Scott Bandura’s MLB debut marked a full-circle moment that began with his dad in Philly

Growing up, Scott Bandura and his father Steve would chat about some of the ballparks they wanted to visit together one day. Scott was 10-years-old at the time, and Steve said Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., was near the top of that list.

Fifteen years later, they finally got to see the stadium together. But both were realizing even bigger dreams. Scott was making his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 13, and his parents were in the stands.

“Just amazing that the first game I went to Oracle, he was playing in it,” Steve said. “It was an amazing experience to see. It’s just weird, you see the lineup come up on the board, and you see all these stars’ names, and his name’s on there too.”

Taking the field in San Francisco, the outfielder played his father’s words in his head: “Don’t let the pressure exceed the pleasure.

“He sent that quote to me when I left and went to college [at Princeton], and when I was in college and I moved on to pro ball, and that exactly what it is,” Scott said. “There’s definitely some pressure to perform and things like that, but this was the dream and this is what I wanted to do my whole life.”

He has four hits through 10 appearances since his promotion from triple A. Steve’s other piece of advice to his 25-year-old son was to think about what his 12-year-old self would say now.

Around that age, Scott was a part of the 2014 Taney Dragons Little League World Series team, alongside Mo’ne Davis, the first girl to pitch a shutout in the tournament. Scott was the catcher. The team was comprised of members of the Taney Youth Baseball Association and Anderson Monarchs, which Steve founded and directed.

Davis, who lived with the Banduras while the two attended Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, “was like literal family” to Scott, and was in attendance in St. Louis on Sept. 15 to watch him play.

“With all my Monarchs teammates, it’s like having a second family,” Scott said. “They’re just an extension of my family, and it’s great to still have that support from everybody. ... I’m still keeping up with them. I know what they’re up to. I’m supporting them too, so it’s just a great all around relationship.”

» READ MORE: Over a decade removed from her Little League World Series moment, Mo’ne Davis is poised to make history again

Scott was coached by his father since he started t-ball at 2 years old. Per the Monarchs’ three-sport requirement for athletes, Steve also coached Scott in basketball and soccer.

The admirable qualities he learned from the Monarchs and his father, Scott still carries with him.

Steve said his son did most of his character building from soccer and basketball, where Scott wasn’t a standout player. But he figured out how to build a role.

“When I was growing up, the last thing he would say to me before getting out of the car to go to school [was], ‘Be a leader,’ and so I always had that instilled in me,” Scott said. “But also, he put a lot of emphasis into not just being a talented player, but knowing the ins and outs of the games and wanting to be the smartest team on the field from a baseball IQ standpoint.”

But Scott said this whole process is a lot larger than him, and it is a testament to the work his father put in for every child who has come through the Monarchs’ program.

“For him, it’s a lot bigger than than just me,” Scott said. “He’s been doing it for hundreds of kids for almost 40 years now, so I’m just appreciative.”

But there’s some differences that come with having the coach as your father.

After a game, Steve will send his son a note of pointers and they’ll discuss them. Scott said he appreciates the feedback because he isn’t “going through it alone.”

With every new level from high school to college, throughout the minors, and into the majors, Scott said there are new intricacies and nuances introduced. Steve understands that.

» READ MORE: Why one of college baseball’s top hitters plays with Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 tattooed on his arm

“Especially as you get towards the higher levels of the game, a lot of guys, their parents don’t know a whole lot about the sport and the intricacies of everything, and how those expand and compound the higher you go in in the game,” Scott said. “Having somebody that understands that and I can talk about it with is awesome.”

Scott said his father’s intricate understanding of the game was clear during his first MLB hit in his debut, which was “a perfect example of why it’s great to have you know people in [his] life that know baseball.”

During the bottom o the sixth inning of the Giants’ 6-4 loss to the Padres, Scott hit an infield single, which the broadcast showed his parents reacting to. He said as the play unfolded, you could see his father’s hesitation to see if the play would be scored as a hit or an error before he joined his mother, Robin, in celebrating.

Robin, a physical therapist, has also instilled her expertise in Scott throughout his baseball journey, helping him through injuries, in addition to driving him and friends from school in Chestnut Hill to practice in South Philly, multiple nights a week.

Scott said she played the role of mom for him and every other kid that Steve coached throughout the years.

Now, his parents share the title as Scott’s biggest fans.

“I’m just a fan now, and as a dad, he needs someone to lean on and talk to him,” Steve said. “That’s what I do now.”