's old club, the White Sox.

      The Walker family put in many years in the majors.  Ewart "Dixie Sr." Walker pitched for the Senators while his brother, Ernie, played with the Browns.   Fred "Dixie Jr." spent 18 years with the Chisox, Tigers, Dodgers, and Pirates.  A great favorite in Brooklyn, Dixie led the club to the 1941 pennant and won a batting title in 1944 with a .357 average.  His younger brother Harry, an 11-year man, also won a batting title by hitting .363 in 1947.  The Walkers are the only brothers to accomplish this feat.

      The Cooney family also enjoyed a long career in the majors.  James Joseph was a pre-1900 shortstop in the

National League; his eldest son James Edward played short in the ML for seven years and performed an unassisted triple play for the Cuba in 1927.   Son Johnny was a most versatile player for the Braves and Dodgers over a 20-year span.

      Charles F. Berry, an AL ump for 20 years, was the son of Charles Sr. who played for Altoona in 1884.

Both Berry's were catchers.  The younger vas an All-American end at Lafayette and played professional football as well as officiating the pro game.  Oddly enough another Berry was also a two-sport man.  Joe Berry, Jr., a Giant infielder of the 1920s, also played professional football.  His dad had been a catcher at the turn of the century.

       Oscar Grimes was a fine utility man for 9 years in the late l930s and `40s, while Oscar, Sr. hit .329 as a first baseman for the Cubs in the 1920s.  The latter's twin brother Roy played at the same time, making them one of only six sets of twins who played in the majors.

       During the 1973 season, a dozen sons of former players were performing in the Big Time.  Indian Buddy

Bell, son of Gus Bell, became the first son to duplicate his father's feat of making an All-Star team.  Jerry

Hairston was heralded as the first second generation black player to reach the majors when he was called up by the White Sox in midseason.  Actually, brother John Hairston beat him to Chicago when he played three games for the 1969 Cubs.  The proud father is Sam Hairston, who played with the 1951 Chisox.

       Speaking of baseball generations, there is a minor league player named Mark Mueller who hopes to catch on with the Cardinals.  He is the son of Don Mueller, a 10-year man with the Giants, and the grandson of Walter Mueller of the 1922-26 Pirates.   He would be the first third generation player to make the Big Time.

       It looks as if Joe Coleman, who has won 62 games in the last three seasons, might be one of the most successful of the second generation big leaguers.  Some well known players whose sons also reached the top but did not attain the father's level of play include Earl Averill, Clyde Barnhart, Max Lanier, Thornton Lee, Fred

Lindstrom, Ron Northey, Earl Sheely, Hal Trosky, Jo Jo White, and Joe Wood.

       Were they pushed like the movie-version Junior Jackson, or did they make it on their own like Mike

Hegan?   There were probably a number of examples of each, but that is beyond the scope of this paper.

 (Tom Hufford assisted in the research for this article.)