Griffin Conine was just hoping for a good at-bat.
With his Miami Marlins trailing Pittsburgh 2-1, the 27-year-old outfielder came to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning in an early-season game that carried a little extra meaning.
Earlier that day, the Marlins had honored Conine’s father, Jeff, as the first member of the team’s Hall of Fame.
Jeff, nicknamed Mr. Marlin, joined the organization for its inaugural season as an expansion franchise in 1993. There, he played eight non-consecutive seasons, winning two World Series and earning two All-Star selections.
In the team’s 33 seasons in the big leagues, only Luis Castillo has played more games in a Marlins uniform than Jeff.
Needless to say, Griffin Conine just wanted to get on base for his dad.
“The ceremony was super cool,” Conine said. "(We) had so much family and friends in for it. But then, like, once that all ended ... I was just like, 'I hope I have a good one today.’ I didn't even care about a homer. I was just like, ‘give me a hit or something.’”
Down 1-2 in the count, Conine got the pitch he was looking for — a fastball up over the plate — and he belted it over the wall in left-center field.
“Once I was rounding the bases, I was like, ‘This is so cool.’” Conine said.
Miami scored another run in the bottom of the ninth to claim its third consecutive walk-off win. And Conine received a Gatorade bath to celebrate.
“It was an awesome day,” he said.
While baseball is a family affair for the Conines, Jeff never forced the sport on his son.
“I tried to make a fun atmosphere where kids could learn the game because, to me, winning was secondary at that time,” Jeff told me back in 2017.
And one night, when Conine was a teenager and had little desire to go to practice, Jeff actually sat his son down for a profound talk about the game.
“If you don’t want to do this, we don’t have to. You could leave it behind,” Jeff told his son. “I’d be completely content if you didn’t want to play another game, if you didn’t want to and that would make you happy.’”
That candor and support is something Griffin is grateful for in his own baseball journey.
“There's so many tough things mentally to deal with in the game of baseball — just the game itself and expectations,” Conine said. "If that's coming from your home life, that's going to make it a lot harder. That should be a safe space, and that's what it has been for me most of my whole life.”
But in the same way Jeff would have championed his son’s dreams even if they weren’t baseball, he supports Griffin now in baseball any way he can.
For several years, it was helping his son navigate the minor leagues, which can be a grind.
Conine was drafted by the Blue Jays with the 52nd overall pick in 2018 following three standout seasons at Duke.
But he didn’t make his major-league debut until last August, spending nearly six full seasons in the minors.
“A season goes by, or two, and you haven't advanced to where you thought you'd be,” Conine said. “That can wear on you mentally. That's where I can, you know, always lean on my dad to just talk stuff out. The mental side of things is something he's really well-versed in. And I think the main thing was just never stop, you know, never let up. Never stop working.”
The Marlins initially drafted Conine in 2015, while he was still in high school, simply because of his last name.
“I had no intention of going into pro ball right away,” Conine said. “That was definitely unexpected, but really cool. ... just a courtesy moment.”
Now, after being traded to the Marlins in 2020, Conine is in his first full season in the majors; and the rookie slugger is carving his own path in Miami, while also paying homage to his roots.
After wearing No. 18 most of his youth days, Conine wore No. 9 in college and in the Cape Cod League. He donned No. 56 when he made his big-league debut last season.
This year, Conine has opted to return to No. 18, the number his dad wore during his second stint with the Marlins.
During his eight years, Jeff wore two different numbers, 19 first and then 18. And he actually won a World Series in both uniforms.
Conine had the option of either number this season, as both were available.
“Nineteen was his number more, if that makes sense,” Conine said. “That was like his legacy. And I thought it was cool that he wore both numbers. That way there could still be a connection there. But like, he still has his number.
“I think 19 should be retired by the Marlins.”
Currently, the only number retired by Miami is No. 42, which has been retired league-wide to honor Jackie Robinson.
So, in addition to becoming the first member of the Marlins Hall of Fame, should No. 19 be retired, Jeff would be the first player in franchise history to have that honor.
For now, he is watching his son succeed on the diamond as part of the second father-son duo in team history, joining David and Ryan Weathers.
One area in which Conine has yet to take after his father, but definitely intends to change his ways is in collecting.
It wasn’t until Conine helped his parents move during the offseason that he truly discovered the extent of his dad’s collection.
Jeff, who has a $1 bill signed by Babe Ruth and an Xbox signed by Bill Gates, has approximately 150 signed bats from teammates and opponents throughout his 17-year MLB career.
“It's reminding me I gotta start,” Conine said. “We play like Ohtani, and guys are sending over jerseys to get signed by him. I want to do that. ... When you play players like that, you gotta get something.”
Though Conine does have a signed bat and batting gloves from Albert Pujols, his favorite player as a kid.
And he already has started working on his promise. While helping with the move he found an “OG Marlins teal” jersey in the garage collecting dust. Now, it’s his.
“I want to hang on to that one,” Conine said.
However, that doesn’t compare to any items from the top two games of his career.
His MLB debut and the March 30 victory honoring his dad.
Matt Liberman is a video producer and reporter for cllct, the premier company for collectible culture.