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George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. (born November 21, 1969), nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a above Above Alliance Baseball
outfielder and during his final years, appointed hitter. Griffey was both one of the a lot of abounding home run hitters and best
arresting players in baseball history, fifth on the account of a lot of career home runs, and is angry for the almanac of a lot
of afterwards amateur with a home run (8 games, angry with Don Mattingly and Dale Long). Griffey, arena for the Seattle Mariners
in two abstracted tenures, Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago White Sox, won 10 Gold Glove awards and appeared in 13 All-Star games.
Aloft his retirement, the Associated Press noted: "In his prime, Ken Griffey Jr. was absolutely advised the best amateur in
baseball."
Throughout his above alliance baseball career, Griffey was a accepted amateur and a fan admired about the league. Griffey
accomplished boundless acceptance by signing advantageous deals with companies of all-embracing bulge like Nike and Nintendo
(owners of the Mariners); his acceptance reflected able-bodied aloft MLB and is accustomed by some[4][5] with allowance restore
its angel afterwards the 1994 activity dispute. He currently works in the Mariners' foreground appointment as a appropriate
consultant.[6] Griffey is one of alone 29 players in baseball history to date to accept appeared in Above Alliance amateur in
four altered agenda decades.
He is the son of above MLB amateur Ken Griffey, Sr. 1989–1999 seasons
In 1987, Griffey was alleged with the aboriginal all-embracing aces of that year's abecedarian abstract by the Seattle Mariners.
In his eleven seasons with Seattle (1989–1999) Griffey accustomed himself as one of the a lot of abounding and agitative players
of the era, cutting up 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 RBIs, and 167 baseborn bases. He led the American Alliance in home runs
four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 batting average. His aboriginal
above alliance at-bat was a double, and the aboriginal time he stepped to the bowl in Seattle, he homered.
His aegis in centermost acreage was broadly advised the accepted of aristocratic fielding during the decade, exemplified by his
band of 10 beeline Gold Gloves from 1990-1999. His absorbing ambit accustomed common amazing diving plays, and he about addled
admirers with over-the-shoulder bassinet catches and beggared opposing hitters of home runs by leaping up and affairs them aback
into the acreage of play. He was featured on the Wheaties atom box and had his own signature sneaker band from Nike, Inc..
One of Ken Griffey, Jr. signature sneakers, the Nike Air Griffey Max.Griffey was a common actor in the All-Star Bold during the
1990s. He led his alliance assorted times in altered hitting categories.[9]
In 1990 and 1991, Griffey and his ancestor became the aboriginal son and ancestor to play on the aforementioned aggregation at
the aforementioned time. In his father's aboriginal bold as a Mariner, on August 31, 1990, the brace hit back-to-back singles in
the aboriginal inning and both scored.[10] On September 14, the brace hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the aboriginal off
California Angels bullpen Kirk McCaskill, acceptable the aboriginal father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs.[11] The duo
played a absolute of 51 amateur calm afore Griffey, Sr., retired in June 1991.
At the MLB Home Run Derby in 1993, which was captivated at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Griffey hit the barn above the appropriate
acreage bank on the fly and, through the 2009 season, he is still the alone amateur anytime to do so. As with every home run that
hits Eutaw Street, anniversary accomplishment is accustomed with a annular plaque, anchored angular assimilate the concourse's
walkway, in the exact atom area the home run landed.[12][13] In 1994, he led the alliance in voting for All Brilliant bold
selection. That season, which concluded anon on August 12 due to the activity dispute, saw Griffey hit 30 home runs in the
Mariners' aboriginal 65 games. He would go on to accept 4 multi-home run amateur that year. While his clip cooled somewhat in the
final eight weeks of the division (he alone hit 10 home runs in the Mariners' endure 47 games), his 40 home runs by August 12
still put him two advanced of Chicago's Frank Thomas and four advanced of Cleveland's Albert Belle for the AL lead. In 1997,
Griffey won the American Alliance A lot of Valuable Amateur Award, hitting .304, with 56 home runs and 147 RBIs.
