MIAMI -- It’s April 9 and the Marlins are hosting the Reds during a midweek series at loanDepot park.
President of baseball operations Peter Bendix, usually tuned in for every pitch, is out of pocket -- and for good reason. Bendix’s wife, Lauren, is giving birth to their first child, Brody.
“That day and the first few days afterwards, I was pretty much just locked in at the hospital with Lauren, with the baby,” Bendix said. “I told people, ‘If there's something, an emergency happens, call me twice. Other than that, just take care of it.’”
Being a parent is a full-time responsibility. Now imagine adding on the high-stakes job of overseeing a Major League ballclub.
With this new development in his life, Bendix has used it to delegate and see how his employees step up. Whether it be new responsibilities or challenges, the opportunities remind Bendix of how he climbed the ladder with the Rays.
“I am fortunate that we have such great people in this organization, great people around me, that -- especially right when the baby came -- I was able to really focus on what's most important, which is Brody and Lauren,” Bendix said. “Being there, being present, being as helpful as I can, that's only because I trusted the people around me.
“I think putting people in spots to grow and learn and develop is really important. That's how I got better. I was really lucky to be able to be entrusted with a lot of different things throughout my career, and to always have that guidance and support to make sure that I didn't make too big of a mistake.
“So to be able to do that with people now, it's really important, regardless of my own personal circumstances. And then you add in the fact that I really do want to be as good of a father and husband as I possibly can, and that means relying on others.”
