Ken Griffey Jr.

George Kenneth Griffey, Jr.
Griffey with the White Sox in 2008
Seattle Mariners – No. 24
Left fielder / Designated hitter
Bats: Left Throws: Left
debut
April 3, 1989, for the Seattle Mariners
Career statistics (through 2008 season)
Batting average	.288
Home runs	611
Runs batted in	1,772
Hits	2,679
Doubles	502
Runs	1,612
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
Seattle Mariners (1989-1999) Cincinnati Reds (2000-2008) Chicago White Sox (2008) Seattle Mariners (2009-present)
Career highlights and awards
Most Valuable Player Award winner (1997) 7x Silver Slugger Award winner (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) 10x Gold Glove Award winner (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) 13x All-Star selection (1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007)

George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. (born November 21, 1969 in Donora, Pennsylvania) to Pheobe Griffey of Wales is a Major League Baseball left fielder and designated hitter, who currently plays for the Seattle Mariners, who he had played with in the beginning of his career. He is one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history, currently fifth on the list of most career home runs, and is tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run. His nicknames have been "The Natural", "The Kid", and "Junior". He is the son of former big league outfielder Ken Griffey, Sr. Many have described his swing as "one of the most beautiful and effortless." Griffey has also played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox.

"The Kid"

Griffey shares the same birthday and the same birthplace as Hall of Famer Stan Musial in the town of Donora, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, where father Ken Griffey, Sr. played for the Cincinnati Reds. Ken was inside of the clubhouse during his father's back to back championships in the 1975-1976 World Series. He attended Archbishop Moeller High School where he played football and baseball. Griffey was the baseball player of the year in 1986 and 1987, and played football for 3 years.

Seattle Mariners

In 1987, Griffey was selected with the first overall pick of that year's amateur draft by the Seattle Mariners. In his eleven seasons with Seattle (spanning from 1989 to 1999) Griffey established himself as one of the most prolific and exciting players of the era, racking up 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 RBIs, and 167 stolen bases. He led the American League in home runs four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 batting average.

Additionally, his defense in center field was widely considered as the standard of elite fielding during the decade. Thanks to his impressive range, Griffey frequently made spectacular diving plays, and he often dazzled fans by making over-the-shoulder basket catches and by robbing opposing hitters of home runs at the wall—leaping up and pulling them back into the field of play. He was featured on the Wheaties cereal box and also had his own signature sneaker line from Nike, Inc.

One of Ken Griffey, Jr. signature sneakers, the Nike Air Griffey Max.

Griffey was a frequent participant in the All-Star Game during the 1990s. He has led his league multiple times in hitting categories and was awarded Gold Gloves for his defensive excellence every year from 1990 to 1999. In 1990 and 1991, Griffey and his father became the first son and father to play on the same team at the same time. At the MLB Home Run Derby in 1993, which was held at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Griffey slugged a ball over the right field wall, hitting the warehouse. Griffey is the first player to have ever hit the warehouse on a fly, and is honored with a plaque. In 1997, he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award, hitting .304, with 56 home runs and 147 RBIs.

One of the most memorable moments of Griffey's career with the Mariners came during the 1995 American League Division Series (ALDS) against the New York Yankees. After losing the first two games, the Mariners and Griffey were on the verge of elimination, but came back to win the next two games, setting up a decisive fifth game. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 5, with Griffey on first base, teammate Edgar Martínez hit a double. Griffey raced around the bases, slid into home with the winning run, and popped up into the waiting arms of the entire team. Although the Mariners subsequently lost the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians (managed by later Mariners manager Mike Hargrove), that moment remains one of the most memorable in Mariners history, capping a season that "saved baseball in Seattle", as it occurred in the midst of speculation that the franchise would relocate to another city. This game five final play of the ALDS was the inspiration for the title of the video game, Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Winning Run for the Super Nintendo.

