Baseball is full of families. The Griffeys, the Molinas, and countless others have adorned MLB uniforms and made great stories playing a great game. One of baseball’s lesser-known families is that of the Roenickes. Composed of Gary, his younger brother Ron, and Gary’s sons Josh and Jason, the Roenickes have a combined 22 years worth of MLB experience. While not a household band of names, the Roenickes have made their own small impact on the various teams they have played with.

It started with Gary in 1976 when he was drafted and debuted with the Montreal Expos as a utility outfielder. He lasted the remainder of the season with the Spos but moved to Baltimore for the bulk of his career, from 78-85. After a brief stint with the Yankees, he finished his career in Atlanta. Gary never achieved much success, his best season was 1982 when he hit .270 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI and an incredible .392 OBP. He is perhaps best known as being the other guy in a trade that involved now-famed broadcaster Rex Hudler.

Ron Roenicke surfaced in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and spent the next eight years with six clubs. He never played a full season with one team, but did fill a lot of holes for various clubs as an outfielder and first baseman. He retired from play in 1989 but stayed in baseball. He has served as parts of many coaching staffs in the minors and majors and was named California League Manager in 1994. He is currently a bench coach for the Los Angeles Angels.

Josh has just begun his major league career, having bounced back and forth with the Toronto Blue Jays and their minor league affiliates, while Jason has just begun a minor league career in the Toronto organization. While the Roenicke family name and the word “prestigious” may never be associated with each other, players like these guys are necessary in baseball. The fact that they are a family makes the story of their journeys that much better.