Chicago would feel like home to Trevor Gretzky

New Cubs draft pick Trevor Gretzky won't be the first member of his family who would consider working at Wrigley Field a career highlight.
Actress Janet Jones, the first baseman's mom, portrayed a pitcher in the 1992 film "A League of Their Own,'' that included scenes shot at Clark at Addison.
"I told my son we've come full circle because in the mid-80s I was probably public enemy No. 1 in Chicago and his mother did the movie at Wrigley in (1992),'' hockey legend Wayne Gretzky said in a phone interview. "And don't forget, maybe the greatest Canadian baseball player ever, Ferguson Jenkins, played for the Cubs.''
Pretty cool, eh?
To some long-suffering Cubs fans, The Great One could mean the 1908 World Series title. But this week in Chicago it referred to the man known as the greatest player ever in team sports after the Cubs selected Gretzky's 18-year-old son in the seventh round.
How did a Gretzky offspring end up as a Cubs draftee instead of the Blackhawks and playing our national pastime instead of the one north of the border?
According to Gretzky, the long answer begins one night in 1997 inside the Yankees Stadium office of late owner George Steinbrenner. During Gretzky's three-year stint in New York with the Rangers he befriended Steinbrenner, who invited the family to a game.
"Mr. Steinbrenner said to Trevor, 'Open my drapes,' '' Gretzky recalled. "Trevor saw it was right behind home plate and asked Mr. Steinbrenner, 'You own all this?' Mr. Steinbrenner said, 'Yeah, I do.' And Trevor said, 'Well, you're a pretty big deal, huh?' He was 6 and fell in love with baseball.''
A hockey stick remained in Trevor's bedroom throughout childhood and he once tried his hand at goal-tending. But, growing up in sunny California, the family sport never appealed as much as baseball and football. One constant reminder besides the obvious resemblance: He always wore No. 99 on the diamond.
In football, the 6-foot-4-inch, 190-pound Gretzky started at quarterback for Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village, Calif., before suffering a torn labrum that ended his season after three games.
That injury limited Trevor to designated-hitter duties this spring and compelled his father to make the Cubs fully aware of the recovery plan during a private workout last Saturday.
"I explained Trevor needed his shoulder fixed and after four-to-six weeks of rehab he'll be bigger and stronger than ever and good as new,'' Gretzky said.
How good might that be? Oaks Christian coach Tim Penprase believes Gretzky's exceptional hand-eye coordination complements a natural stroke and he will resume hitting for power once his shoulder heals. Even more impressive than Gretzky's knack for clutch hitting was how grounded Trevor stayed.
"You never could tell by how he worked that his parents were celebrities,'' Penprase said.
Baseball America was less complimentary, calling Gretzky a "poor runner,'' and questioning his defense, among other flaws.
"He has plenty of holes in his swing,'' the magazine said.
The Cubs saw a smooth-swinging athlete with a frame ideal to add muscle whether his last name was Gretzky or Jones.
"Our scouts conveyed to him this wasn't a PR move,'' Cubs GM Jim Hendry said. "There can be a burden having a famous father but we won't make him feel like he's Wayne Gretzky's son. He's his own young man. We wanted Trevor. Our scouts had him going a few rounds higher.''
Perhaps the Cubs' only question about Gretzky involves whether he will sign before the Aug. 15 deadline or stick with his commitment to San Diego State. Not that money will factor into Gretzky's decision as much as history might.
"I told (Hendry) there are no promises in life but Trevor wants to be a professional baseball player,'' Gretzky said. "I turned pro at 17 and that road was good for me.''
Gretzky respects how Trevor, as did his four other children, navigated his path with the constant pressure of being progeny of The Great One. Occasionally the man from a modest upbringing who built a hockey dynasty in Edmonton reminds his kids of their good fortune. Like the time Gretzky asked Trevor if he realized how lucky he was to get hitting tips from family friend George Brett.
Few hitters had better timing than the Royals Hall of Famer: A minute after Trevor hung up with Hendry, he called to congratulate his protégé.
"This is better than winning the (Stanley) Cup,'' said Gretzky, who won four. "I told Trevor being drafted by the Chicago Cubs is like being drafted by an Original Six hockey team. The kid's from California. He had no idea what that meant.''
It means a unique tradition awaits the Gretzkys, if not necessarily a greater one.
Source http://www.chicagotribune.com/