St. Louis Cardinals' father-son duos

3 of 4

Father's Day is a special day for many people. For fathers themselves, this day brings to light the importance of their children and their role as model in the family. For children, it's a day to show appreciation to the men in their lives who have impacted them greatly.

Each year, Major League Baseball honors this day in a special way. Teams release specialty hats, the league organizes donations for prostate cancer research, and blue accessories are donned by players, coaches, and umpires alike during games. For many of these players, their love for baseball started with playing catch in the backyard with their dad.

There have been plenty of wholesome dad moments on this day in St. Louis Cardinals' history; from Nolan Arenado hitting a home run last year after the birth of his first child to Joe Buck recalling his dad's death just a few days after Father's Day in 2022, the day has meant a lot for the franchise.

Several father-son pairings have played for the Cardinals across a variety of eras. While none of these duos played together, the fact that they played for the same organization is unique.

Here are 7 father-son duos who have played or been a part of St. Louis Cardinals' history.

The Buck Family

This one may be the most obvious. Jack Buck is one of the most recognizable voices in St. Louis Cardinals' history. He was with the organization for a total of 47 years starting in 1954 when he became the team's radio play-by-play host. Buck is known for some of the most magical calls in the history of baseball, and Cardinal fans were graced with his voice for almost half of a century.

Buck's son, Joe, never worked directly and solely with the Cardinals like his father did. Rather, Joe Buck was a national sportscaster for networks such as Fox and ESPN. However, the younger Buck was able to announce several Cardinals' playoff games during his tenure, including the 2011 World Series where he paid homage to his father in game 6. Joe Buck even joined Chip Caray this season to be in the booth and pay tribute to their ancestors who announced Cardinal games together.

The Buck family is synonymous with baseball and the Cardinals. Both have been able to root for their hometown team from the booth.

The Spezio Family

The 2006 World Series is ingrained in the memories of many a St. Louisan. Albert Pujols was electric, Adam Wainwright launched a successful career, and Scott Spezio sported a goatee that was unmatched. However, Scott was actually the second Spezio to wear the Birds on the Bat in Cardinal history.

His father, Ed, played for the Cardinals for 5 years from 1964 until 1969. Ed hit a total of 5 home runs during his tenure, but he and his son became the first father-son duo to both hit home runs for the Cardinals. Scott played just 2 seasons with the Cardinals from 2006-2007, but he hit 17 himself and was a part of a World Series team.

The Pena Family

The second father-son pairing to hit home runs in Cardinal history would be the Pena family. Tony Pena played 3 seasons with the Cardinals from 1987-1989, and he hit 19 home runs in those 3 years. The former catcher played for several other teams in his admirable career, and he eventually managed the Kansas City Royals from 2002 until 2005.

Tony's son, Francisco, was also a catcher for the Cardinals. Francisco homered against the Phillies on May 18, 2018, making this pair the second to hit home runs in Cardinal history. Francisco played just 1 season in St. Louis, and it was his final professional season. However, Tony's career was longer and more accomplished, and both provided value for the Cardinals.

The Javier Family

This pairing of Cardinal pairings was not known to me. Julian Javier had a lengthy career in St. Louis, 12 years, and he made it to two All-Star games during his tenure. He also was a part of two World Series teams in 1964 and 1967. Julian played with a Cardinal great in Stan Musial, and the two became close friends, so much so that he named his son after The Man.

Stan Javier played for 18 years in the majors. Though none of them were with the Cardinals, he was initially signed by the Redbirds in 1981. Stan was subsequently traded to the New York Yankees the following year.

The Duncan Family

The Duncan family is chock full of professional baseball players. The dad, Dave, and his sons Chris and Shelley all played in the majors. Though Dave never played baseball with the Cardinals, he was an excellent coach. Dave Duncan was the team's pitching coach from 1996 until 2011, and he was a key cog in the team's World Series championships in 2006 and 2011.

Dave's son, Chris, did play for the Cardinals. He played outfield from 2005 until 2009, and he, too, was a part of the team's World Series efforts in 2006. Despite having a career .805 OPS, Chris Duncan retired in 2012 after a diagnosis with a brain tumor. He fought his cancer hard for 7 years, and eventually passed away on September 6th, 2019.

The Olivares Family

Ed Olivares's career in baseball was short-lived, but it was spent entirely with the St. Louis Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals from 1960 until 1961. He was eventually taken in the expansion draft when the Houston Colt 45s were added.

Ed's son, Omar, played much longer than his father in The majors. He spent the first 5 of his 12 years with the St. Louis Cardinals, and he finished his Cardinal career with a 4.02 ERA in 606 innings. Omar would then go on to play 7 more years in professional baseball.

The Sislers

This duo is the oldest in Cardinal history. The father, George Sisler, was a member of the St. Louis Browns from 1915 until 1927. The Hall of Famer was an excellent offensive player with a slash line of .340/.379/.468 for his career. Sisler earned one MVP award during his time in St. Louis in 1922.

George's sons were both born in St. Louis, and while his son Dave never played for the Cardinals, his other son, Dick, played 4 years in St. Louis. Dick played with the Redbirds from 1846-1947 and again from 1952-1953.

manual

Home / St Louis Cardinals History