As the Mariners were playing to sellout crowds in the Kingdome, the voters of Washington state's King County narrowly defeated a ballot proposal to build a new baseball stadium. Following the success of the team that season and the narrowness of the vote, the then-governor of Washington, Mike Lowry, called a special session of the Washington State Legislature where a new stadium authority was created and a new tax on hotels and rental cars were added to support the baseball stadium. Today this facility is known as Safeco Field and is referred to by some as "The House That Griffey Built".

In 1999, he ranked 93rd on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. This list was compiled during the 1998 season, counting only statistics through 1997. It was argued by some that, had the voting been done two or three years later, he would have been ranked several places higher: at age 29 (going on 30), he was easily the youngest player on the list. That same year, Griffey was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. However, when TSN updated their list for a new book in 2005, despite having surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Number 93.

While playing with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American League Gold Glove winner, the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, 1997 AL MVP, 1998 ESPY co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, and was named to the All-Century team in 1999.

Departure from Seattle

Griffey used to live in the same neighborhood in Orlando as golfer Payne Stewart. After the death of Payne Stewart in a plane crash on October 25, 1999, Griffey started expressing a desire to live closer to his relatives in his hometown of Cincinnati.

After the 1999 season, Griffey's request was granted and he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Pérez, and Jake Meyer. Initially, the future looked extremely bright for him in Cincinnati, where the Reds had just come within one game of a playoff berth. It was the city in which he had grown up, and Griffey was reportedly very pleased to be playing on his father's former team.

Ken Griffey, Jr. was a fan favorite in Seattle since he was a 19 year old rookie, and was the featured star of the Mariners throughout his tenure. In June 2007, the near-capacity crowd welcomed him back in a Reds' uniform for a three-game series in Seattle. Griffey hit two home runs in the last game of the series. In a TV interview broadcast on the local FSN affiliate following the series finale, Griffey emotionally expressed an interest in returning to the Seattle ballclub in the future should circumstances warrant it.

Cincinnati Reds

2000–2004

The 2000 season began what has generally been seen by the media as a decline in Griffey's superstar status. Although his statistics during this season were respectable, they were far below his previous level of play: in 145 games, Griffey hit .271 with 40 home runs, but his .943 on-base plus slugging was his lowest mark in five years. Griffey wore his father's #30, not #24 like he did in Seattle. The number 24 was already retired in honor of Tony Pérez and it was not brought out of retirement for Griffey. Additionally, from 2001 through 2004, Griffey was plagued by a string of injuries, including season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Worse yet for Griffey, the cumulative effects of the injuries lowered his bat speed, resulting in less power and fewer home runs (he slugged only .426 before succumbing to injury in 2002, his lowest output in seven years). Injuries forced Griffey to miss 260 out of 486 games from 2002 through 2004, diminishing both his skills and his star reputation. Consequently, he is not nearly the ubiquitous presence he once was on cereal boxes, television commercials, and the All-Star Game.

In 2004, Griffey avoided major injury during the first half of the season, and on June 20 became the 20th player to hit 500 career home runs. His 500th home run came on Father's Day in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, with his father in the stands; the homer also tied Ken Jr. with his father in career hits with 2,143. However, the injury bug bit again just before the All-Star break; he suffered a partial hamstring tear, knocking him out of the All-Star Game and putting him on the disabled list yet again.

Griffey finished the 2004 season on the disabled list after suffering a rupture of his right hamstring in San Francisco. The play in question occurred at AT&T Park in a game against the San Francisco Giants. Griffey was starting in right field for the first time in his 16-year Major League career when he raced toward the gap to try to cut off a ball before it got to the wall. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyper extended his right leg, tearing the hamstring completely off the bone. He later came out of the game, complaining of "tightness" in the hamstring exacerbated by chilly conditions in San Francisco. However, there was far more to it than anyone realized at the time.

