Vital Statistics:
Born: November 21, 1969
Hometown: Donora, Pennsylvania
Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Family: Wife, Melissa; sons Trey and Tevin, daughter Taryn
Primary position: Right field
Before The Bigs:
- The son of former major league outfielder Ken Griffey, “Junior” was the first overall draft pick in 1987 out of Cincinnati Moeller High School.
- Hit .313 with 14 home runs in 54 games in his first pro season at age 17 at Single-A Bellingham.
- Hit .338 with 11 home runs and 32 stolen bases at Single-A San Bernandino in 1988, and played 17 games at Double-A Vermont. He made the big-league roster in 1989.
- On Sept. 14, 1990, Griffey’s father hit a home run for the Mariners, followed by Junior’s 36th career HR – the only back-to-back homers by a father and son in MLB history.
- Won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1990-99.
- Hit 422 HRs in the 1990s, including 56 in the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Led the AL in home runs four times.
- AL MVP in 1997 (.304, 56 HR, 147 RBI)
- MVP of 1992 All-Star Game.
- Scored the series-winning run in Game 5 of the ALDS vs. the Yankees.
- Signed a free agent with the Reds in 2000; hit 40 HR in his first season in Cincinnati.
- Hit his 500th career home run on June 20, 2004, and his 600th against the Florida Marlins on June 9, 2008.
- A 13-time All-Star through 2008.
- After 8 1/2 injury-plagued seasons for his hometown Reds, Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox on July 31, 2008. He signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners before the 2009 season, going back to the city where his career began.
