They’re called “gym rats” or “dirt bags.”

Everyone knows the type—that one kid coaches have to shoo out of the gym, weight room or batting cage because he just won’t leave. And during a game, his uniform’s clean for the first pitch and that’s about it. Think Craig Biggio. David Eckstein. Khalil Greene.
Thing about these guys: Coaches love ’em.

Typically, they’re the small, pesky type—get on base, disrupt the pitcher’s rhythm, steal a bag. Essentially, he’s just one royal pain in the butt for opposing pitchers, catchers and coaches.

That is Illinois shortstop Shawn Roof. And he loves being a pain.

“Stealing bases is a big part of my game,” said Roof, a 6-0, 165-pound senior. “I want to disrupt the pitching staff. I love it when catchers tell me at the plate ‘You’re not stealing off of me.’ That gives me more incentive.

“Look, I’m not a big guy, so you’re not going to see a lot of doubles and triples and homers,” Roof added. “But for me, a walk is as good as a double, because more than likely, if I get on, I’ll be on second somehow.”

Being a gym rat comes as second nature to Roof. His father, Gene, is the outfield/baserunning coordinator for the Detroit Tigers. Gene is only one of five Roof brothers to play pro baseball. Shawn’s uncle, Phil, was a big-league catcher for 15 years. Following suit, Shawn and little brothers Jonathan and Eric, a sophomore at Michigan State, have followed suit.

“I’ve been around baseball and clubhouses ever since I was born,” Shawn said. “When I was little, I always running around some clubhouse or dugout. [Milwaukee Brewers first baseman] Prince Fielder and I played a lot together when we were little kids because of our dads.”

As the boys grew older, their trips to major- and minor-league parks and grew more seldom because of school.

“It was tough for my mom because my dad was always away,” Roof said. “It was his job. But we’d all go and live with Dad during the summer; for four summers we all lived in Detroit. But you just get used to it.”

While he might have had cowhide and Northern ash sewn into his genetics, Shawn’s work ethic is purely his. Gene never pushed Shawn and Eric into baseball. Rather, they voluntarily chose baseball as their preferred sport. Gene’s occupation certainly helped nurture that enthusiasm, but his type of encouragement was strictly hands-off.

In the Roof household, Mom—Marianne Roof—rules the roost. And visitors would never know a former big-leaguer calls it home. According to Shawn, there are little remnants of Dad’s baseball career. Gene Roof wouldn’t push the life onto his sons.

“He’d never say anything to us. Never forced us to do anything baseball-related,” Shawn said. “Maybe he’d say some minor things here and there. But when you needed him, he was there. My first year and a half at Illinois I struggled. I tried to adjust my swing. So when I needed help, my dad just installed the fundamentals back into my swing and I started to hit.”

Shawn also was realistic about his physical abilities and tools.

“Look, I love basketball. But you don’t see a whole lot of 5-9, 160-pound guards in the NBA,” laughed Roof, who was hitting .306 through late-April, with a .414 on-base percentage and was 30-for-35 in steal attempts. “For basketball, it was bad to be below-six foot white kid who couldn’t shoot.”

Growing up in Paducah, Ky., is not much different than living just 200 miles north where winter weather is not nice to baseball players. Often, the first time players are able to get on the field is for their first game.

“It definitely harder for Northern schools to get into games early,” Roof admitted. “But I don’t see it as a disadvantage.”

So Roof’s rat status comes with many hours sweating in the St. Mary’s High School gym.
Those long hours of competition fueled a little rivalry between Shawn and Eric. As Little Leaguers, Shawn and Eric once had to be separated by Marianne—on the field—as the Roof boys were swinging at one another. And they were teammates at the time.

Now with Eric a Spartan, Big 10 contests have become dinner table fodder during when both are at home.

“Yeah, we’ll talk a bunch of trash while eating dinner,” Shawn laughed. “He’s a catcher, so I’ll say I’m going to steal a bunch of bases on him and slide into him at home!”

Once a dirt bag always a dirt bag.

This story is part of MidwestBaseballMagazine's Ballplayer Series