Shortly after this injury, the Reds' team physician, Timothy Kremchek, devised an experimental surgery dubbed "The Junior Operation" that would use three titanium screws to reattach Griffey's hamstring. For several weeks, Griffey's right leg was in a sling that kept it at a 90-degree angle, and he was not able to move the leg until late October. After an intense rehabilitation period, he returned for the 2005 season. In April, he hit .244 with one homer (on April 30) and nine RBIs.

2005–2006 seasons

Starting May 1, the 2005 season saw the resurgence of a healthy Griffey. The fluid swing, which depends heavily on excellent lower body strength, returned to its original form now that Griffey's hamstring and calf problems appeared behind him. His 35 home runs were his highest since his first year with the Reds as Griffey slowly moved up the career home run list. He ended the season tied with Mickey Mantle, after having passed Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, and Eddie Murray.

Early in September, he strained a tendon in his left foot (an injury unrelated to his past hamstring and calf problems), and was listed as day-to-day for several weeks. On September 22, with the Reds out of playoff contention, the team decided to bench him for the rest of the season so he could immediately have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and a separate operation to repair scars from his 2004 hamstring operation. Still, his 128 games in 2005 were the most he has played since 2000. Griffey's resurgence was recognized when he was named National League Comeback Player of the Year. He played in the World Baseball Classic for the American team that off-season with his father as a coach. Griffey batted .524, but the USA failed to reach the semifinals.

During the second game of the 2006 regular season, Griffey hit home run #537, surpassing Mickey Mantle for 12th on the all-time list. He returned on May 11 from a knee injury suffered April 12, and hit a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the 11th inning against the Washington Nationals. On June 5, Griffey tied Fred McGriff's record by hitting a home run in his 43rd different ballpark, at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium. On June 19, Griffey hit career home run 548, tying him with Mike Schmidt, and then six days later passed Schmidt with 549. On June 27, he hit his 550th career home run against the Kansas City Royals.

On September 25 2006, Griffey hit his 27th home run of the season against Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Scott Eyre to tie Reggie Jackson for tenth on the all time home run list.

Griffey's injuries continued in the 2006 off-season. While on holiday in the Bahamas with his family, he broke his wrist. He said he was wrestling with his daughter and two younger sons when the oldest jumped in and knocked him off balance; he landed awkwardly on his left hand. Griffey said his hand felt fine and he expected to be ready to go for 2007 spring training.

2007 season

At the beginning of the 2007 Major League Baseball season, Ryan Freel took over center field for the Reds, and Griffey Jr. was moved to right field. Griffey also changed his number from 30 to 3 to honor his 3 kids (during the next 2 seasons, Griffey would also wear number 42 on April 15th to honor Jackie Robinson. Reds manager Jerry Narron said that "I've got to do everything I can do to put our best club out there. My feeling is that with Ryan Freel out there, it gives us strong defense up the middle." On May 10 2007, Griffey hit his sixth home run of the season and the 569th of his career, tying Rafael Palmeiro for ninth place on the career home runs list. He passed Palmeiro on May 13. Griffey tied Harmon Killebrew for eighth on the all-time list hitting his 573rd career home run on May 22. He then surpassed him on May 25.

On June 22 2007, Griffey made his first return to Seattle after his trade to the Reds. Before the game, the Mariners honored him with a 15-minute presentation which included a highlight reel of his playing career with the Mariners, a presentation of a "The House that Griffey Built" memorial by Mariners hall-of-famers and former teammates Jay Buhner and Edgar Martínez, and a 4 minute standing ovation from the sold out crowd. Griffey did not expect such a welcome or a turnout by fans when he came back, and a short but emotional speech was given by Griffey afterwards. Many of the fans in attendance made signs professing their gratitude and adoration toward him with quotes such as: "The House that Griffey Built", "Seattle [hearts] Junior", and "Griffey we miss you." Griffey went 1–5 in the game. On June 24, Griffey hit his 583rd and 584th career home runs, tying and passing Mark McGwire for 7th place on the all-time career home run list.

