Grifol has father to thank for giving him tools to succeed

CHICAGO -- People often ask White Sox manager Pedro Grifol about what he does away from baseball.

And his answer usually is, “I don’t do anything.”

That response isn’t exactly true. Grifol’s life is dedicated to work and his family, a part of being a good dad he learned from his own father. Grifol was born Pedro Orlando, with his dad being Pedro Juan, and in talking to the younger Grifol for just 20 minutes about his father, feelings of respect, reverence, love and even their bond of friendship come through.

It has not been an easy life for Grifol’s father, who's had myriad health issues, as his son explained during a recent conversation with MLB.com. But regardless, Pedro Juan has fought his way through.

“That’s the only reason I can sit there in front of you guys twice a day and get through it and stay positive, because I’ve seen this man go through hell and high water,” Grifol said. “He had colon cancer and a heart attack at 42.

“He’s 74, and the last 32 years …. the way he takes this and the way he accepts bad news and the way he fights through it. My gosh, man. He had colon cancer, bladder cancer, two small intestinal surgeries, supposedly triple bypass. They couldn’t do it. He had heart valve replacement. He’s had eight or nine major, major surgeries.”

On the last surgery, the triple bypass where they had to go in through the side to attempt the procedure, Grifol’s father spent somewhere around 55 days being intubated.

“So, he had it on April 15 of last year, and he was intubated until June,” Grifol said. “Every time I would try to go see him, somebody would come up with COVID on our team and I couldn’t go. I had to cancel two or three flights.

“The reason he was intubated is because the liver doesn’t process the anesthesia and the medicine, so he wouldn’t come out of it. He just wouldn’t come out of it.”

Grifol’s father lives with his sister Monica, and he has another sister, Nicole. His mother, Gloria, and his father got divorced when Grifol was 14, and he left with his dad. But he credits his mom and dad for making a tough situation work.

“I set the schedule up myself,” Grifol said. “I would go with my dad Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday for football, Monday Night Football, then they would drop me off at my mom’s house, which was close by, Tuesday to Thursday. And then go back with my dad for the weekend and Monday Night Football. At the time, Monday Night Baseball, too.

“That’s how I set it up. I started to spend a lot more time with him. My mom was excellent in the process, because she could have really been difficult and said, ‘No, he’s staying with me.’ She realized how much we kind of needed each other, and I needed him. She was OK with me going. They both played a really big part of this.”

Grifol told a special support story of his own family during his introductory news conference on Nov. 3. He had worked a decade in the Mariners organization and was on a front-office path, but he wasn’t happy. Grifol shared that feeling with his wife, Ali, and his three daughters, admitting that their lifestyle could change if he went after a managerial career.

They reminded him of how he pushed them to chase their dreams, and how could he do that if he didn’t follow his? His dream is a reality as the 42nd different manager in White Sox history. The start to his managerial career was not easy, including a plethora of key injuries and a 10-game losing streak during an 8-21 March and April, and it’s not always easy to drop the losses when he leaves the field. But he always has family.

“It was a hell of a lot easier as a bench coach,” Grifol said. “The great thing is that my family is extremely active in our games. They kind of wear it with me a little bit. So it’s almost like I’m not forced to let it go because they don’t let it go.

“Sometimes, I’m the one who has to say, ‘We have to let it go. Let’s turn the page and be ready to go tomorrow.’”

Lauren, the Grifols’ oldest daughter, is getting married soon. Amanda, their middle daughter, is pregnant with their first grandchild arriving any day. Amanda’s husband, Hugo Fauroux, is a professional soccer goalkeeper for Loudoun United FC, a reserve team of D.C. United. And Camila, the youngest daughter who turned 20 in June, is a student.

All of them live with Pedro and Ali in Miami, and all of them were together for Mother's Day in Chicago. Then in June, Pedro’s father made the trip to watch him manage in person. It was a special day for both men.

Grifol is one of four Latino managers in Major League Baseball, joining Boston’s Alex Cora, St. Louis’ Oliver Marmol and Washington’s Dave Martinez. He’s one of a handful of current managers who did not play in the Major Leagues.

The fulfillment of this managerial dream was facilitated by his dad, his mom and his grandparents, setting examples to follow for life achievement. More importantly, they set examples for the family first life he follows.

“My whole family is like that,” Grifol said. “My dad could have done anything in life. He is a brilliant man. One of the smartest men I know. He had us and he just dedicated himself to us. My grandmother was the same way. My grandfather was a janitor, and the reason he was a janitor is he got out of school at the same time we would get out of school, so he could pick me up and do the things. It was almost like they sacrificed their whole life to make sure we are in a better place.

“Their words were, ‘Our job is to make sure you have enough to become better than we are.’ Those are the examples I have. That’s kind of what Ali and I do with our girls. Our job is to make sure that they chase their dreams, facilitate that with whatever they need. Teach them the value of hard work and ethics and character and integrity and doing the right thing and faith.”