is ken griffey jr still playing

Ken Griffey Jr. Career Stats | StatMuse He led the American League in home runs for four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. [57] He then surpassed him on May 25 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. [5], On February 17, 2011, Griffey was hired by the Mariners as a special consultant. [43] On September 22, with the Reds out of playoff contention, Griffey decided to sit out for the rest of the season so he could immediately have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and a separate operation to repair scars from his 2004 hamstring operation. Deferred payments like the ones part of Griffey's deal are certainly nothing new when it comes to MLB franchises. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyper-extended his right leg, tearing the hamstring completely off the bone. Former Reds pitchers and upcoming Reds Hall of Fame inductees Bronson Arroyo and Danny Graves will lead the parade as grand marshals. 6 on the payroll in Cincinnati. He was a cultural icon -- a baseball player with his own shoe line, his own video game, his own slice of the American sports fan's psyche. Only the Rays, Pirates, Orioles, and Athletics are spending less this year. His destination was the South Side of Chicago, where the White Sox were vying for the AL Central title. When Griffey was a young child, Ken Sr. would instill in him the pride of a team accomplishment rather than the individual performance: "My dad would have bopped me on the head when I was a kid if I came home bragging about what I did on the field. More, even, than one of the greatest players of all time. He was the face of baseball. [2][3] Griffey is one of only 31 players in baseball history to date to have appeared in major league games in four different calendar decades. According to figures by sports contract database Spotrac, Ken Griffey Jr. has the fourth-highest salary on this season's payroll. Men's Shoes. He wanted to play closer to his Orlando home. He was the face of baseball. Subscribe now to not miss a thing. By On September 14, 1990, they even hit back-to-back home runs, another Major League Baseball first. Griffey finished his career as a 13-time All-Star, one-time American League MVP and a 10-time Gold Glove winner. Whether it was a clutch hit, a game-saving catch, or a burst of speed to score from first on a double down the left-field line, every night we came to the ballpark wondering, What will Ken Griffey do next?, If Griffey needed any confirmation about how they felt about him in the Pacific Northwest, he got it that night. Ken Griffey Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds before batting against the Pirates at PNC Park on Aug. 28, 2005, in Pittsburgh. [11] Griffey's resurgence was recognized when he was named National League Comeback Player of the Year. Why Ken Griffey Jr. Is Still Getting Paid By The Cincinnati - Grunge As he neared the hotel hosting the Winter Meetings, Bowden was reading the L.A. Times sports section. The national media was dubious about Griffey's ability to contribute meaningfully, with The Washington Post noting " the Mariners are not about to sign Griffey for baseball reasons; they're bringing him back to Seattle to sell tickets. 3:57 pm ET, Coors Field hit with hail prior to game vs. Dodgers, MLB midseason grades: Braves dominate, 'F' for Mets, 2023 MLB All-Star Game: Trout, Judge among starters, Cubs vs. Guardians odds, picks, computer sims, Dodgers' Mookie Betts joins 2023 Home Run Derby, Diamondbacks' Carroll suffers right shoulder soreness, Griffey Jr. will be one of Reds' highest-paid players, D-Backs' Carroll suffers right shoulder soreness, Blue Jays' Vlad Guerrero Jr. joins Home Run Derby, Pirates players call out MLB for playing through smoke. In a matter of hours, Bowden was set to close the deal on one of the biggest blockbuster trades in baseball history. It seemed like a slam dunk, to mix sports metaphors. Despite dealing with injuries throughout his tenure in Cincinnati, The Kid -- who grew up and went to high school in Cincinnati -- still put up solid counting stats. Griffey was born in Donora, Pennsylvania, on November 21, 1969. Ken Griffey Jr. retired last week, and I am still sort of sad. Armstrong is, to this day, like an uncle to Griffey, Goldberg said. There was disappointment. Proves He Can Still Slam the Hell out of a Baseball Junior still has some homers left in him. A legend returns: Ken Griffey Jr. gets new job in baseball - FanSided However, when TSN updated their list for a new book in 2005, despite having surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Number 93. In the new MLB Network documentary "Junior," the Mariners legend explains why. The 1993 Derby was the third of eight that Griffey competed in during his career, and he remains the only player to win the contest three times. In April, he hit .244 with one homer (on April 30) and 9 runs batted in.