WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
3B
VAN SLYKE: Baseball-star father helped son to excel at the sport
CONTINUED FROM 1R
of the season, he was our leading hitter."
intrer.
In the early days of this year's fall practices, Van Slyke has been working as the starting right fielder. During fall workouts, players lift weights and run four days a week and hit and work on defensive drills three days a week. NCAA regulations allow just four players to participate in workouts at the same time. The team begins a fall season of intrasquad games on Oct. 1.
Van Slyke said he was pleased with how his decision to change schools has worked out.
"KU is an awesome place to play baseball," he said. "It's the best place in the country."
The name Van Slyke may be familiar to baseball fans — Van Slyke's father, Andy, played 13 seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won five Gold Gloves and was a three-time All-Star selection.
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Both father and son realize having a dad who was a major league star has helped the son's development. The many advantages included private hitting
lessons in a batting cage in the basement of their house.
The oldest of four sons, A.J. Van Slyke was 14 when his father retired from baseball after spring training in 1997, but that was old enough for him to pick up the game.
"I know it gave him an advantage," the elder Van Slyke said. "He's done laundry. He's cleaned up around players. He has seen the routine that players go through. It's no secret why scouts like guys whose dads played in the big leagues."
The younger Van Slyke said there are pluses and minuses about having a dad who was a major leaguer.
major league.
"His advice is very valuable, and he has made me the player that I am," Van Slyke said. "You know the game. You know what it takes, and you have a lot of knowledge of the game that other people don't have."
people don’t feel him. He added, “There is a lot of pressure, though, and high expectations, to be at that level all of the time. It’s been great, though, and I wouldn’t change any of it.”
and I wouldn't compare
Comparisons between father
and son are inevitable. The
elder Van Slyke said he thought
he was a faster runner and had
a stronger arm than his son, but there was one area in which his son had a definite advantage.
son had a dementia, "If I had had his brain, I would have been in the Hall of Fame," he said.
he said. Price said he was most impressed by Van Slyke's work ethic, another asset he picked up from his father.
"He's a baseball rat," Price said. "He's the only player I've ever coached who dives in the outfield for balls during batting practice. When his group comes in to hit, he has grass stains on his jersey."
jersey.
The elder Van Slyke, who was a first-round draft choice by the St. Louis Cardinals out of high school, believes his son is only a good season away from being selected by a major league organization in next June's amateur draft.
drat.
"If he has a really good junior year, it would be irresponsible for at least one major league organization not to take a chance on him," Van Slyke said. "To me, the biggest question an organization in has evaluating a hitter is can he hit with a wood bat, and he's proven that he can do that [in the Illinois summer league]."
Draft day might be a big event at the Van Slyke house next June.
Scott Van Slyke, A.J.'s brother, is a high school senior and is expected to be selected in the draft as well. If that happens, it may be only the second time in the history of the draft that two brothers who were not twins were selected in the same year.
"That would be very special," Van Slyke said. "My brother has a high probability of being drafted out of high school, and there is a chance that I might get to go this year. If we both get drafted, it would just be awesome."
together in high school. When A.J. was a senior and Scott was a freshman, the two helped Burryshaw win state championships in both football and baseball.
would just be drafted by the same team, the Van Slyke brothers might be able to rekindle some of the magic they had playing together in high school.
A. J. has just one hope about the draft outcome. He doesn't want his younger brother getting bragging rights around the house.
"I just hope that my name gets called first."
- Edited by Paige Worthy
SAFETY: Stubbs' teammates say he is one of the smartest on field
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both a running back and a strong safety. Coming to Kansas, then-coach Terry Allen recruited him as an "athlete."
Even Stubbs had no idea what that designation meant.
When he arrived, Stubbs spent his first season as a redshirt. In that capacity, he worked as a running back with the practice squad. He then transformed himself to a cornerback for some time, before returning to running back.
Stubbs finally settled at
"I made comments, but I didn't suggest it." Stubbs said. "I said I believe I can help the team on defense."
strong safety with the Jayhawks in Mangino's first year as coach. In the beginning, however, he was a little overwhelmed with what he needed to learn about his new position.
"It was kind of scary at first," Stubbs said.
He said he had a particularly tough time grasping the idea of gap responsibility, though now with more experience, he relished the added challenge of targeting the ball carrier out of the backfield.
the backfield.
"In high school you don't have gap responsibility," Stubbs said. "You either play cover-two or cover-three. Now you have to make calls. I like it."
Stubbs' teammates in the secondary like playing with him as well.
"He's a tremendous leader back there," said junior cornerback Theo Baines. "He's saved me a couple of times."
tain on the chemiry back there is great," Baines said. "We're all on the same page."
But it's more than his leadership that makes him so important on the football field.
on the same page.
Talking to Stubbs, he exudes the quiet confidence of someone who thinks that all is going well. With the improvement of the defense from last year to this year, it's easy to understand why he feels that way. He also possesses an uncanny football intelligence, another
trait his teammates credit him for.
"He's smart, one of the smartest guys I've ever been around on the football field," Baines said.
Baines said. But Stubbs gets a little confused when he thinks about how much better this season feels than last year.
"I feel great about it," he said. "I can't really explain it. It's a really good feeling. I like it, and I want to keep it."
I want to keep him.
Stubbies may not know what to say about his performance, but so far the Big 12 tackling leader's actions have spoken louder than his words.
Edited by Rupal Gor
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