The ‘mental support’ of the US national team batting line, which is called the ‘dream lineup’, is Ken Griffey Jr. hitting coach.
In August of last year, around the time the U.S. began organizing the WBC (World Baseball Classic) national team, coach Griffey reportedly contacted general manager Tony Regins first.
General manager Reggins said, “It was when I was thinking about forming a coaching staff. Griffey Jr. contacted me. I asked, ‘Who has been selected for the national team coaching staff?’ said he wanted to come in. I asked if he was real,” he said. “I thought that if Griffey was a hitting coach, he would be respected by the players.
Reggins isn’t the only one who welcomed Coach Griffey. Mike Trout, captain of the U.S. national team and the best major leaguer in existence, also helped. “Every young player wants to emulate Griffey when they swing in the backyard or on the ballpark. It’s great to have him coach,” he said. “I’ve met him in recent years playing in Seattle, but this time with him. I wish I knew more,” he said.
Griffey is known as a senior major leaguer who is heavily trusted by his juniors. Trout also started playing baseball after watching Griffey play as a child.
Coach Griffey competed in the first WBC in 2006 as a player. He also made a name for himself internationally, appearing in six games and hitting .524 (11-for-21), three home runs, and 10 RBIs. At that time, the U.S. lost to South Korea 3-7 in the second round, with only 1 win and 2 losses, failing to advance to the semifinals. It was when he was 37 years old.
Griffey retired from the Seattle Mariners at the end of the 2010 season. He has never won a championship in his 22 years in the major leagues. Even in the WBC, which was the only international competition, it was far from winning. There was always a desire to win in my heart.
Last summer, when he heard that the WBC national team was hiring coaches, he called Riggins directly.
He hit 630 home runs and 2781 hits in his major league career. He was the home run champion four times and was named the American League MVP in 1997. He was also a 13-time All-Star and earned the Center Field Gold Glove for 10 consecutive years. Reigning as the best superstar with clean self-management in the era of steroids, he dominated an era with a wide fan base. He was evaluated as the most beautiful left-handed hitter in history.먹튀검증
In 2016, his first year of eligibility, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame with 99.32% of the vote.
He is teaching Hall of Fame reserver Trout in this tournament. Trout made his major league debut the year after Coach Griffey retired. He was named the 2012 American League Rookie of the Year and was named MVP three times. In March 2019, he signed a 12-year, $426.5 million contract extension, holding the record for the most expensive ransom in major league history.
The fact that the two of them spend three weeks in the same space as members of the US National Team is amazing in itself. The United States will play its first Group C match against England at 11:00 am on the 12th at Chase Field.