MLB's 'Mr. Marlin' aka Jeff Conine's son Griffin Conine makes his big league debut for Miami Marlins
Griffin Conine, son of former Miami Marlins legend Jeff Conine, made his debut for the ballclub on Monday against the Colorado Rockies. The youngster is following in the footsteps of his father, who is considered a legend in Florida's organization because of a lasting legacy he has left with the team during his playing days.
Jeff Conine played for eight seasons with the Florida Marlins in two stints with the team. He was part of the first season when the franchise was introduced to the National League in 1993.
Jeff made two All-Star appearances in the following two years before leading the team to two World Series wins in 1997 and 2003. He batted at .290 with 553 RBIs, including 120 home runs, with the club and is quite justifiably called "Mr. Marlin."
His son Griffin was initially picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2018 draft. He was traded to the Marlins in 2021 and has since churned up some strong numbers in the minor leagues. Before his call-up, he had played 585 games in the developmental leagues. The 27-year-old directly flew to Denver to meet up with the team.
During the game, Conine came in to pinch a hit in the ninth inning for catcher Nick Fortes. On a 2-2 pitch, Conine struck out swinging on a 90-mph slider from Rockies closer Tyler Kinley. The Marlins lost the game 3-2 one out later.
Jeff Conine's heartfelt message after son's MLB debut
When Jeff Conine was training Griffin in the little leagues, he knew he wanted his son to make it big and play at the top level of the sport. An emotional father and coach spoke about realizing that dream of watching his son out at the plate in the ninth.
“This has always been the goal,” Jeff said. “This is where the end point is always. That's the end of the rainbow, and he's here. It's almost overwhelming.”
Griffin is in line to get his first full start in the ongoing four-game series against the Rockies. The Marlins are expected to promote more of their youngsters, as they hold a poor 47-84 record and are on track for more than 100 losses this season.