In an interview on FSN Northwest with Angie Mentink, Griffey stated that he would like to end his career as a Seattle Mariner and that he feels that he owes it to the fans of Seattle:

Would I do it? Yeah. I think for the simple reason that this is the place where I grew up and I owe it to the people of Seattle and to myself to retire as a Mariner.

Following the Cincinnati Reds versus Seattle Mariners series of 2007, a fan movement emerged petitioning Mariners' management to bring Griffey back. Over 1,900 signatures were collected on a fan vid-blog/petition.

Griffey received the most votes of any player in the National League for the 2007 All-Star balloting and on the July 10 game, he went on to drive in two runs for the National League. On July 16 2007, Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 587th home run to pass Frank Robinson for 6th place on the all-time home run list. On July 18, 2007, Griffey hit his 2,500th hit, a first inning single off Atlanta Braves starting pitcher John Smoltz.

On September 19 2007, in a game against the Chicago Cubs, Griffey fielded a Derrek Lee single in right field, then suddenly went down in pain. He was on the ground for several minutes, but eventually walked off under his own power. The injury, first thought to be a lower abdominal strain, was later revealed to be a season-ending groin strain. This marked one of many seasons in Cincinnati in which Griffey had to end the year on the disabled list. Griffey ended the 2007 season with 593 career home runs.

Ken played in his hometown from 2000-2008.

On August 22 2007, Griffey was selected as an all-time Gold Glove winner, on a list of nine players considered the greatest defensive players in the last fifty years. He finished the season with 78 runs, 146 hits, 24 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs, 93 RBIs, and a .277 batting average.

2008 season

On April 4, 2008, Ken Griffey, Jr. passed Reggie Jackson for 16th on the all-time list after driving in his 1,702nd RBI. Two days later, in an 8–2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, Griffey hit his 594th career home run and his first of the 2008 season. The two-run homer pushed him closer to becoming the sixth player in history to reach 600-home runs. On April 9, in the 12–4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers, Griffey batted 2 for 4 with 3 runs and an RBI. On April 15, in the 9–5 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Griffey hit his 595th career home run, batting 1 for 4 on the game with the solo hit being the two-run homer. Two days later on April 17, Griffey hit his 596th career home run while batting 2 for 5 with 3 RBIs in a 9–2 victory by the Cincinnati Reds over the Chicago Cubs. In the April 20 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, Griffey batted 1 for 5 with the walk-off RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning for the 4–3 victory. Griffey's walk-off hit came after Edwin Encarnación's and Joey Votto's back-to-back home runs. On May 31st, Griffey hit the 599th home run of his career against the Atlanta Braves, needing only 1 more home run to become only the sixth member of the legendary 600 home run club. He reached the plateau on June 9, hitting his 600th home run on a 3-1 pitch from Mark Hendrickson of the Florida Marlins in the first inning. Fans of both teams gave him a standing ovation.

On June 30, Griffey hit his fifth career walk-off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The two-run pinch-hit shot, his 603rd career home run, came in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Reds to the 4–3 victory. On July 4, Griffey hit career home run 604 as the Reds beat the Washington Nationals, 3–0.

Despite being ranked second in the National League All-Star voting for outfielders for most of the first half of the season, Griffey finished fourth with 2,907,746 ballots and was not selected to his 14th All-Star Game as a reserve, being 87,000 votes away from Kosuke Fukudome in third place. At the All-Star Break, Griffey was batting .239 with 12 home runs and 42 RBIs. "I always have a backup plan...If you can't hit a tough lefty, bunt. If you can't hit a tough righty, bunt. If you can't go to the All-Star Game, go to the Bahamas," Griffey said.

On July 30, Griffey hit his 608th career home run, and the 15th of 2008 in his last game for the Reds. When the 2008 season ended he said he wouldn't retire, saying "I've got things to do."

Chicago White Sox

On July 31, 2008, at the MLB trade deadline, Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar, ending his nine-year tenure in Cincinnati. In his first game against the Royals, he went 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, a walk, and a run.

