Ken Griffey Jr.

George Kenneth Griffey Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "the Kid", is an American former professional baseball outfielder who played 22 years in Major League Baseball (MLB). He spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, along with a short stint with the Chicago White Sox. A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, the first overall pick in the 1987 draft, and a 13-time All-Star, Griffey is one of the most prolific home run hitters in baseball history; his 630 home runs rank as the seventh-most in MLB history. Griffey was also an exceptional defender and won 10 Gold Glove Awards in center field. He is tied for the record of most consecutive games with a home run (eight, with Don Mattingly and Dale Long).

Ken Griffey Jr.
Griffey with the Seattle Mariners in 2009
Center fielder
Born: (1969-11-21) November 21, 1969
Donora, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
April 3, 1989, for the Seattle Mariners
Last MLB appearance
May 31, 2010, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Batting average.284
Hits2,781
Home runs630
Runs batted in1,836
Teams
Career highlights and awards
  • 13× All-Star (19902000, 2004, 2007)
  • AL MVP (1997)
  • 10× Gold Glove Award (1990–1999)
  • 7× Silver Slugger Award (1991, 1993, 1994, 1996–1999)
  • NL Comeback Player of the Year (2005)
  • 4× AL home run leader (1994, 1997–1999)
  • AL RBI leader (1997)
  • Seattle Mariners No. 24 retired
  • Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame
  • Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
  • Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction2016
Vote99.3% (first ballot)

Griffey signed lucrative deals with companies of international prominence like Nike and Nintendo; his popularity reflected well upon MLB and is credited by some with helping restore its image after the 1994 labor dispute. Griffey is one of only 31 players in baseball history to have appeared in major league games in four different calendar decades.

Following his playing career, Griffey joined the Mariners' front office as a special consultant. He was inducted into both the Mariners Hall of Fame and the Reds Hall of Fame. In 2016, Griffey was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, receiving 99.32% of the vote, breaking pitcher Tom Seaver's record of 98.84%, a record that had stood for 24 years.

Griffey is the son of former MLB player Ken Griffey Sr. and the father of former football player Trey Griffey.

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