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 on April 10, 1950, is a former professional baseball player from the United States. 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 the mid-1970s. He also played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners.
Griffey was a three-time All-Star. He often hit over .300, which means he got a hit in more than 30% of his turns at bat. He was a key part of the powerful Cincinnati Reds team known as the Big Red Machine. This team was famous for how well they played in the 1970s. In 2004, Griffey was honored by being put into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He is also the father of Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.. They even played together on the Seattle Mariners team for 51 games between 1990 and 1991.
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Early Life and Baseball Dreams
Ken Griffey Sr. was born in Donora, Pennsylvania. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother raised him and his siblings. Growing up, many people thought he would be a football star, not a baseball player. He was a great wide receiver in football. Griffey himself felt football was his best sport, followed by basketball and track. Baseball was actually his fourth favorite! He even ran track races between his turns at bat during baseball games.
As he was about to finish high school in 1969, his life changed. He was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round of the 1969 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with the team and got married. After his first season playing in the minor leagues, his son, Ken Jr., was born. Even though Griffey moved away from Donora as his baseball career grew, he always stayed connected to his hometown.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Griffey started his MLB career with the Reds on August 25, 1973. In his first game, he got two hits in four tries. He played in only 25 games that first season but hit very well, with a .384 batting average. He also hit three home runs and had 14 RBI. The next year, he played in more games, 88, and continued to improve.
In 1975, Griffey really started to shine. He had a .305 batting average and helped the Reds win the World Series. His best season was in 1976. He almost won the batting title, finishing with a career-high .336 average. He also had six home runs and 74 RBI. That year, he stole 34 bases, which was also a career best. The Reds won their second straight World Series title in 1976. Griffey was recognized as one of the best players in the National League.
Moving to Other Teams
After the 1981 season, the Reds traded Griffey to the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees from 1982 to 1986. In 1983, he had a good season with the Yankees, hitting .306 with 11 home runs. An incident during his time there led to his son, Ken Jr., deciding he would never play for the Yankees.
In 1986, Griffey was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He played one full season with the Braves in 1987, hitting .286 with 14 home runs. He then struggled a bit in 1988 and was released by the Braves in July.
Back to the Reds and Playing with His Son
Just five days after leaving the Braves, Griffey signed to play for the Cincinnati Reds again. He finished the 1988 season with the Reds. He also played for them in 1989. In 1990, he was released by the Reds during their championship season.
Griffey then signed with the Seattle Mariners. This was a special moment because he joined his son, Ken Griffey Jr., on the team. They made history by becoming the first father and son to play on the same Major League Baseball team at the same time. Even though he only played 21 games for the Mariners that year, he did very well, hitting .377. On September 14, 1990, Ken Sr. and Ken Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in a game. This is the only time this has ever happened in MLB history!
Griffey played his last major league game on May 31, 1991. He decided to retire in November 1991 after 19 seasons because of a neck injury. In his career, he played in 1,997 games. He had a lifetime batting average of .296, with 152 home runs and 859 RBI. He was also named the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 All-Star Game. In 2014, Griffey wrote a book about his life called Big Red: Baseball, Fatherhood, and My Life in the Big Red Machine.
After Playing Baseball
After retiring as a player, Ken Griffey Sr. continued to be involved in baseball. In 2004, he was honored by being inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
In 2010, Griffey became the batting coach for the Dayton Dragons. This is a minor league team connected to 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, helping players with their hitting and bunting skills.
The Griffey Family in Baseball
The Griffey family has a strong connection to baseball. Ken's father, Joseph "Buddy" Griffey, was also a local athlete.
Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. were the first father-and-son pair to play on the same Major League Baseball team at the same time. Their first game together for the Seattle Mariners was on August 31, 1990.
Ken Sr.'s younger son, Craig Griffey, also played in the Mariners' minor league system. He even appeared in some practice games with his brother, Ken Jr. Craig later retired from baseball.
Ken Griffey Sr.'s grandson, Trey Griffey, also became an athlete. He played football and spent time with teams like the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins.
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
