Ken Griffey Sr.
Outfielder for the Big Red Machine, father of Ken Griffey Jr., and 1976 batting title runner-up.
George Kenneth Griffey Sr. (born April 10, 1950) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1973 through 1991, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Reds team that won three division titles and two World Series championships between 1973 and 1976. He also played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Seattle Mariners. A three-time All-Star, Griffey hit over .300 in five seasons for the powerful Cincinnati batting order that was known as the Big Red Machine. In 2004, Griffey was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He is the father of Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.; the two were teammates on the Mariners for 51 games between 1990 and 1991.
- Role
- Outfielder
- Affiliation
- Cincinnati Reds (1973–1981, 1988–1989), New York Yankees (1982–1986), Atlanta Braves (1986–1988), Seattle Mariners (1990–1991)
- Status
- Retired
- Team Record Holder
- None specific to solo franchise records
- Notable Era
- Big Red Machine (mid-1970s) and 1990 Father-Son pairing
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Griffey was born to Ruth Griffey (née Bailey) and Joseph 'Buddy' Griffey—a high school teammate of Stan Musial. His parents divorced when he was two and he was raised by his mother. He did not see his father again until he was 16. In his hometown of Donora, Pennsylvania, contemporaries considered his best sport to be football, where he was a star wide receiver. Griffey himself considered football his best sport, followed by basketball, track, and then baseball. At times, he competed in track meets during baseball games, rushing up the hill between Donora High School's baseball field and track between at-bats. As his 1969 high school graduation neared, he discovered his girlfriend was pregnant. He was chosen by the Cincinnati Reds in the 29th round (682nd overall) of the 1969 MLB draft, signed, and married his girlfriend. After his first minor-league season, Ken Griffey Jr. was born. Though Griffey left Donora in 1972, he retained close ties to the town.
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 made his MLB debut with the Reds on August 25, 1973. In 1975, he batted .305 with four home runs and 46 RBI in 132 games. His best season came in 1976, when he lost the batting title to Bill Madlock on the final day. Griffey, leading Madlock .338 to .333, was initially pencilled into the starting lineup, but manager Sparky Anderson, after talking with Reds stars, pulled Griffey. Madlock went 4-for-4, and Griffey entered as a pinch hitter, batting 0-for-2 and falling behind Madlock. Griffey finished with a career-high .336 average, six home runs, and 74 RBI in 148 games. He also finished with a career-high 34 stolen bases. He finished eighth in NL MVP voting and was named to the Sporting News National League All-Star team. The Reds won their second consecutive World Series in 1976. On November 4, 1981, the Reds traded Griffey to the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees from 1982 to 1986. On June 30, 1986, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He played one full season with the Braves in 1987. On July 28, 1988, he was released by the Braves. Five days later, he signed to return to the Reds on August 2. He spent the 1989 season with the Reds and was released in the middle of the Reds' championship 1990 season. He then signed with the Seattle Mariners, joining his son. They became the first father and son to be teammates in MLB. He played in his final major league game on May 31, 1991. In November, he chose to retire after 19 seasons due to a neck injury. In 1,997 games, he compiled a lifetime batting average of .296, with 152 home runs and 859 RBI. He was MVP of the 1980 All-Star Game. In 2014, he published his memoir Big Red: Baseball, Fatherhood, and My Life in the Big Red Machine.
Did You Know?
- Griffey lost the 1976 batting title by .002 (two points) after being pulled from the starting lineup on the final day.
- Griffey and his son Ken Griffey Jr. hit back-to-back home runs on September 14, 1990, a historic feat later matched by other father-son pairs.
- Griffey was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2004.
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