Alaska Sports Hall of Fame

Jason Griffin has been a strength coach with the New York Mets for two years. Before that he spent two seasons as a conditioning coach with the Oakland Raiders.

Griffin is a power guy, familiar with explosive movements. Baseball, football, he said, it doesn’t matter; the concept is the same.

“You want an athlete to be conditioned to field their position, whether it’s center field or defensive back,” Griffin told me.

Ever wonder how a slugger like David Wright prepares his body to smash home runs in the major leagues? Ever marvel the way speedsters like Jose Reyes stay so nimble on the base paths?

It’s no secret. It’s their strength and conditioning coaches.

These guys keep your favorite players on the field. They are the true MVPs.

And two of them – Griffin and Kenny Coward – will be here Friday, Saturday and Sunday at The Dome for the Professional Baseball Clinic, courtesy of the non-profit Alliance for Support of American Legion Baseball in Alaska.

Coward has been with the Mets for 11 years and developed some of the biggest names in baseball.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Alaska,” Coward said. “How often can you say you’ve been to Alaska?”

And how often can you say you’ve been schooled by the best in baseball?

This is your chance. Registration is just $25.

Coward is a speed guy, focusing on agility, quickness, weight training philosophies and nutrition. He likes to keep drills competitive, pitting kids against the clock as well as each other.