Hornet shortstop Blake Crosby has been surrounded by baseball his whole life; the game runs deep in his DNA. His father, Ed Crosby, was a utility player for six seasons in the major leagues for three different teams in the 1970s. His older brother, Bobby Crosby, currently is the starting shortstop for the Oakland Athletics.

“A big thing was baseball in our family,” Crosby said. “That’s all we ever did was baseball in the backyard ? it was awesome because I got to learn from my older brothers and my dad who played major league baseball; it was always about baseball in our house. That’s just what we grew up around.”

“I guess if you’re a Crosby, you’re going to play baseball or have something to do with it,” Ed Crosby said.

The expectations that go with being the younger brother of a major league player can be tough to deal with. Crosby said that he just tries to be himself while still learning from his brother.

“To be honest I’ve always seen it as more of a positive thing than anything. I think a lot of people have the wrong attitude about it ? I am not trying to live up to Bobby. Bobby is one of 30 people in the world to start at shortstop in the major leagues. That’s a tough task to follow; it’s not like I can just sign up to get his job.”

“Both (Blake and Bobby) have great hands and a strong throwing arm,” Ed Crosby, who is also a former baseball scout, said. “Blake is more of a line-drive type hitter. Bobby is more of a line-drive, power-to-the-gap type hitter.”

“He’s a solid shortstop. He makes all of his plays,” senior third baseman David Flores said. “He’s also a pretty good hitter. He has improved a lot from last year. He made the time to work hard this off-season to get better and it really shows.”

Crosby said that he wants to follow his dream of playing baseball in the major leagues like his father and brother. He said that he could also see himself as a major league general manager someday.

“Even as a young kid I’ve always had an interest in trades and free-agents signings,” Crosby said. “It’s something I eventually want to get into. It’s something that I have talked to a lot of people about getting into once I’m done playing.”

“(Blake) has been all baseball as long as I can remember,” Ed Crosby said. “He’s loved to play it. He’s loved to follow it. When he was 6, 7, 8 years old he knew every roster on every major league team. Every pitcher ? he could have told you every line-up. That’s how much he follows it.”

When asked who his favorite team is, Crosby quickly responded with, “San Diego Padres ? and the Oakland A’s too. I have to be an A’s fan too or else Bobby might kill me. But I’ve been a San Diego Padres fan since I could walk.”

Crosby said that he frequently talks about baseball with his father and brother.

“(Bobby) calls me and tells me how he did, or I call him and he asks me how I am doing. We follow each others stats on the Internet. Bobby and I talk a lot,” Crosby said. “I talk to my dad everyday. After every game I call my dad and talk baseball with him.”

Crosby said that an intense baseball conversation usually fills the air when his family sits down to have dinner together.

“It’s always about asking how our team is going to be, how the A’s (team is) going to be and about the year Bobby and (I) are going to have,” Crosby said. “That’s all we ever talk about.”

Ed Crosby has the tough task of being at two places at the same time to watch both his sons play, but a task he likes tackling every summer.

“I love it. There’s nothing more a father can ask for,” Ed Crosby said. “When they start baseball season, I’m thrilled. It gets to be a bit of a long winter.”

Blake Crosby said that his older brother is hoping to stay healthy this season because he has been labeled as “injury-prone.” He said that Bobby Crosby is going into spring training this year fully healthy for the first time in his career.

“All throughout high school and college he’s never been injured. He’s just had a couple years here recently where he’s had a bad injury. He got hit in the ribs – he got hit in the hand with a 98-mile-an-hour fastball,” Crosby said. “He’s had broken bones and that’s where people need to realize there’s a difference between injury-prone and bad luck.”

“They aren’t normal injuries. Sometimes I’d like to see him get a sore arm for a change,” Ed Crosby said. “I’m thinking very positive for Bobby. I think he is going to have a great year.”

Crosby said that it does not seem like a big deal when he goes to watch his brother play anymore like when he watched him for the first time in an Oakland A’s uniform.

“It’s weird at first, really weird. That’s my brother; I shared a bunk-bed with that guy when I was younger. Honestly what it does is it makes you realize they’re normal people too. Growing up it’s like oh, that’s Ken Griffey Jr. Well, he puts on his pants the same way we all do. He just happens to be really good at baseball,” Crosby said.

Over the years of meeting Bobby’s teammates, Crosby said that he has become close friends with former Oakland A’s catcher Jason Kendall. He said that Kendall will probably be a baseball manager someday because of his vast knowledge of the sport.

“I talk to him quite a bit,” Crosby said. “He knows the game in and out. He knows how to play it right. It’s interesting to hear his thoughts on the aspects on the game of baseball. He’s very old-school.”

Crosby said that he and his family are really big football fans – their favorite team is the San Diego Chargers.

“It seems that we’re always getting together to watch the big football game, especially this year because the Chargers went pretty far in the playoffs,” Crosby said. “That’s what our family revolves around is sports.”

“We’re a very close-knit family. We talk to each other all the time ? we’re always pulling for each other and that’s one of the coolest things about our family. We’re proud of each other all the time,” Crosby said.

Andrew Eggers can be reached at [email protected]