Yankees cut from same cloth know George Lombard Jr. is benefiting from MLB upbringing
· Yahoo Sports
The son of a big leaguer, George Lombard Jr. made Dodger Stadium his playground growing up.
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His dad, a former outfielder, coached in Los Angeles from 2016-2020. That gave Lombard and his brother, Jacob, full access to Blue Heaven on Earth, as well as older playmates like Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager, Kiké Hernández, Justin Turner and Chris Taylor.
You best believe that they took advantage.
“They were out on the field, him and his brother, taking groundballs every day,” said Bellinger, who began his career with the Dodgers in 2017. “You could tell that baseball was in their blood.”
Baseball is also in Bellinger’s blood, as his dad, Clay, played for his current team, the Yankees. The same can be said of Ryan Weathers and his father, David. And then there’s Yankees skipper Aaron Boone, whose brother, father and grandfather — that would be Bret, Bob and Ray — all played in the majors.
Bellinger, Weathers and Boone said that coming from a big league family and spending time in professional clubhouses as children helped them when they began their MLB careers. They believe a similar upbringing has already aided the 21-year-old Lombard Jr., who shined in his debut for the Yankees in Tuesday’s win over the Cardinals.
“There’s benefit in that,” Boone said before the shortstop smoked a solo shot and turned a pair of dazzling double plays at Yankee Stadium. “I think growing up around that maybe helps a little bit with the transition. I feel like it did in my case, and I think that, generally speaking, rings true.”
“It’s your first time as a player,” added Weathers, “but it’s not your first time in a big league locker room.”
“I think it’s something,” Bellinger chimed in. “For whatever reason, it becomes more innate.”
Lombard Jr. agreed, saying that he showed up in the Bronx with a level of comfort that might otherwise be foreign to a kid in his position.
Of course, he didn’t want to compare his childhood memories to playing in his first major league game.
“Like okay, yeah, you’ve kind of had some of the experience,” Lombard Jr. said. “You know somewhat what it’ll be like. But definitely being in it [now] and actually doing it is different. It becomes real for the first time. So it’s still taking it all in and taking it step by step.”
The other Yankees said that being raised in major league ballparks made the biggest difference behind the scenes when they first debuted.
Like any new job, there’s a learning curve, but they felt ahead of it because they already grasped the inner machinations of a team, and they saw how professionals carried themselves as they were developing their own work ethics. At an early age, they knew to give veterans space; that what happened in the clubhouse stays in the clubhouse; and that being on time is a mandate, not a recommendation.
“You just kind of understand how the clubhouse operates,” said Weathers, who hung out with the sons of Eric Milton, Juan Castro, Ken Griffey Jr. and Dusty Baker when his dad pitched for the Reds. “You understand the ins and outs of the day-to-day life of being a big leaguer.”
That education has earned Lombard Jr. rave reviews. Even as a spring training invitee the last two years, his maturity impressed his future manager and teammates.
The talent was obvious. But the way that Lombard Jr. carried himself before he could even buy a drink stood out.
“You can tell he knows how to maneuver. He knows how to handle himself,” Bellinger said. “I feel like his IQ is very high.
“You can tell he grew up in a locker room.”
Boone shared a similar sentiment, stating that Lombard Jr. knew how to act and prepare in camp. Surrounded by MVPs and All-Stars, but also commanding a ton of attention himself, nothing seemed too big for the top prospect.
That certainly appeared to be the case on Tuesday, too, even if Lombard Jr. kept saying he was still processing his big league arrival.
“I think George Sr. has done a great job in preparing him for a baseball life, for a professional baseball career, and then I think he has all the ingredients and DNA to go out and handle that,” said Boone, who was managed by his own dad in the majors. “He strikes that balance of being very confident in what he does, but there’s a humility to him that is important to have in this game.”
George Sr., now the Tigers’ bench coach, didn’t want to take all the credit for the success his sons — Jacob was recently drafted 14th overall by the Marlins — have enjoyed thus far. Granted permission to attend Tuesday’s game by Detroit, he said the younger George has been “prepping for this his whole life,” and that his passion for the game has gotten him this far.
Without that, it wouldn’t have mattered how often the dad dragged his kids to Chavez Ravine.
“I just wanted him to be happy and able to do something that he loves to do,” George Sr. said, “and he’s getting that opportunity, along with our younger son.”
But Lombard Jr. knows that his dad’s career is actively easing his own acclimation process.
Asked what lessons he learned as a kid that are applicable now, Lombard Jr. replied, “It’s a hard game. You’re gonna struggle. There’ll be ups and downs.”
“The biggest thing is just taking everything day by day and being the same person,” he continued. “I’m gonna be the same teammate, play the same way, play to win, play hard every single day, and play with my hair on fire.”
That’s something the Yankees are looking forward to with Lombard Jr. now in a position to stake claim to their starting shortstop job for the foreseeable future.
“He’s been prepared and bred for this,” Boone said. “It’s one thing to physically check all the boxes and have the ability and be ready to play here, but part of that development is you being able to handle and deal with [the spotlight], and we feel like he’s equipped for all that.”