Ken Griffey Sr.

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Lore & Background

Griffey's most defining legacy includes becoming the first father-and-son tandem to play on the same MLB team at the same time alongside his son, Ken Griffey Jr., for the Seattle Mariners in 1990. They played their first game together on August 31, 1990, against the Kansas City Royals. On September 14, 1990, father and son hit back-to-back home runs in a game against the California Angels, an event that remains the only time in major league history this has happened. Before this historic pairing, Griffey Sr.'s primary chapter was with the Reds, where he excelled in the powerful batting order known as the Big Red Machine. His tenure there saw him bat over .300 in five seasons. However, his path wasn't always smooth; injuries often plagued him during his years with the Yankees (1982–1986), and an incident involving his son being told to leave the field while a white teammate's child stayed resulted in Ken Jr. later refusing to consider playing for New York.

In Their Own Story

Griffey's 1976 season stands out as his best, where he finished with a career-high .336 average, six home runs, and 74 RBI in 148 games, along with a career-high 34 stolen bases. He nearly won the batting title, leading Bill Madlock of the Chicago Cubs .338 to .333 on the final day before manager Sparky Anderson pulled him from the starting lineup after consulting with stars Pete Rose, Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan, and Tony Pérez. Madlock went 4-for-4, while Griffey entered as a pinch hitter, batting 0-for-2 and falling behind in the race. Despite this, he finished eighth in NL MVP voting. His debut on August 25, 1973, was immediate success: he went 2-for-4 in a 6–4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, batting .384 with three home runs and 14 RBI in just 25 games that season. In the 1975 World Series, he batted .289 with five stolen bases as the Reds won. Although he batted only 1-for-17 in the 1976 World Series, his contribution to two consecutive championships was significant.

Reader's Guide

Griffey's career spanned from his debut on August 25, 1973, until his final game on May 31, 1991. He began with the Reds in 1973 and played there through 1981 before being traded to the New York Yankees on November 4, 1981, for Fred Toliver and Brian Ryder. He played first base and outfield for the Yankees until June 30, 1986, when he was traded to the Atlanta Braves with Andre Robertson in exchange for Claudell Washington and Paul Zuvella. After struggling in 1988, he was released by the Braves on July 28 and signed back with the Reds five days later. He was released again during the Reds' 1990 championship season before signing with the Seattle Mariners to conclude that year. He returned to the Mariners on a one-year deal for 1991 but retired in November due to a neck injury. Over 1,997 games, he compiled a lifetime batting average of .296 with 152 home runs and 859 RBI. He was named MVP of the 1980 All-Star Game and inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2004.

Did You Know?

• Griffey Sr. and Jr. hit back-to-back home runs on September 14, 1990, the only time in major league history a father and son have done this.
• Before focusing on baseball, Griffey considered football his best sport and was a star wide receiver at Donora High School.
• Griffey Sr. once rushed up a hill between at-bats to compete in track meets during high school games.
• In 1976, Griffey lost the batting title by five points after being pulled from the starting lineup by manager Sparky Anderson on the final day of the season.
• Griffey's son Craig appeared in a handful of Triple-A games with the Tacoma Rainiers before retiring.