Fielder hoping to mend relationship with son

Cecil Fielder was at the microphone to discuss the Cecil Fielder Elite World Series, an upcoming youth baseball tournament that will take place in Yuma, but the conversation eventually became personal.

The 47-year-old ex-Major League slugger spent 13 years in the big leagues as one of baseball's most feared bats. Nowadays, it's his son, Prince, who's striking fear into MLB pitchers. But in recent years, the relationship has soured and the two have become estranged.

Listening to Cecil Fielder on Thursday, it doesn't sound like much has changed. He and his son haven't talked since a meeting last year in Atlanta, and it wasn't the best of conversations.

“I wanted to drop a right on him instead of talking to him,” Cecil Fielder said. “But right now, there's a lot of stuff that's going on with him: he's got a heck of a season going, he's up for contract. As a dad, you don't want to go in there and ruin his space. This is his time.”

Cecil Fielder is still a fan of MLB, so he's well aware Prince Fielder leads baseball in RBIs (55) and is tied for second in National League home runs (17). Undoubtedly, Prince Fielder owes much of his success to his father, who would frequently bring him to the park during his playing days. Aside from that, Cecil Fielder said he also kept Prince Fielder from being physically unable to play the game.

“Can't anybody say I didn't give my son everything in the world,” Cecil Fielder said. “My son was a gifted child but he had some difficulties that he had to overcome. No. 1 was weight, he was an obese kid. Without his dad paying for a trainer to come over there six days a week, he would have been an obese kid to this day.”

In the past, Cecil Fielder said he felt Prince was too immature to try and repair their relationship. But now that Prince is a father, Cecil Fielder said he hopes his son will gain a different perspective and the two can iron out their differences.

“He needs his space to grow and have his own career,” Cecil Fielder said. “A lot of times when there's an article or anything like that, they always mention my name in there with his. I think he's trying to have his own space, but you can't really have your own space when the red carpet was laid out for you.”

Cecil Fielder said he is working with an author to pen a book about his relationship with his son and his prowess as one of baseball's best hitters before the steroid era. But it doesn't sound like Cecil Fielder is in any rush to talk to his son and make peace.

“At some point, it will mend itself. You just got to always think positive about those things.”