One of the a lot of memorable moments of Griffey's career with the Mariners came during the 1995 American Alliance Division
Series (ALDS) adjoin the New York Yankees. Afterwards accident the aboriginal two games, the Mariners and Griffey were on the
border of elimination, but came aback to win the next two games, ambience up a absolute fifth game. In the basal of the 11th
inning of Bold 5, with Griffey on aboriginal base, assistant Edgar Martínez hit a double. Griffey raced about the bases, slid
into home with the acceptable run, and popped up into the cat-and-mouse accoutrements of the absolute team. The 1995 AL Division
Series would bang off a abrupt animosity amid the Yankees and the Mariners. Griffey may accept escalated it by adage that he
would never play for the Yankees, because the Yankees allegedly advised his father, Ken Griffey Sr. badly. Also, if Griffey was a
kid visiting his dad in the Yankee clubhouse, Yankee administrator Billy Martin would hunt him out, assertive that accouchement
did not accord in the clubhouse. Although the Mariners afterwards absent the ALCS to the Cleveland Indians (managed by afterwards
Mariners administrator Mike Hargrove), that moment charcoal one of the a lot of memorable in Mariners history, capping a division
that "saved baseball in Seattle", Seattle's doubtful backward division playoff run that year, spurred by the acknowledgment of
Griffey from injury, led to the architecture of Safeco Acreage and the approaching aegis of a authorization accounted for years
to be on the move.[3] The play aswell aggressive the appellation of the video bold Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Acceptable Run for the
Super Nintendo.
As the Mariners were arena to sellout crowds in the Kingdome, the citizens of Washington State's King County almost defeated a
election bend to body a new baseball stadium.[16] Following the success of the aggregation that division and the narrowness of
the vote, the Governor of Washington at the time, Mike Lowry, alleged the accompaniment Legislature into Special Session area a
new amphitheater ascendancy was created, and a new tax on hotels and rental cars were added to abutment the baseball stadium.
Contrary to the long-held opinions on both abandon of the debate, there was never a statewide vote taken on the aldermanic
accounts amalgamation that created the new ballpark. Today, this ability is accepted as Safeco Field, and is referred to by some
as "The House That Griffey Built".
In 1999, he ranked 93rd on The Sporting News' account of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.[19] This account was aggregate during
the 1998 season, counting alone statistics through 1997. At age 29 (going on 30), he was the youngest amateur on the list. That
aforementioned year, Griffey was adopted to the Above Alliance Baseball All-Century Team. However, if TSN adapted their account
for a new book in 2005, admitting accepting surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Amount 93.
While arena with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American Alliance Gold Glove winner, the 1992 All-Star Bold MVP, 1997 AL MVP,
1998 ESPY co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, 1999 Players Choice Awards Amateur of the Decade (by the players), and was
called to the All-Century aggregation in 1999.
Departure from Seattle (1999–2000)
Griffey acclimated to reside in the aforementioned adjacency in Orlando as golfer Payne Stewart. Afterwards Stewart's afterlife
in a even blast on October 25, 1999, Griffey started cogent a admiration to reside afterpiece to his ancestors in his hometown of
Cincinnati. Not alone did Griffey wish to reside afterpiece but he capital to be able to accession his kids, Trey and Taryn
(Tevin wasn't built-in at this time). On February 12, 2000, Griffey was traded to the Reds for bullpen Brett Tomko, outfielder
Mike Cameron, and accessory leaguers Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer. Griffey active a 9 year $112.5 actor dollar arrangement with
the Reds afterwards the barter was completed, with a club advantage for a tenth.[21]
Cincinnati Reds
2000–2004 seasons
Griffey, batting for the Cincinnati Reds.The 2000 division began what has about been apparent by the media as a abatement in
Griffey's superstar status. Although his statistics during this division were respectable, they were far beneath his antecedent
akin of play: in 145 games, Griffey hit .271 with 40 home runs, but his .943 on-base additional slugging was his everyman mark in
5 years. In 2000, Griffey aswell afflicted his amount from 24 to 30, the amount his ancestor wore while arena in both Cincinnati
and Seattle. The amount 24 was already retired in account of Tony Pérez. Additionally, from 2001 through 2004, Griffey was
bedeviled by a cord of injuries, including season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.[22] Worse yet for Griffey, the
accumulative furnishings of the injuries bargain his bat speed,[23] consistent in beneath ability and beneath home runs (he
slugged alone .426 afore accedence to abrasion in 2002, his everyman achievement in seven years). Injuries affected Griffey to
absence 260 out of 486 amateur from 2002 through 2004, abbreviating both his abilities and his brilliant reputation.
In 2004, Griffey abhorred above abrasion during the aboriginal bisected of the season, and on June 20 became the 20th amateur to
hit 500 career home runs. His 500th home run came on Father's Day in a bold adjoin the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, with
his ancestor in the stands; the adjudicator angry Griffey with his ancestor in career hits with 2,143. However, the abrasion bug
bit afresh just afore the All-Star break; he suffered a fractional hamstring tear, animadversion him out of the All-Star Bold and
putting him on the disabled account yet again.
Griffey accomplished the 2004 division on the disabled account afterwards adversity a breach of his appropriate hamstring in San
Francisco.[24] The play in catechism occurred at AT&T Park in a bold adjoin the San Francisco Giants. Griffey was starting in
appropriate acreage for the aboriginal time in his 16-year Above Alliance career if he raced adjoin the gap to try to cut off a
brawl afore it got to the wall. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the action hyper-extended his appropriate leg, disturbing
the hamstring absolutely off the bone. He afterwards came out of the game, accusatory of "tightness" in the hamstring affronted
by arctic altitude in San Francisco. However, there was far added to it than anyone accomplished at the time.
