MIAMI (AP) — The Conine family had a very special Sunday in Miami.
Jeff Conine became the first member of the Marlins' Hall of Fame when he was inducted before the team's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 58-year-old Conine, nicknamed “Mr. Marlin,” helped the franchise win the World Series in 1997 and 2003.
Conine's son, Griffin, then hit a tying solo homer with two outs in the seventh inning of Miami's 3-2 win. Derek Hill scored the winning run on David Bednar's wild pitch in the ninth as the Marlins took three of four in the season-opening series.
“From the ceremony itself and then getting to come up in a big spot and do it, and then us finishing with a win — our third walk-off win in four days — it's awesome,” Griffin Conine said. “We're in a great spot to start the year.”
Conine connected for his first homer of the season a day after he robbed Jack Suwinski of an eighth-inning homer with a leaping catch over the wall in left.
Conine, 27, a second-round pick in the 2018 amateur draft, was acquired by Miami in a 2020 trade with Toronto. He made his major league debut in August, joining David and Ryan Weathers as the only father-son duos to play for the Marlins in franchise history.
Conine hit .268 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 30 games with Miami in 2024.
With a group of family members, friends and former teammates looking on, Jeff Conine was presented with a teal jacket as part of the induction ceremony.
Conine played for the Marlins from 1993-97 and again from Sept. 1, 2003, through the 2005 season. The two-time All-Star batted .290 with 120 homers and 553 RBIs in 1,014 regular-season games with the organization.
Conine was selected in the 1992 expansion draft from Kansas City. He went 4 for 4 and scored two runs in the Marlins' first game, a 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 5, 1993.
“It's hard to believe that 33 years ago, Charlie Hough threw that floating knuckleball to Benito Santiago to start this franchise,” Conine said during the pregame ceremony. “And I feel so blessed and fortunate to be on that first team, to be in left field to witness that first pitch, and to watch this franchise grow over the years.”
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Miami Marlins' Griffin Conine, right, scores in front of Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Endy Rodríguez, front left, during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins' Griffin Conine ,left, scores during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
Miami Marlins players celebrate beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)
The United States and the United Kingdom look set on Thursday to be picked by FIFA next year as hosts of Women's World Cups expanded to 48 teams from 32.
Their respective intentions to bid for the 2031 and 2035 editions are now alone in the contests after a first deadline to enter the race passed. The first formal bid documents must be signed by the end of April.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino told European soccer officials the governing body received one expression of interest to host the 2031 edition — from the U.S. with the possibility of other countries in the CONCACAF region joining the project. That long-promised bid would likely include Mexico.
FIFA has just one “valid bid” to host the 2035 edition, from the British member federations centered on England, Infantino said at UEFA's annual meeting in Belgrade, Serbia.
That 2035 project was quickly supported last month by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer when FIFA said it was formally seeking bids from member federations. FIFA excluded Europe from the 2031 contest, clearing the way for a long-expected U.S. win.
Spanish soccer officials said last week they hoped to bid, possibly with Portugal and Morocco in a repeat of the co-hosting plan for the men's 2030 World Cup.
Infantino's comments to the annual meeting of UEFA seemed to rule out a Spain bid being allowed.
“So the path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in ‘31 and ’35 in some great countries," the FIFA president said, "to boost even more the women’s football movement.”
FIFA is scheduled to confirm Women's World Cup hosts next year. The 2027 edition with 32 teams is being hosted by Brazil.
The Women's World Cup would return to the U.S. for the first time since the 2003 edition. The U.S. also hosted in 1999.
England hosted the Women's European Championship in 2022 — which the home team won — and the men's Euro 2028 will be co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
In a further boost for women's soccer, Infantino detailed FIFA's plan to have more women's teams than men's playing at the next Olympics.
There were just 12 teams in the women's tournament at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 16 in the men's tournament.
Though the International Olympic Committee strongly supports gender equality at the games, adding four more women's teams — and about 70 extra players, plus team officials — would push the limit of agreed athlete quotas for organizers in Los Angeles.
Infantino said on Thursday that FIFA's new proposal is to flip the numbers to have 16 women's teams and 12 in the men's tournaments.
The final decision is for the IOC, which has an executive board meeting next Wednesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, left, holding a ball during the 49th UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino shakes hands with delegates at the 49th ordinary UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks to delegates at the 49th ordinary UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin delivers his speech during the 49th UEFA congress in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
