The Main Event
- April 28, 2017 – Mark Leiter, Jr. makes his Phillies debut with a scoreless inning of relief against the Dodgers. Leiter’s father, Mark Sr., also pitched for the Phillies, making them the first father-son pitching duo in team history.
A Small but Meaningful Club
The list of true father–son duos who both took the field for either the Philadelphia Athletics or the Philadelphia Phillies is shorter than you might expect, but it offers a fascinating cross-section of baseball history. Across two franchises and more than a century of play, only four such combinations fit the criteria. Each tells a slightly different story about lineage, opportunity, and the way the game passes from one generation to the next.
The Mack Family Legacy
The most historically significant pairing is Connie Mack and his son Earle Mack. Connie Mack’s brief playing career in the 1880s included time with the early Philadelphia franchise, but his true impact came as the long-time manager and owner of the Athletics. He guided the club for half a century and became one of the defining figures in the sport’s history. His son Earle played sparingly for the Athletics in the 1910s and 1920s, appearing in a limited role as an outfielder.
What makes this pairing unique is that both men also served as managers. Connie’s managerial career is legendary, while Earle had a short stint managing the A’s during his father’s later years. The Mack family extended well beyond just the two of them. Connie’s other sons, Roy and Connie Mack Jr., were also deeply involved in the franchise as executives, making the Athletics one of the most family-driven operations in baseball history.
A Modern Phillies Line Begins
The first true father–son duo for the Phillies came decades later with Rubén Amaro Sr. and Rubén Amaro Jr.. Amaro Sr. was a Gold Glove winning shortstop on the 1964 Phillies and later contributed to the 1980 World Series championship team as a coach, with Ruben Jr. serving as the team’s bat boy. Known for his defensive versatility and steady presence, he spent parts of six seasons as a player in Philadelphia.
Amaro Jr., had a shorter playing tenure with the Phillies in the early 1990s. While his on-field career was modest, he later became far more prominent as the team’s general manager. In that role, he helped shape the roster during a competitive era that followed the 2008 championship core. The Amaros are one of several multi-generation baseball families, with ties extending into scouting and international play.
Pitching Bloodlines in Philadelphia
The Leiter family adds a pitching dimension to this group. Mark Leiter pitched for the Phillies in 1997 and 1998, serving primarily as a starter and swingman. He made 31 starts and 69 relief appearances with the Phillies and saved 23 games for them in 1998.
His son, Mark Leiter Jr., followed a similar path decades later, joining the Phillies as a young pitcher and working both as a starter and reliever, making his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2017. The younger Leiter currently pitches for the Athletics.
The Leiters are part of a larger baseball family that includes Al Leiter, the brother of Mark Sr. Al Leiter pitched 19 seasons in the majors. His son, Jack Leiter, is a starter for the Texas Rangers.
The Bedrosian Connection
The most recent addition to this group is Steve Bedrosian and Cam Bedrosian. Steve Bedrosian was a major figure in Phillies history, serving as the team’s closer from 1987-1989, leading the majors in saves with 40 in 1987 when he won the National League Cy Young Award. His dominance at the back of the bullpen made him one of the most recognizable pitchers of his era in Philadelphia.
Cam Bedrosian’s time with the Phillies was brief. He made one start and 10 relief appearances with the 2021 Phillies, which would mark the end of his big league career. Even though his time with Philadelphia was short, it cemented the family’s place in this exclusive group.
Other Philadelphia Connections
While only four duos meet the strict criteria of having played and/or managed in Philadelphia, several other father–son combinations have notable ties to the city. Bob Boone played for the Phillies and was part of the 1980 championship team, though his sons Bret and Aaron Boone never suited up for Philadelphia. David Bell – the son of Buddy Bell and grandson of Gus Bell – was an infielder with the Phillies for three-plus seasons. David Bell, who also managed in the majors, has a brother, Mike Bell, who played 19 games for the 2000 Cincinnati Reds.
These near-misses highlight how rare it is for both generations to intersect with the same franchise. Trades, timing, and career arcs all have to align just right.
In the end, the four father–son duos connected directly to the Philadelphia Athletics and Phillies form a small but meaningful group. They link different eras of baseball in the city, from the early days of Connie Mack’s empire to the modern bullpen appearances of Cam Bedrosian. Each pairing adds a layer to Philadelphia’s baseball story, showing how the game’s traditions are carried forward one generation at a time.
Philadelphia Baseball Events for April 28
- April 28, 1921 – Shortstop Ralph Miller and pitcher Lee Meadows both hit grand-slams as the Phils beat the Braves 11-6 at Baker Bowl. It’s the first multi-slam game in team history.
- April 28, 1929 – The Boston Red Sox lose to the Philadelphia Athletics, 7 – 3, in their first-ever Sunday home game. Due to Fenway Park’s proximity to a church, the game is played at Boston’s Commonwealth Park.
- April 28, 1940 – Traded Roy Hughes to Brooklyn for cash. Hughes never played in the majors for Brooklyn. He returned to the majors with the Cubs in 1944 and ’45 before having his contract sold to the Phillies prior to the 1946 season. In all, the infielder played 155 games with the Phillies and hit .232 as part of a nine-year major league career.
- April 28, 1962 – Traded left-hander Don Ferrarese to St. Louis for Bobby Locke and cash. In all, Ferrarese made 14 starts and 33 relief appearances with the Phillies and posted a 3.96 ERA. Locke, a right-hander, pitched three seasons with the Phillies, making 22 relief appearances with a 4.53 ERA. Nine of his relief outings were with the ’64 Phillies when he had a 2.79 ERA.
- April 28, 1962 – Frank Thomas, Charlie Neal and Gil Hodges hit consecutive home runs in the 6th inning to lead the expansion New York Mets to an 8 – 6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The victory is a rare occurrence for the Mets – one of only 40 during their inaugural season.
- April 28, 1970 – After pitching 1.1 innings, Dick Selma moves to third base and Joe Hoerner records the final out in the Phils’ 3-2 win over Los Angeles. Selma also played one out at third two weeks earlier.
- April 28, 1982 – Pete Rose of the Philadelphia Phillies goes 5-for-5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, tying Max Carey for the most five-hit games in National League history. Rose’s latest five-hit performance helps the Phillies to a 9-3 win.
- April 28, 1991 – Tony Gwynn hit into the first triple play at the Vet. With runners on first and second, Gwynn lined out to Randy Ready at second. Ready stepped on the bag for the second out, but instead of tagging the runner coming from first, he threw to Ricky Jordan who recorded the last out at the bag.
- April 28, 2015 – Pitcher and Panama native Severino Gonzalez got the start, throwing to countryman Carlos Ruiz. They became the first all-Panamanian battery to start a game in the majors. Gonzalez didn’t last long, though, getting rocked for seven runs in less than three innings.
ICYMI
- Philly Baseball News – FSL Player of the Week: Alirio Ferrebus
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Philadelphia Baseball Birthdays for April 28
- Frank Scanlan (born 1890) – A left-hander who pitched in six games for the 1909 Phillies as a 19-year-old, with a 1.64 ERA. Those appearances were his only major league opportunities.
- Jackie Brandt (born 1934) – Played outfield in 98 games for the 1966 and ’67 Phillies, hitting .235 as part of an 11-year career.
- Jim Poole (born 1966) – Signed as a free agent by the Phillies in December 1998 and pitched in 51 games as a left-handed reliever with a 4.33 ERA. He was released in August of 1999 and signed with Cleveland. Played 11 seasons with eight different teams.
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