Kevin Griffin took time off from his job as softball coach and associate athletic director at Belhaven University, a Division III program in Jackson, Miss., to enjoy the major league debut of his son, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin. After Konnor signed a nine-year, $140 million contract extension on Wednesday, Kevin Griffin answered questions from the Pittsburgh media about what a whirlwind week it was for himself and his wife, Kim, as their 19-year-old son became the face of the franchise.
What has this day been like for you and your family?
It’s been great, just the fact that the City of Pittsburgh is so welcoming to our family. The Pittsburgh Pirates organization has really laid out the red carpet for Konnor and my family, dating back to the draft. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than what they have provided for us so far.
What did it mean to see the support that showed up today, just to look around the room and see that he’s in good hands?
The guys in the clubhouse, they’ve welcomed Konnor with open arms since Day 1. Konnor was always worried about coming, even when he was 18 in big league camp last year, how they would accept and respond to a young kid coming into their clubhouse but they couldn’t have been more welcoming and really to help to guide him along. Some of those guys even showed up to spring training early just to show him the ropes, so that was pretty special.
Everyone talks about how mature Konnor is for his age. What laid the groundwork for him?
My wife (laughs). We’ve always tried to instill in him that people will not always remember your stats and how you played and results of games and things like that but they’ll always remember how you made them feel. That’s one thing we tried to encourage him, just to be humble along this journey. If you do that, people will respect you and good things will happen.
Have you let it sink in with the numbers in this contract?
Not really. He’s just a kid who loves playing the game of baseball. The fact that those numbers are as big as they are, it’s kind of overwhelming. It’s a little surreal to be standing here thinking about it. But if you ask Konnor, this is something he dreamed about from the time he started playing the game. Of course, he didn’t understand the whole dynamic of the value of a dollar growing up playing the game. Now that he’s in this situation, he has said he wanted to be a Pirate and play in the same organization his entire career. He’s been around guys like Chipper Jones, who has said that it’s so special to be able to play in one place your whole career. I know this is the first nine of it. Hopefully, there will be more to come after that.
How proud are you of your son with how he’s handled all that’s been thrown at him with spring training, the debut and the contract?
I’m super proud of Konnor and how humble he’s been and continued to keep his nose to the ground and work hard throughout all this. You know, it’s not easy. There’s a lot of nights and days where he’s struggled mentally, trying to live up to expectations. I’m really proud of how he’s handled that and worked through that.
How did he deal with the 0-for-14 funk, trying to find his footing amid contract negotiations?
He wasn’t talking much about the contract during the 0 for 14. He was just focusing on playing the game and fit into this clubhouse. The pressure was coming in as a 19-year-old. It wasn’t really about what kind of money he could make. It was about trying to be the best player he could be and best teammate he could be on this team to help them win. There’s a lot of pressure even on a 10- or 12-year veteran that goes through a slump like that trying to help their team win. I felt like a 19-year-old could have handled it a lot worse than he did. I feel good about how he handled everything.
As a coach and a father, what are you most proud of about his game?
Just the grind that he puts in every day. In the offseason, some people might work three or four days a week. He’s six days a week. Takes Sunday off, just to relax, spend time with family, go to church. But, as far as the hard work he’s put in, he hasn’t wavered from trying to get to this level and I think the hard work he’s put in has really paid off.
Why are the Pirates the right organization for Konnor?
They’re the ones who took a chance on him. That’s plain and simple. There’s eight other teams that passed him by. We felt like that when the Pirates drafted him, this was the perfect spot for him just because of the relationships we had built. Through the whole draft process, Darren Mazeroski was incredible. To put that piece of the puzzle together, with his dad and him, was pretty special.