When Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger played at Yankee Stadium last year for the first time in his major-league career, his connection to the organization resulted in an occasional misnaming that has followed him through his rise to stardom.
“People still call me Clay all the time,” an amused Bellinger told the Tribune. “Like, come on, man, he’s retired! But it’s funny.”
Cody was only 4 when his father, Clay, reached the majors with the New York Yankees in 1999, making the memories of his dad’s professional career, which spanned parts of four big-league seasons, somewhat hazy. A few emerge, though, like shagging fly balls during batting practice or spending time in the family room at old Yankee Stadium with his sister, Ashli, now 30, and brother, Cole, 24.
Cody, 28, appreciates that his mom, Jennifer, had a camcorder to film tons of video so he’s able to watch clips of being at Yankees games to see his dad play and the World Series parades. Among the highlights he has watched from his dad’s career: when Clay snagged Todd Zeile’s potential home run in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 6-5 victory against the Mets in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.
“Everyone tells me he was a great baseball player,” Cody said. “He had a small opportunity and took full advantage. He’s a grinder, man. He worked his whole life to get to where he’s at, and I kind of relate to that. Obviously I had a little different path than him but still carry that mentality.”
Among the 262 major-leaguers who’ve had a son also play in the big leagues, Clay and Cody are one of only nine father-son pairs who both have won a World Series title. That rare group includes Ray and Bob Boone, Billy Sullivan and Billy Sullivan, Julian and Stan Javier, Pedro Sr. and Pedro Jr. Bourbon, Ed and Scott Spiezio, Sal and Drew Butera and Dave and Chris Duncan.
The Bellingers’ six combined World Series appearances are tied with the Javiers for the most by a father-and-son duo.
For now, Clay holds family bragging rights with two World Series rings (1999 and 2000 with the Yankees) to Cody’s one (2020). Cody gets to claim the edge for individual accomplishments as a two-time All-Star who won the 2019 National League MVP and a Gold Glove award.
“It’s pretty cool to actually think about what we both accomplished,” Clay, 55, told the Tribune. “There’s been a lot of really, really, really good players who have never had a chance to even compete in one and then they get there and not win it.”
‘Coolest experience ever’
When Cody thinks of baseball and his dad, one of the first images is the batting-cage setup outside his childhood home where he took endless swings.
But among his best memories is being part of the 2007 Chandler, Ariz., Little League World Series team for which Clay was an assistant coach. Cody describes that week in Williamsport, Pa., as the “coolest experience ever” playing in front of thousands at 11 years old in nationally televised games.
“It was an amazing time,” Clay said. “They had a blast, getting to hang out with kids from other countries and parts of the U.S. Everyone enjoyed it.”
Clips of Cody’s performance in the LLWS sometimes circulate on social media, especially when the tournament gets underway every August. He still gets a kick out of seeing those highlights: “I love it, I really do because that’s just pure fun and pure happiness.”
Cody Bellinger’s been a beast since the LLWS 💪 pic.twitter.com/ggHgMTGyvd
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) October 21, 2020
Cody didn’t hit a growth spurt until the summer before his junior year of high school, when he reached his current 6-foot-3 height. Playing with a smaller frame all those years, though, had a profound effect on his game. Although blessed with a great swing, his size forced him to focus more on fundamentals rather than slugging the ball over the fence. He tended to be a line-drive hitter, going to the opposite field and showing great bat-to-ball skills.
Clay and Cody both believe that played a key role in Cody’s development into the player he is today.
“I was always the smallest kid so I wanted to go and compete with them and I wanted to throw the ball as hard as them and I wanted to hit the ball as far as them,” Cody said. “As a smaller kid you kind of adapt and you play the game as big as they do. Once I finally reached that height, obviously, I was super skinny so then I had to put on weight, but once I grew, the game seemed a little easier for me.”
His performance over his final two seasons at Hamilton High School put him on teams’ draft radar. Clay points to it starting when scouts came to check out another player during Cody’s junior season, and his production and smooth swing were impossible to ignore. With a pro career on the horizon, Clay always felt it was important Cody understood it would take more than talent to reach the majors. He needed to be as great off the field with how he treated people.
“To say it’s been an unbelievable ride is probably an understatement,” Clay said. “But to see his growth, he was always one of the hardest workers on the team. … I’ve never heard a bad thing about him. Obviously he’s a great talent, but he’s such a great kid. He hasn’t changed who he is as a person.”
Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
A magical 2017 debut season featured NL Rookie of the Year honors, a top-10 finish in NL MVP voting and a memorable World Series that saw the Dodgers fall short in Game 7 against the Houston Astros.
And within the season, Bellinger received what he considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in the Home Run Derby. He grew up watching it and considered the invitation a no-brainer to accept. And as part of the honor, Bellinger wanted his dad to pitch to him in the event at Marlins Park.
“I knew I wasn’t going to win,” Bellinger said. “I was going up against guys who were going to hit way more homers than me, but I wanted to do for the experience.”
Clay joined Cody in Los Angeles about one week before the All-Star break. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts invited Clay to get in uniform and throw batting practice pregame one day to Cody and the other hitters in Group 1 as part of his preparation process.
Cody remembers his dad claiming he wasn’t nervous to pitch to him in the Derby.
“I called BS on that,” Cody said with a laugh, “because I was so nervous.”
Bellinger bested the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon in his opening-round matchup despite trailing in the timed event 14-10 with one minute remaining. Bellinger hit the winner over the right-field wall as time expired to set up a showdown with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, who went on to win the Derby.
MLB debut
Clay, a second-round pick of the Giants in 1989, and Cody, a fourth-round pick of the Dodgers in 2013, understand as well as any player how the path to the majors can vary.
