Ken Griffey Sr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ken Griffey |
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Griffey with the Reds circa 1977
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| Outfielder | |||
| Born: April 10, 1950 Donora, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| August 25, 1973, for the Cincinnati Reds | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| May 31, 1991, for the Seattle Mariners | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .296 | ||
| Hits | 2,143 | ||
| Home runs | 152 | ||
| Runs batted in | 859 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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George Kenneth Griffey Sr. (born April 10, 1950) is a former American professional baseball player. He was an outfielder in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1973 to 1991. He is best known for his time with the Cincinnati Reds. With the Reds, he helped win two World Series championships in 1975 and 1976.
Griffey also played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners. He was chosen for the All-Star Game three times. He was part of the famous "Big Red Machine" Reds team in the 1970s. In 2004, he was honored in the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Ken Griffey Sr. is also the father of Hall of Fame player Ken Griffey Jr.. They even played on the same team, the Seattle Mariners, for a short time.
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Early Life and Baseball Beginnings
Ken Griffey Sr. grew up in Donora, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his mother, who had six children. His father left the family when Ken was very young. Ken didn't see his father again until he was 16 years old.
When he was in high school, many people thought football was his best sport. He was a star wide receiver. Ken himself felt football was his top sport, followed by basketball and track. Baseball was actually his fourth favorite! Sometimes, he would even run between his baseball game and a track meet to compete in both.
In 1969, as he was about to finish high school, his girlfriend became pregnant. Soon after, the Cincinnati Reds picked him in the baseball draft. He signed with the team and married his girlfriend. His famous son, Ken Jr., was born after Ken Sr.'s first year playing minor league baseball.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Ken Griffey Sr. made his MLB debut with the Reds on August 25, 1973. He had a great start, getting two hits in his first game. In his first season, he played only 25 games but hit very well, with a .384 batting average. This means he got a hit almost 4 out of 10 times he batted!
In 1975, Griffey started to become a star player. He hit .305 and helped the Reds win the World Series. His best season was in 1976. He nearly won the batting title, finishing with a .336 average. He also stole 34 bases that year. The Reds won their second straight World Series title in 1976. This team was known as the "Big Red Machine" because they were so powerful.
After his first time with the Reds, Griffey was traded to the New York Yankees in 1981. He played for the Yankees from 1982 to 1986. He often dealt with injuries during this time. In 1983, he had a good season, hitting .306 with 11 Home runs. An event happened where he was asked to take his son off the field, while another player's son was allowed to stay. This made his son decide he would never want to play for the Yankees.
In 1986, Griffey was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He played one full season with the Braves in 1987. He hit .286 with 14 home runs. He then struggled a bit in 1988 and was released by the Braves.
Just five days later, Griffey signed to return to the Cincinnati Reds. He played with the Reds until 1990. Then, he signed with the Seattle Mariners. This was a very special moment because he joined his son, Ken Griffey Jr., on the same team! They were the first father and son to ever play together in Major League Baseball. Ken Sr. played very well for the Mariners, hitting .377 in 21 games.
Ken Griffey Sr. played his last major league game on May 31, 1991. He decided to retire in November 1991 because of a neck injury. Over his 19-season career, he had a lifetime batting average of .296. He hit 152 home runs and had 859 RBI. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 All-Star Game. In 2014, he wrote a book about his life and baseball career.
After Playing Baseball
In 2004, Ken Griffey Sr. was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. This is a big honor for players who made a huge impact on the team.
After his playing days, Griffey became a baseball coach. In 2010, he was hired as the batting coach for the Dayton Dragons. This is a minor league team for the Reds. In 2011, he became the manager of another Reds minor league team, the Bakersfield Blaze. He later became a special instructor for the Reds, teaching players about hitting and bunting.
The Griffey Family in Baseball
Ken Griffey Sr.'s father, Joseph "Buddy" Griffey, was also a good athlete in his hometown.
The Griffeys, Ken Sr. and Ken Jr., made history as the first father and son to play on the same Major League Baseball team. They played their first game together for the Seattle Mariners on August 31, 1990. On September 14, 1990, something amazing happened: father and son hit back-to-back home runs in the same game! This has only happened once in baseball history.
Ken Sr.'s younger son, Craig Griffey, also played in the Mariners' minor league system. He even played in the outfield with his brother during some practice games. Ken Sr.'s grandson, Trey Griffey, played football and spent time with NFL teams like the Indianapolis Colts.
See also
- List of second-generation Major League Baseball players
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
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