On August 20, 2008, Griffey hit his first home run as a member of the White Sox, off of the Mariners' R. A. Dickey, which moved him into a tie with former Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa for career home runs. He surpassed Sosa on September 23, with one off Minnesota's Matt Guerrier.

On October 30, 2008 the White Sox declined a $16 million option on Griffey, making him a free agent. Griffey will instead receive a buyout for $4 million to be split amongst the Reds and White Sox.

Return to Seattle

Griffey Batting against the Chicago Cubs during Spring Training. March 2009

Griffey accepted a contract offer from the Seattle Mariners on February 18, 2009. After declaring free agency, Griffey was courted by the Mariners and the Atlanta Braves, and ultimately decided with the Mariners after "agonizing" over the decision. Griffey was motivated by sentimental reasons toward Seattle, where he received a positive reception when he last played there as a Cincinnati Red in 2007, but was inclined towards Atlanta for its proximity to home and his desire to be with his family during the season. Apparently, Griffey was very close to signing with Atlanta, however, a premature report from the Atlanta Journal Constitution that an Atlanta deal was done and a conversation with Willie Mays and his own 13-year-old daughter played a factor in his choice. Griffey will be wearing #24 again on his jersey. He started his first spring game against Australia going 0-1 with a walk. His Cactus League Debut saw him going 2-2 with 2 singles and 1 run scored.

Jersey number

Griffey's jersey number has changed many times throughout his career. He has worn numbers:

24 - Seattle Mariners, 1989-1999, 2009 (in honor of Willie Mays)
30 - Cincinnati Reds, 2000-2006 (also his father's old number when he was with the Reds)
3 - Cincinnati Reds, 2007-2008 (in honor of his son Trey who also wears number 3)
42 - Seattle Mariners, April 15, 1997 and Cincinnati Reds, April 15, 2007 and 2008 (in honor of Jackie Robinson)
17 - Chicago White Sox, 2008 (he was drafted when he was 17 years old)

Career statistics

Year	Age	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	TB	SH	SF	IBB	HBP	GDP
1989	19	Seattle	AL	127	455	61	120	23	0	16	61	16	7	44	83	.264	.329	.420	.749	191	1	4	8	2	4
1990	20	Seattle	AL	155	597	91	179	28	7	22	80	16	11	63	81	.300	.366	.481	.847	287	0	4	12	2	12
1991	21	Seattle	AL	154	548	76	179	42	1	22	100	18	6	71	82	.327	.399	.527	.926	289	4	9	21	1	10
1992	22	Seattle	AL	142	565	83	174	39	4	27	103	10	5	44	67	.308	.361	.535	.896	302	0	3	15	5	15
1993	23	Seattle	AL	156	582	113	180	38	3	45	109	17	9	96	91	.309	.408	.617	1.025	359	0	7	25	6	14
1994	24	Seattle	AL	111	433	94	140	24	4	40	90	11	3	56	73	.323	.402	.674	1.076	292	0	2	19	2	9
1995	25	Seattle	AL	72	260	52	67	7	0	17	42	4	2	52	53	.258	.379	.481	.860	125	0	2	6	0	4
1996	26	Seattle	AL	140	545	125	165	26	2	49	140	16	1	78	104	.303	.392	.628	1.020	342	1	7	13	7	7
1997	27	Seattle	AL	157	608	125	185	34	3	56	147	15	4	76	121	.304	.382	.646	1.028	393	0	12	23	8	12
1998	28	Seattle	AL	161	633	120	180	33	3	56	146	20	5	76	121	.284	.365	.611	.976	387	0	4	11	7	14
1999	29	Seattle	AL	160	606	123	173	26	3	48	134	24	7	91	108	.285	.384	.576	.960	349	0	2	17	7	8
2000	30	Cincinnati	NL	145	520	100	141	22	3	40	118	6	4	94	117	.271	.387	.556	.943	289	0	8	17	9	7
2001	31	Cincinnati	NL	111	364	57	104	20	2	22	65	2	0	44	72	.286	.365	.533	.898	194	1	4	6	4	8
2002	32	Cincinnati	NL	70	197	17	52	8	0	8	23	1	2	28	39	.264	.358	.426	.784	84	0	4	6	3	6
2003	33	Cincinnati	NL	53	166	34	41	12	1	13	26	1	0	27	44	.247	.370	.566	.936	94	1	1	5	6	3
2004	34	Cincinnati	NL	83	300	49	76	18	0	20	60	1	0	44	67	.253	.351	.513	.864	154	0	2	3	2	8
2005	35	Cincinnati	NL	128	491	85	148	30	0	35	92	0	1	54	93	.301	.369	.576	.945	283	0	7	3	3	9
2006	36	Cincinnati	NL	109	428	62	108	19	0	27	72	0	0	39	78	.252	.316	.486	.802	208	0	3	6	2	13
2007	37	Cincinnati	NL	144	528	78	146	24	1	30	93	6	1	85	99	.277	.372	.496	.868	262	0	9	14	1	14
2008	38	CIN/CWS	NL/AL	143	490	67	122	30	1	18	71	0	1	78	89	.249	.353	.424	.777	208	0	4	14	3	13
Totals:				2,521	9,316	1,612	2,680	503	38	611	1,772	184	69	1,240	1,682	.288	.373	.547	.920	5,092	8	98	244	80	190