[42]. The 1995 AL Division Series would kick off a brief rivalry between the Yankees and Mariners. Ken Griffey. Griffey said in the doc "Junior" that he refused to join the Yankees because he felt discriminated against. Nearing his 39th birthday, Griffey had a decision to make on whether he would continue playing or not. In 1999, he ranked 93rd on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He spent most of his career with the Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds, along with a short stint with the Chicago White Sox. When Mets pitcher Max Scherzer signed with Washington Nationals back in 2015, he deferred half of his $210 million contract to a seven-year timeframe that begins in 2022. Armstrong called Goldberg during that offseason and said that the Mariners werent able to offer Griffey a contract to return to Seattle right then and there because new GM Jack Zduriencik was going to put the roster together and see where things stood first. The 2000 season began what has generally been seen by the media as a decline in Griffey's superstar status. Home. 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But here was the disconnect: the Mets had no intention of only giving Junior a few minutes. Powered and implemented byFactSet Digital Solutions. He was not selected to the All-Star Game as a reserve. The only players that are expected to make more than Griffey are: During his nine seasons with the Reds, Griffey produced a .270 batting average to go along with 210 home runs and 602 RBI in a tenure that was hampered by injuries. Manny Ramirez is being paid until 2026, Matt Holiday until 2029, and Todd Helton gets his last payment from the Rockies this season. That leaves Griffey -- who hasn't played in a game since 2010 -- in fourth place on the Reds payroll. [71] He finished the season with 78 runs, 146 hits, 24 doubles, one triple, 30 home runs, 93 runs batted in, and a .277 batting average in 144 games. However, he said the franchise would love to see things work out so that Griffey could retire in a Mariners uniform. Allison Babka The coolest part? A super fan named Jason Vass owns 100,000-plus Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards, a world record. He hit .311 to go along with 36 home runs and 102 RBIs in 133 regular season games against them. I was about to become a rock star and trade for Ken Griffey Jr.. Griffey may have escalated it by saying that he would never play for the Yankees, because the Yankees allegedly treated his father, Ken Griffey Sr. badly. Years later, Griffey and Goldberg were at Citi Field shooting a television program with MLB Network and they ran into then-Mets owner Fred Wilpon. In his first major league at-bat, he doubled.[19]. He was the son of one of the great Reds in history, and he was now an all-time great himself. Mens Ken Griffey Jr. Shoes. Nike.com And Mike Moustakas, who was released in January, had $22 million left on his deal. [26] While his pace cooled somewhat in the final eight weeks of the season (he only hit 10 home runs in the Mariners' last 47 games), his 40 home runs by August 12 still put him two ahead of Chicago's Frank Thomas and four ahead of Cleveland's Albert Belle for the AL lead.[27]. Any baseball fan who was alive the day Ken Griffey Jr. was traded to the Reds remembers it well. (Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images / Getty Images), YANKEES REMAIN HIGHEST-VALUED MLB FRANCHISE AS LEAGUE AVERAGE REVENUE HITS ALL-TIME HIGH. And he was on the verge of being traded by the only franchise he had ever known. Now, with the likes of Winker and Suarez on the move, one of the Reds' highest-paid players in 2022 will be someone who hasn't played professional baseball in 12 years. With the Reds, he signed a nine-year, $112.5 million deal, and he would get deferred payment from 2009 to 2024. Ken Griffey Jr. deferred payments, explained: Why the Reds are still paying contract in 2023 | Sporting News OAK MIL 1 1 End 9 TEX TAM 8 4 Mid 9 HOU CLE 3 1 Bot 3, 0 Outs BOS NYY 4:35p -122. I spent 11 years here, 11 wonderful years here. [128][129], Griffey was named an American Public Diplomacy Envoy by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on November 18, 2008. About half the money was deferred, meaning he agreed to collect approximately $3.6 million per year from 2009 through 2024. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: mlb | pageType: stories | No, the 52-year-old isn't coming out of retirement anytime soon. [134] While in intensive care, he ripped the IV from his arm in order to stop an argument between him and his father. Ken Griffey Jr. should have been in the lineup for the Padres when the Cardinals faced them in the 2005 and 2006 National League playoffs. I was driving Woody absolutely crazy. The owner had some tremendous pressure. Its like Willie Mays being traded in his prime, or Hank Aaron being traded in his prime, said Duquette, whose Mets were a close second in acquiring Griffey. That same year, Griffey was elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. They broke that record, I think, the next year, for most wins in a single season.. In November 2002, the Reds and Padres agreed to a trade of . It was also one of the most stunning given the caliber of player involved. