Dave Winfield Jr. picks future collegiate home … for basketball, not baseball

Just in time for the throes of baseball's postseason, the son of a baseball legend has officially selected his future collegiate home, with a twist: He's not heading there for baseball.

As first reported by the Los Angeles Times, Westlake (Calif.) Harvard-Westlake High senior Dave Winfield Jr., the son of the legendary Yankees slugger, has committed to play basketball for the Unviersity of Pennsylvania.

While Winfield Jr.'s father has laid out an impressive professional legacy for his son, the two have chosen different paths when it comes to their sports, with the 6-foot-9 center choosing to use his size and considerable athletic gifts on the court rather than the batter's box.

Winfield Jr. struggled with injuries brought on by his sudden growth spurt during his junior year, but the agile senior is expected to be a major contributor for Harvard Westlake during his senior season.

He'll also be filling the designated "son of a famous athlete" role when he arrives in Philadelphia, too. The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that the Quakers featured Marin Kukoc, the son of legendary Bulls sixth-man Toni Kukoc in 2011-12, though the younger Kukoc had to leave the team early in the season with persistent back injuries.

Hopefully the younger Winfield will be able to avoid such health issues, though his father will certainly be able to offer advice for managing the pain if he eventually is beset by injuries, not to mention a little help in coping with performing on the biggest stage of his sport.

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