Parents, Coaches Were Biggest Influences: An Interview With Terry Steinbach

Editor's Note: This interview with Terry Steinbach, former Major League Baseball all-star catcher, was conducted by Bob Herman, fall semester intern in the NFHS Publications/Communications Department. Steinbach was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame this past summer in Palm Desert, California.

Terry Steinbach was a two-sport standout at New Ulm High School in New Ulm, Minnesota, before his stellar 14-year professional baseball career with the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins. Steinbach played in three World Series with the A's, winning the 1989 Series. He played in three All-Star Games and was most valuable player of the 1988 All-Star Game.



Q: How did you get involved in so many sports like baseball, ice hockey and cross country?

Steinbach: My parents and older brothers -- we did whatever was seasonal. During the summer, my dad would hit us ground balls and fly balls. And then fall came around, and people would play football. I tried football and played my first year in high school, but it didn't do it for it me. That's where cross country came in. In the winter, we didn't have the Internet or computers like there are today, and we weren't big into sitting around the house. My parents wanted us to get out and do something, and if my brothers were going to skate, I might as well, too. We literally hung out at the ice rink for four, five or six hours a day playing hockey.

Q: You mentioned that athletes are becoming too specialized. Why do you think this is, and how can things change?

Steinbach: I don't know if it will change back. For example, you can play soccer year-round now on club teams and high school teams, and it's the same for hockey. I'm not saying that it's wrong or right because it's different for everyone, but you tend to lose out on that multi-sport facet. It's not common to see many athletes play a fall, winter and spring sport, and you lose a little bit of the diversification there.

Q: What concepts from your high school athletic career have you carried over to your everyday life?

Steinbach: I think the concepts of being able to compete, dedication and desire are very common in the sports world. It's like that for any job you have, and you can apply those to almost anything.

Q: How did participating in high school sports, and the sportsmanship involved, prepare you for your life and your professional career?

Steinbach: You have to learn how to deal with success and failure. You learn how to win, and you learn how to lose. You have to be able to work with your team. There are many different personalities on a team, and it takes a lot for those different personalities to gel.

Q: What are your thoughts on going to college before being drafted into the pros?

Steinbach: Athletically speaking, that's up for debate. There may be some athletes who are ready to take the next step, but socially, it's a big deal. Your parents aren't there telling you what to do. If you have a test and you wait to study until the night before, you probably won't do so well. The same goes for games. You have to learn to be responsible.

Q: What led you to be a catcher on the Oakland Athletics even after you had played first and third base?

Steinbach: I wasn't a catcher until after my second year in the minors. Mark McGwire actually began as a third baseman, and they had someone else line up at first. Then they came up to me and asked if I had any interest in catching.

Q: What were some of your best major league memories?

Steinbach: Winning the (1989) World Series is probably the best one. It's the ultimate reward. Being the MVP of the (1988) All-Star Game was also a highlight.

Q: You hit a home run in your first professional at-bat. What was that, and your first major league experience in general, like?

Steinbach: I was very nervous. You're excited to be there, but there are doubts. Do I belong here? Can I sustain myself here? But you just have to have confidence in what you did in the minor leagues because the organization brought you up for a reason. You feel more relief after two or three years in the league. It definitely took a little pressure off, and it was like an icebreaker.

Q: What was the 1989 World Series like, especially since an earthquake hit San Francisco before Game 3?

Steinbach: It was kind of twofold. There was the humanitarian side -- the devastation, the destruction, the lives lost. There was also the professional side. We were up two games to zero and had just lost the World Series the year before to the Dodgers. You never know how many chances you'll have to do that again. So you had to balance the humanitarian and professional aspects.

Q: What was it like playing for manager Tony LaRussa in Oakland?
Steinbach: Being the first manager I had at the professional level, he was great. He communicated very well with his players, and he had a very simplistic point of view in baseball: Play hard and try hard, and it worked.

Q: How important do you believe it is to give back to the community?

Steinbach: I believe it's very, very important. The hardest thing for professionals is that there are so many charities, but you aren't able to do them all. I'm able to golf 50 to 70 times during the summer just at charity golf events, but you have to balance out charity work, time with your kids, time with your wife and time for yourself. I wish there was enough time to do them all, but obviously there's not.

Q: What does the National High School Hall of Fame award mean to you?

Steinbach: I was very honored and humbled by it. It's the recognition of the beginning. People will throw a lot of statistical things at you, which I'm very proud of, but I credit a lot of where I am to those high school levels.Q: Who have been some of your biggest influences?

Steinbach: It all started with my parents. They're the ones who encourage, persuade and influence your participation in sports. I credit numerous coaches along the way, too. High school coaches talk about sportsmanship, commitment and dedication -- that happens for a reason. Coaches in general have just done a tremendous job.

Q: What advice would you give to athletes who want to contribute and give back to their sports after high school graduation?

Steinbach: Try to stay involved. Sometimes there's nothing that's too little of a contribution. Just showing up and helping out one person is well worth it. It can really have an impact and help high school kids. Every little bit helps.

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