DETROIT — There are dads like you, whose boys play Little League baseball, Babe Ruth and maybe even in high school or college. And then there are the White Sox dads like those who get to pal around with their sons on the job this weekend. Dads who dreamed along with their sons that they’d be in a major league clubhouse someday.
The Sox invited their players’ fathers to join the team for the its three-game series in Detroit. Some flew on the team charter, all are staying in the most upscale hotel one can imagine.
Some sat at their sons’ lockers Friday, just soaking it all in.
“This is fricking crazy,” said Frank Crochet, left-hander Garrett’s dad. “This is amazing. It’s pretty awesome.”
The old man, who never played high school ball but physically filled out after and became something of an accomplished slo-pitch softball player, was on the field Friday afternoon taking batting practice, playing catch and shagging flies.
Frank muscled one over the left field wall. He was the only dad to go deep.
“I had a feeling he would be leading the charge,” said Garrett, who turned 25 Friday.
Garrett is the one who has led the charge on the mound in his first season as a starter, and Frank Crochet is the least bit surprised.
“I want to say I’m not shocked at all but you can’t act surprised when he does stuff,” he said. “Garrett has always over-achieved. Has always been above the rest.
“I believe he will be in the Hall of Fame. Like, I firmly believe it.”
Manager Pedro Grifol lauded Crochet’s character and makeup recently, and Frank wasn’t surprised to hear that, either.
“I would love to take credit for all that,” he said. “But kids turn out how they want to, and Garrett is the man he is because that’s who he wanted to be. You can lay a foundation as a parent but he’s who he is because he wanted to be that. And it’s awesome.
“I don’t want to say I’m proud because that insinuates I didn’t expect it. And I do expect it. I can’t even put it into words.”
Grifol was behind it, having seen this done in Kansas City.
“This is really important,” Grifol said. “The dads deserve this opportunity. They sacrificed so much for their kids, who wouldn’t be here without them. They should enjoy the big-league life for a few days.”
A cynic might say the 20-57 Sox are a team only a father could love. Gregory Banks, Chris Brebbia, Scott Fedde, Michael P. Kopech, Bobby Lopez, Gary Soroka, Bob Wilson, Luis Robert Sr. and Martin Maldonado Sr. were also on the trip, loving every bit of the experience based on their reactions, as were the fathers of coaches Drew Butera and Mike Tosar and Josh Fallin and Jessica Lubinski of the training staff. Sal Butera, a former major leaguer, is a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience for me,” Erick Fedde said. “Our parents sacrificed a lot for us to get here.”
Scott Fedde experienced the day of a big league starter, even listening in on his son’s pregame meeting with pitching coach Ethan Katz and catcher Korey Lee.
“It was role reversal,” the senior Kopech said, “because all the players are on the field shagging flies for their dads when it used to be us.”
That was the easy part. The tough part about being a dad can be watching the games.
“You live and die with every pitch when your son is a pitcher, and every swing I guess, if your son is a hitter,” Kopech said. “If you’re present here or on the app, you’re calling the umpire all the bad names you can think of.”
Just like all you Little League dads.