Dozens of father-and-son combinations have played or managed in Major League Baseball (MLB).
The first was Jack Doscher, son of Herm Doscher, who made his debut in 1903.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. became the first father-and-son duo to play in MLB at the same time, in 1989 when Ken Jr. was called up by the Seattle Mariners while Ken Sr. was playing with the Cincinnati Reds. They became Mariner teammates in 1990. In Ken Sr.'s first game as a Mariner, on August 31, 1990, the pair hit back-to-back singles in the first inning and both scored.[1] On September 14, in the top of the first off California Angels pitcher Kirk McCaskill, the pair hit back-to-back home runs, the only father-son duo to do so.[2] They played 51 games together before Ken Sr. retired in June 1991.
In 2001, Tim Raines and Tim Raines Jr. played as teammates with the Baltimore Orioles.
At the 2023 Home Run Derby, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Sr. became the first father-son duo to win the trophy.
Cecil and Prince Fielder are the only father-son combination each to hit 50 or more home runs in any season. Cecil Fielder hit 51 homers in 1990; 17 years later, his son Prince, hit 50. Both Prince and Cecil hit exactly 319 home runs in their careers.
Six families have had a father and son serve as managers:
- the Macks: (Connie and Earle)
- the Sislers: (George and Dick)
- the Skinners: (Bob and Joel)
- the Boones: (Bob and Aaron)
- the Bells: (Buddy and David).[3]
- the Rojas-Alous: Felipe Alou and Luis Rojas
- ^ "August 31, 1990 Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. August 31, 1990. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ "September 14, 1990 Seattle Mariners at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. September 14, 1990. Retrieved February 16, 2011.
- ^ "Former Mariner David Bell hired as manager of Reds". The Seattle Times. The Associated Press. October 21, 2018. Retrieved October 22, 2018.