Roll over stat abbreviations for definitions. Stats through September 30, 2008.

Griffey in popular culture

As a Mariner, Griffey has starred in four Nintendo video games: 1994's Ken Griffey, Jr. Presents Major League Baseball and 1996's Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Winning Run for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as the Nintendo 64 games Major League Baseball Featuring Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1998, and Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Slugfest in 1999. He has also appeared on the Game Boy in 1997 (a portable version of his 1994 game, with authentic rosters as they were on Opening Day 1997) and 1999's Slugfest, a portable version of the Nintendo 64 game.

In 1996, Nike promoted a "Ken Griffey, Jr. for President" ad campaign, releasing "Griffey in '96" buttons and a TV commercial featuring Penny Hardaway. Of course, Griffey could not take office as he was only 27 at the time; the Constitution requires the President to be at least 35. Thus the first election cycle which would be constitutionally permissible would be the 2008 election.

Griffey also had a memorable guest role on The Simpsons, in episode 52, during the third season episode, "Homer at the Bat", along with fellow stars José Canseco, Wade Boggs, Darryl Strawberry, Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens, Steve Sax, Ozzie Smith, and Mike Scioscia. In the episode, Griffey overdoses on a nerve tonic prescribed to him by Mr. Burns, causing him to suffer from gigantism.

Griffey also has had a candy bar named after him called the Ken Griffey, Jr. Bar. Unfortunately, he is allergic to chocolate so their manufacture soon ceased.

Griffey was mentioned in an episode of Scrubs. A paramedic, played by Molly Shannon, said she bought her son Griffey's card, and he carried it with him wherever he went.

Griffey also had an appearance in "Love Hurts", an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which he insults Will Smith at a local carnival. In 1994, he was featured in the major motion picture Little Big League, directed by Andrew Scheinman. In the 2001 baseball movie, Summer Catch, Griffey makes a brief cameo appearance at the very end of the movie, showcasing him hitting a home run at the now defunct Cinergy Field/Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati.

Griffey has appeared in some games in the Backyard Baseball series.

Griffey is a paintball fan and can often be found playing with his wife and children at paintball facilities around Orlando, Florida, his off-season home. At the 2007 PSP World Cup, Planet Eclipse presented Griffey with his own "Private Label" 2008 Ego paintball marker.

