Griffey, Ken, Jr.

Griffey, Ken, Jr. (George Kenneth Griffey, Jr.), 1969–, American baseball player, b. Donora, Pa. The son of a veteran outfielder, he joined the Seattle Mariners of the American League in 1989, played with the National League's Cincinnati Reds beginning in 2000, joined the AL's Chicago White Sox for part of 2008, and returned to Seattle in 2009. In 1990 “Junior” and his father, Ken Griffey, Sr., 1950–, appeared in the same outfield, an event unique in major league history. The younger Griffey was probably the best all-around player of the 1990s. He led the American League in home runs in 1994 and 1997–99, hitting 56 homers in 1997, when he was named MVP, and in 1998. He also was a Gold Glove outfielder throughout the decade. He retired in 2010 with 630 home runs, having been named an All-Star 13 times.

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