Andy Van Slyke

“I can only guess that, for guys in their 30s and 40s who watched me play, they understood that the score never mattered and my paycheck never mattered (in relation) to how I played. I played with Little League enthusiasm and professional flair. That's what fans are really looking for.” -Andy Van Slyke

“I always considered myself a winning player, a player who was more concerned about winning than anything else. The reality of it is, you have very little control over those bigger things in the game. It's a lot like life. I think 99 percent of what goes on in life, we have very little control over. The 1 percent, I thought, was going to be big enough for me to contribute to something bigger than myself. It didn't happen. That didn't mean I left anything behind. I had as much or more fun as anyone. I left body parts and skin and sweat all over the United States. I regret nothing.” -Andy Van Slyke

    Baseball is known as a kid’s game. Baseball players from all ages have always been encouraged to have fun when they play the game. If a player is not having fun, he’s not playing the game as he should.  Playing the game is much like the Toys R Us commercials-- You don’t ever want to grow up. This is baseball rule number one.
    Now, I’m very much aware of the fact that I probably know very little about playing the game. If my gender doesn’t make it painfully obvious, I’m sure the fact that I played one year of T-ball and hated it will help my case. However, I’m not one of those idiot fans who don‘t even know the basic fundamentals. I did spend my entire life around a baseball diamond-- most of it against my will. My older brother played from Little League to D2 College (20years), as well as my boyfriend, whom I met his last year of D2 College baseball. Both have given me a personal glimpse to what its like to play the game. Both have said and shown the most important part of the game is having fun. Once your not having fun the game becomes a burden.
    I believe that’s why playing the game like a kid is another characteristic of a dirtbag. As I explore my definition of a dirtbag I realize a dirtbag always plays the game with basic fundamentals. Playing the game with pure pleasure, like a T-baller, is one of them. No other player shows how much fun you can have on the field than Andy Van Slyke.  
    Slyke is famously known for his light-hearted and witty personality. It was only fit he became a part of the Pittsburg Pirates on April Fool‘s Day, 1987. He was a left-handed hitter, a natural five-tool player (speed, range, power, arm strength, and contact), and played the game hard. Defensively, he played aggressive. Although he frequently struggled in the batters box, his arm and capability to “get a jump on the ball” made him a natural contender for centerfield. (1) Overall, Slyke is best described from a quote by former Pirates GM, Syd Thrift, as “a throwback to the old-fashioned player. A bear-down, clutch player. There's no stat for runners held—runners that don't dare try to run on him… He takes pre-game outfield practice even in 100° August heat. You know anybody else who does that? Then he makes it all look so easy.” (3)
    Andy Van Slyke is a player of zing and zest. He’s best known for playing alongside the infamous Barry Bonds. Nevertheless, Slyke’s zany personality amplified most with his on-field relationship with Bonds. His carefree personality with such a superstar is what makes him a perfect and unique It’s rumored that Slyke tried to wave Barry in to shallow left before Francisco Cabrera’s game-winning hit… Which according to Slyke Bonds gave him the finger instead of taking his advice. In an online article, Answer Man: Andy Van Slyke talks slugging Bonds, coaching first, by David Brown, Slyke jokingly reflects back on the incident.  In the article he’s asked if he thought Bonds was ignoring him, he replies, “I always felt that I got a sixth sense on the field that, as an outfielder, I had these premonitions that seemed to come true about half the time.” (4)
    Not only does Slyke goofy on-field personality earn him dirtbag points, but he’s a man of the game. He knows the game, for example, when asked about why he tried moving Bonds to shallow left, he explains… “I just felt, given when I saw, that Cabrera was going to hit the ball to left field and nowhere else. Based on scouting reports, based on the count, and that he had just ripped the ball down the left-field line foul when it was 2-0. I was trying to make Barry move in to not let the winning run score from second. He chose to ignore me. Now, if he had moved in two steps, I don't know if it would have made a difference. I'll never know that. It might have been a harder play for him because the ball was hit to his left a little.” (4)
    This shows that Slyke is a dirtbag because he is aware of his surroundings. He’s aware of other players capabilities, of the situation on the field, and of how to play the game. Any baseball player, young or old, will tell you how important play based on circumstance. Much like Biggio, Slyke’s a dirtbag because he knows basic Little League fundamentals and uses it to his advantage. Slyke just tops it off with his Little League personality. If you have the time I recommend reading the article by David Brown [link provided below]. You can read, first hand, what kind of personality Andy Van Slyke has and if your clever enough, imagine him in centerfield a big grin on his face, glove out, ready to play the game.
   


(1) http://www.thebaseballpage.com/players/vanslan01

(2) http://www.baseballforum.com/pittsburgh-pirates/66424-pirates-player-week-past-present-andy.html

(3) http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1068238/2/index.htm

(4) http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Answer-Man-Andy-Van-Slyke-talks-slugging-Bonds-?urn=mlb-80289