BRADENTON, Fla. -- Derek Berg didn’t have to think long about Konnor Griffin’s wedding gift.
Months earlier, during their time as Minor League roommates, Berg had taught Griffin how to cook steaks. It was one of many life lessons he imparted on the teenager during Griffin’s first stretch away from home.
Now Griffin was getting married, and one item on the registry had Berg’s name all over it.
A grill set.
“I saw that and thought, ‘I’ll take care of that one,’” Berg said.
Griffin arrived in pro ball as the Pirates’ top pick in the 2024 MLB Draft. Nine rounds later, Pittsburgh selected Berg, a senior catcher from Army. The two quickly became friends, and when Griffin needed a roommate, Berg was the easy choice.
"He's just mature," Griffin said. "He's been through a lot of different experiences that I haven't, and I wanted somebody that when we were at the house, we had things organized. He's just a good roommate and a good, good person to be around. So he was perfect for that."
Berg quickly settled into a role somewhere between teammate and role model.
“He’s a big brother, for sure,” Griffin said.
Berg’s unofficial curriculum began with the basics, like meals. Berg cooked for both of them, then taught Griffin the wonders of a good breakfast, a skill Griffin's wife, Dendy, now benefits from after the two were married Jan. 17.
“He’s taught me a lot of things,” Griffin said with a laugh. “Omelets, and I didn’t really know how to grill a steak. He’s the one that kind of got me into that. And now, I probably do it every week.”
The lessons didn’t stop in the kitchen. When Griffin and Dendy set up their Bradenton apartment for Spring Training, Berg joined them for a Target run that quickly became another crash course in adulthood. He taught the newlyweds about buying soap before snacks, a shower curtain before groceries ... and maybe a bath mat so the floor doesn't get wet after a shower.
When Berg and Griffin roomed together last summer, even movie nights became part of Berg’s education plan.
Griffin grew up immersed in baseball and had somehow missed a few cultural staples, including the Harry Potter series. Berg fixed that quickly.
"That was a big stepping stone for me," Berg said. "I was like, 'You haven't seen this? No? All right, movie night tonight. Put the phone down, and we're gonna watch a movie.'"
The two also spent plenty of time competing in MLB: The Show, and Berg chose to play as Griffin's character, intentionally piling up bad stats.
"Anything to get him," Berg said with a laugh. "Everything's going so good for him, so anything to bring him back down to Earth."
Berg’s favorite running joke began when the cameras started showing up to follow Griffin around the Minor Leagues. Whenever a video crew was around for another Griffin spotlight series, Berg would lean over and grin.
“It's take your son to work day,” he’d quip. "My son's just hitting better than I am.”
Most teenagers leave the nest and learn how to live on their own quietly. They'll burn a few meals, forget to grab soap at the store and just sort of figure things out as they go. Griffin has done all of that.
He just happens to be learning the ropes while also carrying the expectations that come with being one of baseball’s hottest names.
Berg has watched the attention around Griffin grow firsthand. Their paths crossed often last summer after the Draft. They first shared an apartment in Bradenton, then reunited in High-A Greensboro later in the summer and were promoted together to Double-A Altoona on Aug. 17.
And now, Griffin said, Berg is part of the family.
“He’s great,” Griffin said. “My parents love him. He was at my wedding, and my parents know him really well.
“We’ll definitely be family friends for life.”
Not that the ever-humble Griffin needed grounding, but Berg still found creative ways to needle the budding superstar he shared a home with. At Altoona, he often refreshed the social media site X, counting how many posts he could go through before Griffin’s name appeared. That first day, Berg flashed three fingers at his roommate across the room. Griffin could only laugh and shake his head.
This spring -- and with each of Griffin's first three Grapefruit League hits for the Pirates being home runs -- he's down to a single finger.
Long before the big leagues arrive, every player learns a few other things first.
While the baseball world sees a superstar in the making, Berg still sees the roommate he once taught how to grill a steak.
Thanks to Berg, Griffin now has the right tools for both jobs.