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. The Reds acquired Griffey in a blockbuster trade with the Seattle Mariners. Well send you a handful of interesting Cincinnati stories every morning. When a fan pleads with Griffey Jr. on camera to leave Seattle and come play for the Yankees. [55] He passed Palmeiro on May 13 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Griffey family joined as a minority owner in the Seattle Sounders FC on November 17, 2020. Ken Griffey Jr. deferred payments, explained: Why the Reds are still Wow. Theyre like, What?! Why Does Ken Griffey Jr. Still Hate the Yankees? On the Drama - Distractify I got angry. The month of February, both in 2000 and '09, demonstrated that the answer to those questions for Ken Griffey Jr. is: Yes. Are you kidding me? [73], Despite being ranked second in the National League All-Star voting for outfielders for most of the first half of the season, Griffey finished fourth with 2,907,746 ballots, 87,000 votes behind Kosuke Fukudome. Ken Griffey Jr. before a game against the Yankees in 2009. [134] Both Griffey Jr. and his father stated that the incident changed their relationship, and since then, there has been better understanding for both of them. Despite Griffey falling short, Major League Baseball put forth an effort to draw a new set of young fans and regain those disenchanted by the 1994 strike focused on McGwire, Sosa, and Griffey's pursuit of Maris' record. Joins AOPA Hat in the Ring Society as Honorary Co-Chair", "Dolphins have O-line issues to iron out; Miami signs Ken Griffey Jr.'s son", "Taryn Griffey 201415 Women's Basketball Roster", "Dad: Ken Griffey Jr. happy and relieved to be retired", "Ken Griffey Junior prepares for his proper baseball send off as the Hall awaits", "Ken Griffey Jr. goes to Washington, makes us all feel older", "Stars will shine at AOPA Aviation Summit: Celebrities offer star power in Fort Worth", "MBaseball Hall of Famer and Seattle icon Ken Griffey Jr. and family join Sounders FC Ownership Group", "Young Cry For Help At 17, Griffey Jr. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. [11], On April 4, 2008, Griffey passed Reggie Jackson for 16th on the all-time list after driving in his 1,702nd run. They basically said, Look, we really hope youll sign this extension, but if you cant, can you let us know now so we can explore trading you? Because they didnt want to get into a position where they could lose both Griffey and Alex for just some [Draft] compensation. At age 29 (going on 30), he was the youngest player on the list. Ken Griffey Jr. can still hit dingers, and Team USA was loving it. In 2000, Griffey also changed his number from 24 to 30, the number his father wore while playing in both Cincinnati and Seattle; the number 24 was already retired in honor of Tony Prez. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Now that approval from ownership had been granted, the matter of players who would be going to Seattle remained. His 2000 season was what youd expect -- he smashed 40 homers with a .942 OPS in 145 games despite a slow start at the plate. He only wanted to know what the team did. Ken Griffey Jr is opening up about why he never joined the NY Yankees, despite the team wanting to trade for him.. The Queen City was, after all, Griffeys hometown and the place where he grew up running through the Reds clubhouse while his father, Ken Griffey Sr., helped the Big Red Machine win back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 76. I just kept calling and asking, When are you going to trade me Griffey?. 6-keys: media/spln/mlb/reg/free/stories, at Market data provided byFactset. Week . [118] The jersey retirement includes the number 24 also being taken out of circulation of all of the Mariners minor league affiliates. The elder Griffey was even the Reds current bench coach. Ken Griffey, Jr. | Biography, Statistics, & Facts | Britannica He was a natural, and his inborn abilities coupled with his youthful enthusiasm ignited an entire city's passion for baseball. Gregg Doyel had this to say of the years Griffey was with the Reds in comparison to the 2010 Reds team. [11] The next season, 1998, was a season which was followed closely by the national media as both Griffey and Mark McGwire entered the summer ahead of the pace of Roger Maris' home run record of 61. [87] Griffey once again sported #24 with the Mariners; the team had not issued the number to any player or coach in the nine years between his two stints in Seattle. Now, the question was: Would Griffey accept a trade to the Mets? CityBeat Daily newsletter. The following season, Griffey saw more playing time with 88 games. I got permission from the commissioners office to give you a call, and the reason is that with the Reds coming here for a weekend during Interleague play, we want to have a night to honor Junior.'