Most of the time, men want to follow in the footsteps of their fathers, and Griffin Conine took that to heart. Because he joined the Miami Marlins! His dad, Jeff Conine, is a legend at the organization, and he, following in his dad’s footsteps, made his debut at the ball club on Monday to play against the Colorado Rockies. As he was preparing for his first round of batting practice, he heard a voice call out to him from the stands.

“Hey, No. 56!” 

It was none other than Jeff Conine himself, who had come with his family and friends like the proud father he is. The Conine are the second father-son duo to play for the Marlins, and they joined David and Ryan Weathers. What made this moment even sweeter was the fact that the journey for Griffin at this moment was not without turbulence. In fact, it involved being out of the diamond for 50 long games!

Griffin Conine’s redemption story with the Miami Marlins

Miami Marlins isn’t the first stint for Griffin Conine. He was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays back in 2018 in the second round of the MLB draft. But things quickly turned sideways when he tested positive for ritalinic acid, a banned stimulant. The Blue Jays prospect violated the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and hence was slapped with a 50-game suspension. Later, he was traded to the Marlins in 2021, and this is when he started creating some magic—with his gameplay!

The apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree, because Griffin Conine ended up churning out great numbers for the Marlins. In 2021, he hit 36 home runs across High-A Beloit and Double-A Pensacola, ranking him second in Minor League Baseball for homers. Then this season, the 27-year-old played 112 games at Triple-A Jacksonville, posting a slash line of .268/.350/.475 with 19 home runs. Griffin, who was not on the team’s top-30 prospect list, flew from Nashville to meet the team in Denver, and this is where the seven-game trip opened up. On Monday, Griffin pinch-hit for Nick Fortes in the ninth inning. He struck out on a check swing on the fifth pitch of the at-bat, and according to Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, Griffin will probably start during the four-game series.

Schumacher was all praise for the 27-year-old and said, “I think the main thing with Griff is he earned it. This wasn’t given, and I think that’s definitely the message that I gave him, that he deserved this promotion. He’s done really good down in Triple-A — cut down on his strikeouts, the bat-to-ball skill was a lot better. We know he can play defense. He’s got a strong arm. He’s committed. He’s all in. So I’m just really happy for him, because it took him a while to get here, and I think it’s even more special when that happens, because he’s so excited when he got in my office today.”

Not just Schumacher, but his dad was the proudest of his son, who, after a long time, finally got the recognition that he deserved.

Griffin Conine’s MLB debut is a dream come true for ‘Mr. Marlin’

The first call Griffin made to break the news was to his parents, Jeff and Cindy. They were rather busy visiting family in Long Island. But Griffin’s message was clear—take up the flight to Denver. And we can only imagine their excitement when they heard the news. It’s almost a dream come true for his father, Jeff Conine.

Jeff, nicknamed “Mr. Marlin,” always wanted his son to make it big at MLB and play at the top level. Jeff himself is one of the most successful Marlins players and spent eight long years with the team. He was part of the Marlins’ World Series team, earning two All-Star selections with the club in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, he also claimed the All-Star MVP Award. So seeing his son out on the plate in the ninth is definitely an emotional time as a father. Jeff Conine said, “This has always been the goal. This is where the endpoint is always. That’s the end of the rainbow, and he’s here. It’s almost overwhelming.”

Currently, more such exciting games are coming as Griffin Conine is in line to get his first full start in the four-game series against the Rockies. How do you predict his actions in those situations? Let us know in the comments below!