Konnor Griffin showed that Major League Baseball is exactly where he belongs in an electrifying debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday.
The 19-year-old from Mississippi had been awarded a stunning nine-year, $140million deal by the Pirates before he had even played his first game for the team, such is the belief the organization has in him.
It meant that when the shortstop stepped up to the plate for his first at bat against Baltimore Orioles on Friday afternoon, his mom Kim and wife Dendy, also 19, were fraught with nerves.
But they didn’t need to be. Griffin crushed the ball to the wall for an RBI double in a huge moment during his team’s 5-4 win over the Orioles.
His mother and his wife, side-by-side in the stands at PNC Park, were both caught on camera looking overwhelmed with emotion.
Both held their hands to their chest as if to say how their hearts had been racing before Griffin sent the ball flying and looked almost tearful.
Konnor Griffin was superb on his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday
Griffin, 19, pictured alongside his wife Dendy, also 19, was tipped for big things this spring
The man himself took it all his stride when he spoke to reporters after the game.
‘Hands down one of the best days of my life,’ Griffin said, refusing to soak up too much of the spotlight. ‘This team is loaded. I get to come in here and just be a piece of this puzzle.
‘All I’m going to say is, I want to be a Pirate for a long time. This is a special place and I am thankful to be here.’
Griffin’s teammate, Paul Skenes, tipped him for big things in spring training but admitted Griffin’s life away from the field is different to most people he has met.
‘Goes to church every Sunday, doesn’t cuss, doesn’t do any of that stuff, married at 19,’ Skenes told ESPN in February.
‘It’s not common, but nothing about him is common. Everything screams uncommon.Â
‘And if you want to be uncommon, you want to do uncommon things, it starts with thinking uncommon – and he does that.’
Skenes, himself used to added pressure with his own talent and profile from dating Livvy Dunne, underlined his praise on Friday after the game, saying: ‘He’s a difference maker, it was very apparent today.’
Dendy and Griffin’s emotional mother, Kim, celebrate his first at bat for the team
Griffin was mobbed by his Pirates teammates after helping them to a win over Baltimore Orioles
Mother Kim had pleaded for patience before his debut, writing on X alongside a video teeing up his first game: ‘Now in my momma voice, if you can’t say something nice don’t say nothing at all! Y’all gotta let him grow and show him some grace!!’
It’s a long season ahead and Griffin will have times where he needs that grace. But for now, the Pirates fanbase – desperately hoping for something cheer – are right behind him.
The Pirates, now at 4-3 after Friday’s win, play the Orioles again on Saturday afternoon.Â