. It was the day, as Bowden said while announcing the deal, that "the Michael Jordan of baseball" returned home. "I came up to visit my dad and it's just me and him," Griffey Jr. said. Lets leave our confident Reds general manager for a moment and rewind a bit. Injuries forced Griffey to miss 260 out of 486 games from 2002 through 2004, diminishing both his skills and his star reputation. Pete Alonso was 12, Kyle Tucker was 10, and Bobby Witt Jr. was seven years old. MORE:Ranking all 15 MLB Opening Day pitching matchups. A campaign had been formed to rename a section of First Avenue South, which runs adjacent to T-Mobile Park, to Ken Griffey Jr. Drive just after his announcement to retire from baseball. Watch: Ken Griffey Jr. Proves He Can Still Slam the Hell out of a This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He played 11 seasons for them before moving on to the Cincinnati Reds for nine years. 6 on the payroll in Cincinnati. He was from Cincinnatis Moeller High School. The clubs new GM, Pat Gillick, and president and chief operating officer Chuck Armstrong flew to Florida to meet with Griffey and Goldberg. This all started in either 1994 or 95, said Brian Goldberg, Griffeys agent. MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 career batting average. [23] The duo played a total of 51 games together before Griffey Sr. retired in June 1991. In fact, it's hardly rare for MLB players to get paid for years after their retirement, especially the stars. "There's certain things that a dad drills into you as a kid that just sticks with you," Griffey Jr. added. I was relentless. Legal Statement. "[30], On June 23, 2009, at Safeco Field, Griffey hit the 5,000th home run in franchise history, off San Diego Padres pitcher Chad Gaudin. I was devastated, Bowden said. It's one of the most iconic franchises in sports, and they've rarely missed the playoffs since the mid-1990s. Ken Griffey Jr. Stats, Fantasy & News. According to Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci, Griffey agreed to defer $57.5 million at 4 percent interest. Bowden estimates he called Woodward around 60 times over the course of Bowdens tenure as Reds GM regarding Griffey. He was a cultural icon -- a baseball player with his own shoe line, his own video game, his own slice of the American sports fans psyche. It just doesnt make any sense. It was a franchise he played a central role in reviving, as evidenced by the brand-new ballpark it had moved into just months earlier. He was caught off guard, Goldberg said. We didnt think [Griffey] wanted to go anywhere but Cincinnati, said Jim Duquette, who was in the front office with the Mets and on the verge of becoming assistant general manager at the time. It was gut-wrenching for both sides, Goldberg said. Team USA hitting coach Ken Griffey Jr. on the field before World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Team Venezuela at loanDepot Park on March 18, 2023, in Miami. "[134] He stated that he had also previously contemplated taking his own life, but he had not acted on it until this incident. This place will be [my] home. Market data provided by Factset. On April 15, 2009, Griffey hit his 400th home run as a Mariner (613th of career), off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jered Weaver, becoming the first MLB player to hit 400 home runs with one club (Mariners) and 200 home runs with another (Reds). [70] Griffey ended the 2007 season with 593 career home runs. Twins third baseman Brendan Harris flied out softly to Griffey in center field, who threw a strike to White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski who tagged out Cuddyer at home in a home plate collision to complete the double play and end the threat. Ken Griffey Jr. of the Cincinnati Reds before batting against the Pirates at PNC Park on Aug. 28, 2005, in Pittsburgh. Look: Ken Griffey Jr. Contract News Is Going Viral Today [130], Griffey has a private pilot certificate and owns a Cirrus SR22.[131]. Griffey indicated he was motivated by sentimental reasons toward Seattle, where he received an overwhelmingly positive reception when he last played there as a Cincinnati Red in June 2007, but was inclined towards the Braves for its proximity to his home in Orlando, Florida, and his desire to be with his family during the season. An excerpt from Griffey's short speech as noted above. [15] On June 11, 1987, Griffey joined the Bellingham Mariners of the Northwest League, a Class A Short Season minor league. As a free agent, Griffey was courted by the Mariners and the Atlanta Braves. View More Videos. Griffey, borrowing Trout's batting gloves, played a single round of home-run derby, and on the last swing, his 10th, hit into the right-field seats at loanDepot Park. The Reds are 26th in the league in active payroll heading into this season, sitting at $70.6 million. Prior to the series opener on Friday night, the Mariners held a special ceremony for Griffey, and when Armstrong took the podium, he made it clear that without the man standing just behind him, the ballpark in which they stood would not exist. MLB hired Ken Griffey Jr. to grow the game, boost youth development On October 30, 2008, the White Sox declined a $16million option on Griffey, making him a free agent for the first time in his career. Ken Griffey Jr. is sixth highest-paid person on Reds 2022 payroll - FOX19

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