Clay spent more than 10 seasons in the minors with three organizations before the Yankees called him up in 1999. By the time Cody debuted for the Dodgers in 2017, he was a consensus top-30 prospect in the minors. As he reached Double A in 2016 and then played in the Arizona Fall League with other top prospects, Cody reached a turning point in how he viewed himself as a professional baseball player.
“It was like, OK, I really am one of the better players in this game, I can do things other people can’t,” Bellinger recalled. “But until then, I had no idea. I was just naturally gifted and worked. It’s a grind, this game is so hard.”
The call Cody had been waiting for came through at 2:30 a.m. in late April 2017, though he initially missed the first few from the Dodgers’ then-farm director Gabe Kapler. His parents made the short flight to San Francisco, a fitting site for Cody’s major-league debut against the organization that drafted his dad.
The details of that day still stand out for Cody as he rattles off how he started in left field with lefty Clayton Kershaw on the mound and preplanned to swing at the first pitch he saw, even if it wasn’t a strike. He popped out to shortstop.
“That was so anticlimactic,” Bellinger said, laughing. “I jammed myself and was so pissed.”
Although Cody would collect his first MLB hit in front of his family later that night, singling on a 3-0 pitch, Clay is still struck by one detail. Cody chose to wear No. 35 in honor of his dad, who wore the number for most of his career.
“I got choked up when he told me that,” Clay recalled.
Clay was particularly valued for his defense on those dominant Yankees teams. As a utility player who played every position but pitcher and catcher, Clay embraced that role and always wanted to find a way to help them win. He prided himself on making the routine plays and spectacular plays look routine. It’s why he was trusted as a defensive replacement late in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series.
“Knowing you’re probably not going to get a chance offensively, so I knew I wouldn’t start, but there’s always a chance for me to get in the game, especially that year with who we had,” Clay said. “Even during BP you’re in the outfield shagging, anything close you’d try to jump in the stands to make the play.”
Tested by struggles
As with many children’s relationships with their parents, there is a balance between seeking advice and forging your own path while figuring things out on your own. Clay has been a valuable resource for Cody. He watches nearly every Cubs game and almost all of Cody’s at-bats.
Sometimes Cody will text his dad after a game asking what he saw with his swing when he doesn’t seem locked in. Or if he’s in a stretch in which things are going well at the plate, there might be a “I feel good,” “You look good” exchange. Cody knows he always can bounce ideas off his dad, even if he might not always take the suggestions. There of course can be moments of exasperation, too, like Clay being baffled by Cody and other major-leaguers who prefer to hit in the cage and not take on-field pregame BP.
“I don’t want to be too much of an interference as a dad, he’s old enough and smart enough to figure it out and work through slumps,” Clay said. “If he asks, I’ll tell him what I think. I don’t know all the answers, obviously. I wasn’t a good hitter at all. But I’ve seen his stance and can tell when things are good.”
A brief slow start to his big-league career, going 1-for-10 with five strikeouts, prompted Clay to suggest he was setting up too close to the plate, preventing Cody from getting around on inside pitches. A quick adjustment led to Cody going on a tear over the next 2½ weeks, hitting seven home runs, five doubles and 20 RBIs in 18 games.
In the offseason, only 30 minutes away from each other, Clay still sometimes throws to Cody at his old high school in Arizona.
“That’s the most peaceful time, just mess around, take my swings, hit the high school in right field,” Cody said. “It’s a great time.”
Cody leaned on his support system through the most trying time of his career. Two injuries — surgery for a dislocated right shoulder after celebrating a home run he hit in Game 7 of the 2020 NL Championship Series and a fracture in his left fibula that cost him two months early in the 2021 season — preceded the two worst years of his career. Bellinger posted a .193/.256/.355 slash line and 66 OPS+ from 2021-22.
The two tough seasons prompted the Dodgers to nontender him in November 2022, leading him to sign a one-year pillow contract with the Cubs for 2023. His bounce-back season resulted in a reunion in February on a deal worth as much as $80 million over three years.
“For me playing I was extremely frustrated and I couldn’t imagine watching that,” Bellinger said. “It was a tough time but honestly, ultimately, I’m really glad I went through it. Because if my whole career was just positivity, I wouldn’t understand how to relate to my kids. I wouldn’t understand how to relate to anyone else that struggles.
“I went through it at a pretty unfortunate time, but I feel like I came out on top of it a better person, a better baseball player, and it keeps me hungry.”
Embracing the dad life
Once Clay’s pro career ended after the 2004 minor-league season, he transitioned into a career as a firefighter.
Eighteen years in, Clay still loves the job and the flexibility it allows him to watch Cody play or be involved in youth baseball camps.
Sometimes Cody and his wife, Carter, will bring their two daughters, Caiden, 2½, and Cy, 14 months, to his fire station. Cody’s oldest is starting to understand baseball and will point to the TV when a Cubs game is on while calling out “Dad.”
She loves playing catch and wants to do it all day, reminding Cody of himself as a kid.
“This life, it’s hard because you’re away so much and you want to be there during times where they’re upset or something and we talk on the phone, but it just sucks,” Bellinger said. “I’ve really enjoyed being a dad. It’s wild being able to see yourself through your kids at such a younger age and obviously your wife as well, just combining to make one little kid is a wild concept to me. I’ve loved every second of it.”
For Clay, there are regular reminders of his older son’s impact on the game. While working at a youth baseball camp in Hawaii last week, Clay constantly heard the same remark: There’s Cody’s dad.
“As a parent, if you’re known for what your kids’ accomplishments are in whatever field they’re in, it means they’re doing something well,” Clay said. “It’s been an incredible ride, and hopefully there’s 10 more years of it.”