Stan Hochman: Los Angeles Dodgers' Jerry Hairston Jr. bonds with Philly kids

So who is the first family of baseball? Uh-huh, bloodlines that produced the most major leaguers? Win a bar bet or two with the answer, remember where you got this.

The Bells you say? Gus, Buddy, David. Good guess, Schmitter-breath, but wrong! How about the Boones? Ray, Bob, Aaron and Brett.

Close, but no cigar.

It's the Hairstons, and it started with Sam Hairston, who played in the Negro Leagues for the Birmingham Barons and Indianapolis Clowns. Had a cup of espresso with the White Sox in 1951, went 2-for-5.

Sam is the father of Jerry Hairston, who is the father of Jerry Jr. and Scott and uncle of John. Jerry Jr. is having a big year for the Dodgers. Was happy to chat up the Anderson Monarchs on Wednesday night when he found out the kids from the Marian Anderson playground are set for a barnstorming trip on a 1947 bus this summer. Main destination: Kansas City and the Negro Leagues Museum.

The kids were clustered behind a single yellow rope behind home plate at Citizens Bank Park, all of them wide-eyed, polite, dressed in their crisp, white uniforms, old-school high socks. They got to shake hands with some Phillies and a fistful of Dodgers, including Hairston.

Most of the big-leaguers asked the generic questions, how-ya-doin' and where-you-all-from? The best responses came to the best questions. Who's the best outfielder on the team, they were asked, and the answer was swifter than Rickey Henderson.

Five thumbs pointed at Demetrius deRamos and he rolled his shoulders sheepishly, humbly. Steve Bandura, who coaches these kids and planned the ambitious trip, nodded approvingly.

"He's probably the fastest 11-year-old in the city," Bandura gushed. "I've never had an athlete like this in all my years. This is a world-class athlete at age 11."

Someone else asked them for their favorite player, and Mo'ne Davis, the girl with the starburst earrings and the best arm on the team, whispered, "Roy Halladay."

Scott Bandura, the coach's son, said "Joe Mauer" and that called for another check with the coach.

"He was watching a game on television maybe 4 or 5 years ago," the coach explained. "Mauer was the catcher, wore No. 7, batted left, threw right, all the things that Scott does.

"And that was before a couple of batting titles. And besides, a pretty good role model."

The Dodgers swept all four games with the Phillies. Came from behind three times. They are playing with a youthful swagger that resembles a certain team in 2008. And if you check their bloodlines, you will find five sons of former big-leaguers on the roster, Ivan DeJesus Jr., Scott Van Slyke (son of Andy), Dee Gordon (son of Tom), Tony Gwynn Jr. and of course, Jerry Hairston Jr.

"Pedigree," Bandura whistled. "It's cool."

Does he dream big-league dreams for his son?

"Hey," Bandura barked, "let's get them into college first. Anything else would be gravy. Get 'em into college, that's the goal. Whether they play there or not. But college is what we want them to shoot for."

Hairston talked proudly about his grandfather.

"We were very close," he said. "He passed away when I was 21. I looked forward to every Thanksgiving, spending time with him, listening to his stories."

What sort of stories? Grim stories about playing doubleheaders in two different cities, getting back on that musty bus, trying to catch some Z's in those rigid seats, maybe a breeze from an open window.

"His stories," Hairston said, "were about playing with guys like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron. He always talked about how they were complete players.

"He was never bitter about how the players were treated back then. They had great pride. They loved the game of baseball."

So how good a player was Samuel Harding Hairston? "He won the Triple Crown in Triple A," Hairston said swiftly. "His numbers were unbelievable. It's funny, but my brother Scott, with the Mets, his swing is just like my grandfather's. My dad says that all the time, 'same identical swing.'?"

He glances around the clubhouse, sees all the sons of big-leaguers in Dodger blue and feels good about it.

"We all spent time around clubhouses," he said, "and that helps. We know what to expect from baseball, and we all know how important it is to play the game the right way."