Andy Van Slyke was a sleek 6-foot-1, 190-pound outfielder, playing mostly for the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates in a major league career that spanned from 1983-95.

“He played really hard,” Andy’s son, Scott Van Slyke says. “He’d run into walls. He loved playing the game, and you could see it the way he played.”

Scott Van Slyke is a sturdy 6-foot-5, 250-pound outfielder for the Albuquerque Isotopes. He offers a little more power than his father did and one day may become an anchor for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Andy batted left-handed and had a rocket for a right arm. Scott is right-handed and relies on his instincts.

“He was a really fast guy,” Scott says of his father. “He would steal bases. He would get a bad jump and still catch the ball. I’ve got to get good jumps and take good routes to the ball.”

Scott was about 9 years old when Andy played his final game.

“Earlier on,” Scott says, “whether I went to the game or not, I kind of knew if he had a bad day. I think later on in his career he turned it off and learned to come home and be normal.”

Having a father who played in three All-Star Games, won five Gold Gloves and two Silver Slugger awards may not be normal, but it is useful if you’re embarking on a baseball career of your own.

Scott says the one piece of advice “that sticks with me, and I’m starting to understand it the last couple of years, is that it is such a long season.

“When you’re playing a game and it’s the fifth inning, and you’re 0-for-2, you’re thinking, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to get a hit. But when you start thinking about it, over 140, 160 games, two-at-bats is really important, but the next two are more important. I think, understanding how long a season is, you start to concentrate every at-bat.”

By watching his father, Scott also learned how to be a teammate.

“I think he was an unbelievable teammate,” Scott says. “He cared how his teammates did. I think that’s kind of how I am. I care about how my teammates do. I care about how Jerry (Sands, his fellow Isotopes outfielder) does, whether or not we’re fighting for a spot to get to the big leagues this year. I really, sincerely want him to do well.”

While Scott Van Slyke is preparing for the Isotopes’ opening road trip to Omaha, Andy Van Slyke is back home in Missouri, coaching Scott’s 14-year-old brother.

Andy Van Slyke was once quoted by Sports Illustrated as saying: “My biggest problem in the big leagues is that I can’t figure out how to spend forty-three dollars in meal money.”

The dollar figure certainly has changed, but Scott Van Slyke is looking forward to the day when that becomes his problem.

REMEMBERING DANIELS: Former Lobo Mel Daniels will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in September – a long overdue honor.

While growing up in the Jemez and listening to Mike Roberts broadcast Lobos games on the radio, I conjured an image of Daniels that rivaled Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.

While that was an exaggeration of a young mind, I do believe it’s true that had Daniels played in this media age, his tenacity would have been better appreciated.

He personified what Bob King wanted in a basketball player – a tireless worker who understood the importance of team play.

It’s fitting that he was the Pit’s first star.

REGRET BEER REFERENCE: In a column last week regarding UNM’s athletic budget deficit, I made a clichéd reference to students, pizza and beer. Given the bump in student fees, I suggested – tongue in cheek – that athletic director Paul Krebs might want to have Bob Davie buy students pizza and have Steve Alford get the beer.

Alford took offense to being linked with alcohol in the reference. I understand and respect his position, and regret making that connection.
— This article appeared on page D1 of the Albuquerque Journal