Griffey was the first player to ask Bud Selig to wear the number 42 in celebration of Jackie Robinson Day. After its approval from the league commissioner, Selig encouraged players across the league to do the same in a temporary suspension of the number being retired to honor the great Jackie Robinson on Jackie Robinson Day celebrated throughout the Major League.

Griffey's 1989 Upper Deck rookie card, numbered 1, was selected as the first ever* printed MLB baseball card for an official set by Upper Deck.

• Promotional cards of Wally Joyner and De Wayne Buice were printed by the company, prior to the release of the official set. The Buice promo card is also numbered 1 on the reverse, but the hologram is rectangular, rather than the diamond shape.

Ken Griffey Jr's 1989 Upper Deck rookie card was mentioned on the Sci-fi television show Eureka in the episode titled "Games People Play" as Sheriff Jack Carter's prized baseball card from his former baseball card collection. The sheriff's ex-wife disposed of the collection.

Griffey was featured (and performed) on Seattle-based rapper Kid Sensation's 1992 album "The Power of Rhyme", in the song "The Way I Swing" (track #8).

Philanthropy

In 2008, Griffey released a series of charity wines to support The Ken Griffey, Jr. Family Foundation, a fund that supports several causes, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and several children's hospitals across the United States.

Personal

In April 2007, Griffey was diagnosed with pleurisy, an inflammation of the lining of the cavity surrounding the lungs which can cause painful respiration and other symptoms.

Griffey and his wife Melissa have three children: George Kenneth III ("Trey"), daughter Taryn Kennedy, and adopted son Tevin Kendall. Griffey switched his uniform number in 2006, from 30 to 3, to honor his three kids, but in 2008 when he was traded to Chicago he was given the number 17.

Griffey was named an American Public Diplomacy Envoy by Condoleezza Rice on November 18, 2008.

Trey Griffey

When Trey was born in 1994, the Mariners' then-General Manager, Woody Woodward, sent him a player's contract dated 2012. Peter Gammons once jokingly wrote in a column that Trey would indeed be the major league's #1 draft pick that year. At age twelve, Trey served as a batboy for the US team in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, with his father as a player and his grandfather as a coach. Now fourteen, Trey seems to have more of an interest in football, playing linebacker and running back on a youth-league team that includes DeShane Larkin, son of Barry Larkin.

See also

• Major League Baseball players who have hit 30 or more home runs before the All-Star break
• 50 home run club
• 500 home run club
• List of Major League Baseball home run records
• List of top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters
• List of second generation MLB players
• List of Major League Baseball individual streaks
• List of Major League Baseball players with 2000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs
• List of Major League Baseball RBI champions
• List of Major League Baseball home run champions
• List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
• List of Major League Baseball hitters with three home runs in one game
• Major League Baseball titles leaders

External links

• Career statistics from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• swingman3.com - Official website

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Jeff King	First overall pick in the MLB Entry Draft 1987	Succeeded by Andy Benes
Preceded by Paul Molitor Frank Thomas	American League Player of the Month April, 1990 April 1997	Succeeded by José Canseco Frank Thomas
Preceded by Cal Ripken, Jr.	Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player 1992	Succeeded by Kirby Puckett
Preceded by Juan González Tino Martinez	Home Run Derby Champion 1994 1998 & 1999	Succeeded by Frank Thomas Sammy Sosa
Preceded by Juan González Mark McGwire	American League Home Run Champion 1994 1997–1999	Succeeded by Albert Belle Troy Glaus
Preceded by Juan González	American League Most Valuable Player 1997	Succeeded by Juan González
Preceded by Albert Belle	American League RBI Champion 1997	Succeeded by Juan González
Preceded by Chris Carpenter	NL Comeback Player of the Year 2005	Succeeded by Nomar Garciaparra

{{subst:#if:Griffey, Ken Jr.|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1969}}

|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}||LIVING=(living people)}}
| #default = 1969 births

}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:}}

|| LIVING  = 
| MISSING  = 
| UNKNOWN  = 
| #default = 

}}