Ken Griffey, Jr. Biography

Father and Son Make History

American professional baseball player Ken Griffey Jr. was born on November 21, 1969, in Donora, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the number one overall selection in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners. He was one of the most heralded prospects in Major League Baseball history and was nicknamed simply "the kid." Griffey Jr.'s father, Ken Griffey Sr., was playing for the Cincinnati Reds at the time; the two were the first father and son duo that played in the major leagues at the same time. In 1989, Griffey Sr. began playing for the Mariners along with Griffey Jr., and the two played together until Griffey Sr.'s retirement in 1991. On April 3, 1989, Griffey doubled in his first major league at-bat against Oakland's Dave Stewart. Throughout 1989 and beyond, Griffey electrified the league with his bat and his fielding.

An Incredible Talent

In 1990, Griffey Jr. won his first Gold Glove Award for center field – an award given to the best defensive player for each position. He would go on to win the award for eleven consecutive seasons. Throughout the 1990s, Griffey was widely considered the best, or one of the best, players in baseball. His explosive power, dazzling speed, and incredible outfield play electrified fans, and made him one of the sport's most popular and recognizable players. In 1997, Griffey hit 56 home runs and won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award. He also hit 56 home runs in 1998.

Homecoming

Griffey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2000, in what was seen as an epic homecoming. Unfortunately, however, Griffey struggled with injuries during that time. In 2004, he became the 20th major league player to hit 500 home runs. Then, in 2008, Griffey became one of only six total players to hit 600 career home runs.

Retirement

In 2008, Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox. As his career began to slowly decline, he retired from baseball in June 2010. At that time, he had a career batting average of .284 and had hit a total of 630 home runs. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016.