Grifol talks lessons learned from Hall of Fame friend
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Some issues equal and even supersede intense competitors on the planet of Major League Baseball.
Take sure friendships for instance.
George Brett presently serves because the Royals’ vp of operations, whereas Pedro Grifol is in his first yr as White Sox supervisor after the duo have been on the identical facet in Kansas City. But being American League Central rivals received’t destroy their bond constructed over the previous decade.
“That’s my guy,” Grifol stated. “He’s one of my favorite people in the world.”
“He’s just a fun guy to be around,” Brett stated in a latest interview with MLB.com.
Brett is a Hall of Famer, and one of many biggest gamers within the historical past of the sport. He hit .305 with a profession .857 OPS over 21 years with the Royals, and in addition racked up three AL batting titles and a ridiculous .390 common throughout his 1980 Most Valuable Player marketing campaign.
Grifol was a standout catcher at Florida State and rose as excessive as an expert participant as Triple-A with Portland (1993) and Norfolk (1999). He spent 13 years working with the Mariners and the final 10 with the Royals, together with the previous three as bench coach, starting on the big-league stage when he was named particular task hitting coach on May 30, 2013.
His new interim hitting coach simply occurred to be Brett, who shortly grew to become a mentor to Grifol.
“I learned the will to succeed in anything he does,” Grifol stated. “It’s not like the will to succeed just in baseball. He’s a great golfer, a great businessman. He’s a great speaker. Just everything he does, he has that will to be great.”
When knowledgeable Brett spoke with excessive reward of what he realized from him, Grifol smiled as if he had simply been informed one thing unbelievable. Brett performed below legendary hitting coach Charley Lau, however when he was smashing line drives round ballparks, their preparatory work was carried out on the sector.
No cages. No video. No nothing. In their time collectively as hitting coaches — with Grifol because the “good cop” and Brett because the “bad cop” with gamers, in accordance with Brett — Grifol confirmed the Hall of Famer the workings of a number of the new drills and routines.
“Very knowledgeable,” Brett stated. “He understands the game of baseball. He loves the game of baseball. He taught me an awful lot in the short time we were together.”
The phrase “great communicator” was burdened by Brett in regard to Grifol. That identical trait has been talked about by everybody from White Sox normal supervisor Rick Hahn to numerous Chicago gamers. White Sox starter Lucas Giolito added it was that method with Grifol from their first offseason cellphone name.
One main level of settlement for Brett and Grifol centered upon figuring out the kind of participant you’re, being the very best you might be with that ability set and never attempting for issues you aren’t able to doing. White Sox gamers will know their roles throughout the board with the assistance of Grifol’s communication.
As pushed as an individual and as nice of a communicator as Grifol is, although, there’s no magic method for managerial success.
“Well, he’s going to be successful if the team plays well. It’s not going to be his fault if players don’t play well,” Brett stated. “He is aware of he’s going to get fired sometime.
“Every manager is going to get fired. It’s just easier to fire a manager than it is to release 25 players. But he’s got a chance and I wish him all the luck in the world, I really do. These are the guys you pull for.”
Pull for, as in when Brett informed White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf throughout a dialog within the midst of Grifol’s interview course of how he hoped there was no alternative to rent him as a result of he wished him to handle the Royals. Pull for one another, as in Grifol wears jersey No. 5 in honor of his pal.
This new job hasn’t modified their friendship. Brett stopped by to speak with Grifol in his workplace throughout two White Sox Cactus League journeys to Surprise, Ariz., and, when Chicago visits Kauffman Stadium, Brett will make the identical journey to the guests’ clubhouse.
“We’ve always just been very, very close, from the first time I met him,” Brett stated. “He was a very easy guy to get to know.”
“Taught me a ton. Pushed me a ton,” Grifol stated. “Just taught me the mental side of the grind, like the toughness side of it. He’s a really, really good friend.”
