With Cruz coming up, that makes 5 families with grandfather, father and son in MLB

It’s fitting that the Tigers are calling up their No. 22 prospect, Trei Cruz, just ahead of Father’s Day weekend.

After all, when he makes his Major League debut, Cruz will join his father (Jose Cruz Jr.) and his grandfather (Jose Cruz Sr.) to make it three generations of Major League players from his family.

When Cruz appears in a big league game for the first time, his family will become the fifth to have had grandfather, father and son all play in the Majors. Here’s a look at the other four:

Gus, Buddy, David and Mike Bell

When it comes to baseball royal families, the Ripkens often come to mind, with Cal Sr., Cal Jr. and Billy each playing in the Major Leagues. But not far behind that trio are the Bells.

Gus was a four-time All-Star outfielder during a 15-season Major League career from 1950-64, spent mostly with the Reds. His best stretch came with Cincinnati from 1953-56, when he posted an .853 OPS and averaged 26 home runs per season.

Gus’ son, Buddy, was drafted by Cleveland out of Cincinnati’s Moeller High School in 1969. He made his Major League debut three years later, and went on to become a five-time All-Star and one of the best defensive third basemen of his era -- he won six Gold Glove Awards at the hot corner with the Rangers from 1979-84. Buddy posted a career slash line of .279/.341/.406 with 201 homers. Following his playing career, Buddy managed the Tigers (1996-98), Rockies (2000-02) and Royals (2005-07).

Two sons of Buddy’s -- David and Mike -- also reached the big leagues. Both were drafted out of Moeller High School like their dad, though David had the longer Major League career.

David played 12 seasons as a second baseman and third baseman from 1995-2006. He finished with a career .716 OPS and 123 home runs, and hit .282 in 35 career postseason contests. He also managed the Reds from 2019-24.

Mike was the 30th overall selection in the 1993 Draft by the Rangers, but he only appeared in 22 Major League games, all with the Reds in 2000. Sadly, he passed away from kidney cancer at the age of 46 in 2021.

The Bells might not stop at three generations of big leaguers. Luke, Mike’s son, was signed by the White Sox in 2023, after he played college ball at Xavier. Unlike the other pro ballplayers in his family, Luke is a pitcher and he’s currently playing for the organization’s High-A affiliate in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Ray, Bob, Bret and Aaron Boone

The Boones have been embedded in the fabric of MLB for nearly 80 years. It all began with Ray, who made his big league debut with Cleveland in 1948 and went on to spend 13 seasons as an infielder in the Majors. He also played for the Tigers, White Sox, Kansas City A’s, Milwaukee Braves and Red Sox. He was a two-time All-Star and finished his career with a .789 OPS and 151 homers.

Ray’s son, Bob, was one of the best defensive catchers in the game in the 1970s and 80s, winning seven Gold Glove Awards behind the plate and also making four All-Star teams. He was a member of the 1980 Phillies squad that won the World Series.

Bret and Aaron followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, with Bret reaching the Majors in 1992 and Aaron in ’97.

Bret was a three-time All-Star and won four Gold Glove Awards at second base during a 12-year MLB career spent primarily with the Mariners and Reds. In 2001, he helped the Mariners win an MLB-record 116 games and led the American League with 141 RBIs to go along with 37 homers. He finished with 252 home runs in his career.

Aaron primarily played third base over his 12-year Major League career. He was an All-Star in 2003, when he hit 24 homers between the Reds and Yankees. That fall, Aaron etched his name into Yankees lore when he launched a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series against the Red Sox, sending New York to the World Series.

In 2017, Aaron was hired as the manager of the Yankees, and he led the club to the postseason in seven of his first eight seasons at the helm, winning an AL pennant in 2024.

Joe P., Joe H. and Casey Coleman

Joe P. Coleman began his family’s long history in the Majors when he made his big league debut as a pitcher for the Philadelphia A’s on Sept. 19, 1942. He would miss the 1943-45 campaigns while serving during World War II, and after he returned, the right-hander spent seven more seasons with the A’s, including an All-Star performance in 1948. He then played for the Orioles and Tigers from 1954-55.

Joe H. Coleman, son of Joe P., had a solid 15-year MLB career spent mostly with the Tigers and Washington Senators. He was an All-Star with Detroit in 1972, when he posted a 2.80 ERA over 40 appearances (39 starts). In that October’s ALCS against the eventual World Series champion A’s, he tossed a shutout with 14 strikeouts in Game 3.

Casey made it three generations of Coleman pitchers in the Major Leagues when he made his debut with the Cubs on Aug. 2, 2010. The right-hander finished with a 5.72 ERA over four MLB seasons.

Sam, Jerry, John, Jerry Jr. and Scott Hairston

The Hairston family's baseball legacy began with Sam, who played five seasons in the Negro American League from 1944-48. The catcher/corner infielder was a Negro League All-Star in ’48, and he became the first Black American to play for the White Sox in ’51.

Two of Sam’s sons -- Jerry and John -- reached the big leagues, with John appearing in three games with the Cubs in 1969, and Jerry debuting with the White Sox in ’73, the first of 14 big league seasons as an outfielder/first baseman.

Jerry then had two sons get to the Majors as well -- Jerry Jr. and Scott. Jerry Jr. spent seven of his 16 MLB seasons with the Orioles before also playing for the Cubs, Rangers, Reds, Yankees, Padres, Nationals, Brewers and Dodgers. The infielder/outfielder was on the 2009 Yankees team that won the World Series.

Scott, about four years younger than Jerry Jr., made his big league debut with the D-backs in 2004. The second baseman/outfielder spent three-plus seasons with Arizona and also played for the Padres, A’s, Mets, Cubs and Nationals.

The brothers played on the same club for Team Mexico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and then again with the Padres in 2010.