Shortly afterwards this injury, the Reds' aggregation physician, Timothy Kremchek, devised an alpha anaplasty dubbed "The Junior
Operation" that would use three titanium screws to reattach Griffey's hamstring. For several weeks, Griffey's appropriate leg was
in a bung that kept it at a 90-degree angle, and he was not able to move the leg until backward October. Afterwards an acute
rehabilitation period, he alternate for the 2005 season. In April, he hit .244 with one adjudicator (on April 30) and nine RBIs.
2005–2006 seasons
Ken played in his hometown of Cincinnati from 2000–2008.Starting May 1, the 2005 division saw the improvement of a advantageous
Griffey. His 35 home runs were his accomplished aback his aboriginal year with the Reds as Griffey boring confused up the career
home run list. He concluded the division angry with Mickey Mantle, afterwards accepting anesthetized Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams,
Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, and Eddie Murray.
Early in September, he artificial a bond in his larboard basal (an abrasion altered to his accomplished hamstring and dogie
problems), and was listed as circadian for several weeks.[28] On September 22, with the Reds out of playoff contention, the
aggregation absitively to bank him for the blow of the division so he could anon accept arthroscopic anaplasty on his larboard
knee and a abstracted operation to adjustment scars from his 2004 hamstring operation. Still, his 128 amateur in 2005 were the a
lot of he had played aback 2000. Griffey's improvement was accustomed if he was called National Alliance Comeback Amateur of the
Year. He played in the World Baseball Classic for the American aggregation that off-season with his ancestor as a coach. Griffey
batted .524, but the USA bootless to ability the semifinals.
During the additional bold of the 2006 approved season, Griffey hit home run #537, before Mickey Mantle for 12th on the best
list. He alternate on May 11 from a knee abrasion suffered April 12, and hit a walk-off three-run home run in the basal of the
11th inning adjoin the Washington Nationals. On June 5, Griffey angry Fred McGriff's almanac by hitting a home run in his 43rd
altered ballpark, at the St. Louis Cardinals' Busch Stadium.On June 19, Griffey hit career home run 548, attached him with Mike
Schmidt, and again six canicule afterwards anesthetized Schmidt with 549. On June 27, he hit his 550th career home run adjoin the
Kansas City Royals. On September 25, 2006, Griffey hit his 27th home run of the division adjoin Chicago Cubs abatement bullpen
Scott Eyre to tie Reggie Jackson for tenth on the all time home run list.
Griffey's injuries connected in the 2006 off-season. While on anniversary in the Bahamas with his family, he bankrupt his wrist.
[22] Griffey said his duke acquainted accomplished and he accepted to be accessible to go for 2007 bounce training.
2007 season
At the alpha of the 2007 Above Alliance Baseball season, Ryan Freel took over centermost acreage for the Reds, and Griffey Jr.
was confused to appropriate field. Reds administrator Jerry Narron said that "I've got to do aggregate I can do to put our best
club out there. My activity is that with Ryan Freel out there, it gives us able aegis up the middle."[31] Griffey afflicted his
amount from 30 to 3 to account his three children.[32] During the next two seasons, Griffey would abrasion amount 42 on April 15,
alpha a attitude accepted as Jackie Robinson Day.
On May 10, 2007, Griffey hit his sixth home run of the division and the 569th of his career, attached Rafael Palmeiro for ninth
abode on the career home runs list. He anesthetized Palmeiro on May 13. Griffey angry Harmon Killebrew for eighth on the best
account hitting his 573rd career home run on May 22. He again surpassed him on May 25.
On June 22, 2007, Griffey fabricated his aboriginal acknowledgment to Seattle afterwards his barter to the Reds. Afore the game,
the Mariners accustomed him with a 15-minute presentation which included a highlight reel of his arena career with the Mariners,
a presentation of a "The House that Griffey Built" canonizing by Mariners hall-of-famers and above teammates Jay Buhner and Edgar
Martínez, and a 4 minute continuing acclaim from the sold-out crowd. Griffey did not apprehend such a acceptable or a assembly by
admirers if he came back, and a abbreviate but affecting accent was accustomed by Griffey afterwards.Many of the admirers in
appearance fabricated signs professing their acknowledgment and admiration adjoin him with quotes such as: "The House that
Griffey Built", "Seattle Junior", and "Griffey we absence you."[35] Griffey went 1–5 in the game. On June 24, Griffey hit his
583rd and 584th career home runs, attached and casual Mark McGwire for 7th abode on the best career home run list.
