Farrell helped by hard work, family insight

Legacies are anything but uncommon in the game of baseball. In this year's Draft alone, more than 20 of the players selected are the sons of former (and even current) Major Leaguers.

That group includes the offspring of Hall of Famers (George Brett and Robin Yount), big-name stars (Lenny Dykstra, Rafael Palmeiro and Bruce Hurst) and longtime veterans (Jesse Orosco, Jesse Barfield and Robby Thompson, who had two sons drafted).

You have the son of a manager (Ozzie Guillen), a general manager (Kenny Williams) and even an agent (Scott Boras, whose son Shane was a 35th-round pick by St. Louis).

You even have the son of a current big leaguer -- shortstop Devaris Strange-Gordon, whose dad, Tom, still pitches for the Philadelphia Phillies.

But even in that big pool, Jeremy Farrell swims alone.

The New York-Penn League All-Star first/third baseman, drafted in the eighth round by Pittsburgh out of the University of Virginia, is the son of a former big-league pitcher, 10-year vet John Farrell.

But his dad also currently serves as pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox and was director of player development for the Cleveland Indians for five years, during which time the club won two Minor League Organization of the Year awards.

The many hats the elder Farrell has worn have translated into as many different ways his experience has benefited his son.

Growing up, Jeremy Farrell was a two-way player. But by the time he reached his late teens, he knew it was time to focus on one or the other.

"I loved to pitch, and I pitched through high school, but when it was time to select a college, I knew the University of Virginia was the place for me, and they wanted me to solely play in the field," explained Farrell, who hit .316 with 11 homers, 54 RBIs and 13 steals this year for the Cavaliers. "We had discussions about it, and it was ultimately going to come down to what the guys in pro ball and college saw me as."

As a teen, Farrell had already caught the eye of at least one of his dad's colleagues, Neal Huntington, who at the time was special assistant to Indians general manager Mark Shapiro.

Huntington remembers the first time he saw Farrell, down in the Indians' instructional league camp in Winter Haven, Fla., where he'd come to see his dad during a fall break from high school.

"I hope this isn't illegal, but he was working out with the Indians instructional team when he was 16 and visiting his dad," laughed Huntington, now the Pirates' GM. "I remember watching him taking batting practice and taking ground balls and he belonged there, even at 16. He was one of the more impressive players there in actions and maturity and presence."

Farrell moved on to Virginia, where he became a freshman All-American, and when the '08 Draft rolled around a couple years later, Huntington didn't forget the kid he'd seen holding his own in Winter Haven, taking him with their eighth pick.

With his Cavaliers having just been knocked out of the super-regional tournament by Cal State-Fullerton, Farrell was reunited with his family in Boston on Draft day and got the call while he was with his mom at the local Best Buy, picking out a camera as a birthday present for his brother.

He signed June 15 and within a few days was in State College, Pa., suited up and playing first base for the State College Spikes of the short-season New York-Penn League.

Though Farrell missed nearly three weeks after being hit by a pitch in late June, he was batting .296 with 20 RBIs through Aug. 26 and was named to participate in the recent NYPL All-Star Game, where he went 1-for-3 with a double.

For now, Farrell is splitting time between first and third base, but odds are he'll settle in at first once the Pirates' top pick, Vanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, joins a team.

So far in his pro and college career, Farrell has proven that while he might not have gotten the first-hand experiential advice of a dad who was, unlike him, a pitcher, that has been more than made up for in the insight he receives from his father in other phases of the game.

"He's played in the big leagues, he's coached in the big leagues and he's been a farm director, so he's seen a lot," Jeremy said of his father. "He has a great baseball mind, and he's provided a lot of knowledge."

Those family assets have not gone unappreciated by Huntington.

"Knowing John's background, his quality character and his baseball intelligence, and knowing how much time Jeremy spent with John growing up, it's one of those situations where the father's experiences definitely benefit the son," he said.

Farrell thinks the best advice he got from his dad centered around work ethic.

"He always reiterated the fact that you can't go wrong with hard work," he said. "It's a daily grind, so work hard every day, and as long as you give 100 percent, see where that takes you."

But bloodlines and family name notwithstanding, Huntington feels that Jeremy Farrell's qualifications stand alone.

"He's been exposed to a lot of decisions that John's made as a farm director, and experiences he's had, and no question, it gives Jeremy a much broader perspective than that of the typical player and a higher chance of success," Huntington said. "But we didn't draft Jeremy thinking he'd become John. We knew his abilities alone warranted his being drafted."