On Pedro Grifols managerial debut friends recount why hes the total package

HOUSTON — Before his nationally televised managerial debut, Pedro Grifol received high praise from some big names. After 13 major league seasons, Eduardo Pérez is a celebrated ESPN broadcaster who is connected enough in the game for his recommendations of Grifol to carry serious weight. A manager in Puerto Rico and a member of multiple MLB coaching staffs, Pérez and Grifol used to regularly share notes on coaching and managing people. But when they met, Pérez was the new kid from Puerto Rico, walking into environmental science class at Columbus High in Miami and sitting next to a self-assured Grifol,…