What stories of MLB postseason heroes teach us about low-cost youth sports

Del Matthews went into parenting with experience in big league clubhouses. His father, Gary "Sarge" Matthews , was a standout major leaguer who played 16 years, while his brother, Gary Jr., was also an All-Star outfielder who lasted 12 in the majors.

Del, who played in college and the minor leagues, understands how sports experiences can set up your life without you "making it." He and his brothers played Little League , too.

"I fell in love with the game early," he tells USA TODAY Sports, "and, really, it was being at the ballpark with my dad and watching him interact with his teammates and watching him win and compete and just emulating what I grew up watching and the conversations that I was hearing, and acting that out with my brothers when we went to the park."