SAN DIEGO (KGTV)— One local coach and his family will be rooting for their son Tommy Edman on the Los Angeles Dodgers during the NLDS. John Edman has coached baseball at La Jolla Country Day School for the last 26 years, and he says some of his proudest moments were when his son was on the team.
"It's just a huge blessing; there's no other way to put it other than that," says John Edman.
Before Tommy Edman became a vital utility player in Major League Baseball, he worked a lot at LJCDS between 2010 and 2013. John calls his son a hard worker who just wants to win.
"People have asked him fairly frequently, like, what position do you prefer? And his answer is always, I'll play wherever I'm asked to play if it's going to help the team win.
It was a journey for Tommy that started as early as John could remember: from Little League and club baseball to La Jolla Country Day, Standford University and now the MLB.
"He was just always a very smart player who was entirely team-centered," says John. "He was humble, had some talent, and just did a lot of things well on the ball field.
Their entire family has been centered around baseball for a long time. Now, with Tommy suiting up with the boys in blue to help in their playoff push this year, it’s nice to take a moment to reflect on just how far his son has come.
"We're very proud, obviously; that's kind of all you can hope for for your family is that they are, in one way or another, a light to other people in their lives. And I definitely see him that way," says the father of three.
Tommy’s even etched into La Jolla Country Day's Hall of Fame for future generations, especially at a school that teaches students as young as three.
"Even the little kids know about him, and they'll be out here at P.E., see me and look over and yell his name -- and it's kind of neat," John says. "He's just a good example for all of them with the work that he puts in. And I mean, he's just a good person, to be honest."
The Dodgers face the San Diego Padres for Game 1 of the NLDS Saturday at 5:38 p.m.
