X POSTED @ angels_baseball
11/01/2006 7:31 PM ET
First-base coach brings world of experience to Angels
By Jose Mota / Special to MLB.com
The experiences had by Angels first-base coach Alfredo Griffin throughout his life in baseball are uncountable. We are talking about a man who has put years of sweat and dedication into this game, who has played and who has become a king in the sport.
From his being awarded co-Rookie of the Year in the American League, playing for Toronto in 1979, to his world championships as a starting shortstop, to his time as a relief player, to now as a coach, the memories never end. He has lived through a transition with the bat, the ball and the glove that for obvious reasons many couldn't even imagine.
Since his service with the Angels beginning in the year 2000, Griffin has also witnessed a transition or transformation that many would consider improbable, even impossible. The native of San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic has loved what he has seen happen before his eyes in the Angels Organization.
"I have been here with different owners, uniforms, even variations of the team name," Griffin said. "I feel very fortunate to work next to a great manager and friend [Mike Scioscia], because he has given me opportunities with players that are precious to me. What we are experiencing here with so many good, young players is something that reminds me of my days with Toronto when I saw Shawn Green, Ryan Freel, and Cesar Izturis, along with others, grow and develop. Our young players have the ability to develop themselves and form part of a winning team for many years to come."
Griffin also believes that "here with the Angels there is a winning atmosphere, the fans that fill this stadium every night, the victories, the great owner ... all this helps to form a more solid concept for us to prepare the young guys. They get to know the expectations of a great team."
One can only smile when they think of the great foursome of prospects Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, and Kendry Morales.
"They all work hard, they have promising futures and they ask questions because they want to learn," Griffin said.
Griffin is a modest man, one who does not choose to nor wants to accept credit, but when asked about the player or players of whom he feels the most proud, he does not hesitate to mention two: David Eckstein, now shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, and the second baseman for the Angels, Adam Kennedy. He mentions that both were projects that he took on and had faith in, even though other organizations had already made both players available.
"These two players gave me, and in Kennedy's case continues to give me and to the organization, all of their effort, spending many hours under the sun, working hard," Griffin said. "Both have achieved great success, but that is to their credit, I only did what I was assigned to do and thanks to God, they became solid players."
Griffin also has served as the manager leading his town's team, the Estrellas Orientales (Eastern Stars), for several years during the winter season. That experience also has helped him to see the game as a manager, which enables him to give recommendations to Mike Scioscia. Moreover, his on-field achievements make him someone that the young players can look up to as a teacher and as a winner.
Griffin cites Jimmy Hoff, another instructor from the Toronto organization, as someone who helped him make the transition from player to coach a seamless one.
"Jimmy made me understand that I had to be direct when communicating with a player, and moreover, I could appreciate the command he had of his work," Griffin said.
Griffin says that the current combination of Adam Kennedy at second and the Colombian shortstop Orlando Cabrera reminds him a little of the great combination of the Detroit Tigers of the eighties with Alan Trammell at shortstop and Lou Whittaker at second, when it comes to how well they complement each other and how they anticipate each other's moves.
Of his experience as a third-base coach for the Dominican team during the World Baseball Classic, Griffin says that "I will never forget it, because it was a concept that had been planned for years and I never thought that I would see it come to be ... all those stars together, the combination of the different teams, the fans, it was incredible. Major League Baseball did a first class job, and if they invite me to participate in the next, I will do so with pleasure."
The greatest pleasure is that of the Angels, in having in their ranks one of the greatest infield instructors in all of baseball ... worldwide.
First-base coach brings world of experience to Angels
By Jose Mota / Special to MLB.com
The experiences had by Angels first-base coach Alfredo Griffin throughout his life in baseball are uncountable. We are talking about a man who has put years of sweat and dedication into this game, who has played and who has become a king in the sport.
From his being awarded co-Rookie of the Year in the American League, playing for Toronto in 1979, to his world championships as a starting shortstop, to his time as a relief player, to now as a coach, the memories never end. He has lived through a transition with the bat, the ball and the glove that for obvious reasons many couldn't even imagine.
Since his service with the Angels beginning in the year 2000, Griffin has also witnessed a transition or transformation that many would consider improbable, even impossible. The native of San Pedro de Macorís in the Dominican Republic has loved what he has seen happen before his eyes in the Angels Organization.
"I have been here with different owners, uniforms, even variations of the team name," Griffin said. "I feel very fortunate to work next to a great manager and friend [Mike Scioscia], because he has given me opportunities with players that are precious to me. What we are experiencing here with so many good, young players is something that reminds me of my days with Toronto when I saw Shawn Green, Ryan Freel, and Cesar Izturis, along with others, grow and develop. Our young players have the ability to develop themselves and form part of a winning team for many years to come."
Griffin also believes that "here with the Angels there is a winning atmosphere, the fans that fill this stadium every night, the victories, the great owner ... all this helps to form a more solid concept for us to prepare the young guys. They get to know the expectations of a great team."
One can only smile when they think of the great foursome of prospects Howie Kendrick, Erick Aybar, Brandon Wood, and Kendry Morales.
"They all work hard, they have promising futures and they ask questions because they want to learn," Griffin said.
Griffin is a modest man, one who does not choose to nor wants to accept credit, but when asked about the player or players of whom he feels the most proud, he does not hesitate to mention two: David Eckstein, now shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals, and the second baseman for the Angels, Adam Kennedy. He mentions that both were projects that he took on and had faith in, even though other organizations had already made both players available.
"These two players gave me, and in Kennedy's case continues to give me and to the organization, all of their effort, spending many hours under the sun, working hard," Griffin said. "Both have achieved great success, but that is to their credit, I only did what I was assigned to do and thanks to God, they became solid players."
Griffin also has served as the manager leading his town's team, the Estrellas Orientales (Eastern Stars), for several years during the winter season. That experience also has helped him to see the game as a manager, which enables him to give recommendations to Mike Scioscia. Moreover, his on-field achievements make him someone that the young players can look up to as a teacher and as a winner.
Griffin cites Jimmy Hoff, another instructor from the Toronto organization, as someone who helped him make the transition from player to coach a seamless one.
"Jimmy made me understand that I had to be direct when communicating with a player, and moreover, I could appreciate the command he had of his work," Griffin said.
Griffin says that the current combination of Adam Kennedy at second and the Colombian shortstop Orlando Cabrera reminds him a little of the great combination of the Detroit Tigers of the eighties with Alan Trammell at shortstop and Lou Whittaker at second, when it comes to how well they complement each other and how they anticipate each other's moves.
Of his experience as a third-base coach for the Dominican team during the World Baseball Classic, Griffin says that "I will never forget it, because it was a concept that had been planned for years and I never thought that I would see it come to be ... all those stars together, the combination of the different teams, the fans, it was incredible. Major League Baseball did a first class job, and if they invite me to participate in the next, I will do so with pleasure."
The greatest pleasure is that of the Angels, in having in their ranks one of the greatest infield instructors in all of baseball ... worldwide.