George Kenneth Griffey Jr. was born in Donora, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1969. Ken Griffey Jr. was born into sports history, as his father, Ken Griffey Sr., was an MLB player who joined the Cincinnati Reds when Ken Jr. was about six years old. The family moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, after his father joined the Reds. Griffey Jr. quickly realised that the team’s success was more important than his own. This was a lesson taught to him by his father.
Ken demonstrated his athletic potential as a child, and he went on to become an excellent baseball player during his high school years. After hitting 17 home runs in two seasons, he was named the US high school baseball player of the Year in 1987. Despite showing promise as a baseball player, Ken Jr. also developed into a skilled football player, receiving scholarship offers from some colleges.
Personal Life
Griffey and his wife Melissa are the proud parents of two children. They have also adopted a third child as a couple. Their son, George Kenneth III (also known as Trey Griffey), is an NFL wide receiver. Taryn, their daughter, is also on the women’s basketball team. The Griffeys currently reside in Florida. Griffey has pleurisy, a condition that causes the lining of the lungs to become inflamed, causing severe pain. He was diagnosed with the condition for the first time in 2007.
Ken paid $2.75 million for a massive mansion in the Orlando suburb of Windermere in 2004. The lakefront property spans 10+ acres and includes a 24,000-square-foot mansion with a sports court, resort-style pool, and dock. For added privacy, he owns at least one of the vacant lots surrounding the property.
Ken Griffey Jr. attempted suicide when he was 18 years old. He attempted an Aspirin overdose by taking more than 250 pills, but his life was saved after he was taken to a hospital’s intensive care unit. He admitted that he had previously considered suicide before this attempt, and he also stated that arguments with his father combined with his depression drove him to commit suicide.
Career
Ken Griffey Jr.’s career began in 1987 when he was drafted first overall by the Seattle Mariners. He received a $160,000 signing bonus and gained experience with the Northwest League’s Bellingham Mariners and the California League’s San Bernardino Spirit. Ken made his first appearance for the Mariners in 1989, and over the next 11 seasons, he truly established himself. He hit 398 home runs and stole 167 bases during this time.
Griffey became well-known for his spectacular diving catches while playing defence. Another exciting moment occurred in 1990 when Ken and his father were teammates on the same team. This was the first time in MLB history, and Ken’s father retired in 1991. Griffey also played a key role in the Division Series victory over the New York Yankees. Griffey helped Seattle win the AL West in 1997. By 1999, injuries had taken their toll on Ken, and he was surpassed in home runs by Sammy Sosa that season.
Griffey was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2000. Again, his accomplishments paled in comparison to his previous ones. Ken’s injuries persisted, and in 2004, he ruptured his right hamstring. Ken’s form began to return by 2005, and he was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year. Despite several years of respectable play with the Reds, Griffey’s time in Cincinnati is not widely regarded favourably.
Griffey received a $4 million buyout and returned to the Mariners to end his career after a brief stint with the Chicago White Sox. Even though he had been brought to Seattle to sell tickets, he continued to play to a high standard over the last two years. Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement from professional baseball in 2010.
Over the years, Ken supplemented his MLB earnings with some lucrative brand endorsement deals. His contracts with Nintendo and Nike were two of his most memorable. During his playing career, he was regarded as one of the most marketable athletes in Major League Baseball, owing to his positive image and lack of steroid use (unlike many of his contemporaries). Griffey was once featured on the box of Wheaties cereal. Outside of baseball, Griffey has appeared in many cameo roles in films and television shows. This includes television shows like “The Simpsons” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as well as films like “Little Big League” and “Summer Catch.”
Net Worth
Ken Griffey, Jr. is a former professional baseball player from the United States with a net worth of $90 million. Griffey, also known as “Junior” or “the Kid,” spent his career with teams such as the Seattle Mariners and the Cincinnati Reds. Ken became famous for hitting a large number of home runs, and he is regarded as one of baseball’s most successful home run hitters. He hit 630 home runs in total, which ranks him seventh in all-time home run rankings.
Aside from hitting a lot of home runs, Ken was a great defensive player who won the Gold Glove Award ten times for his work in the centre field. These accomplishments were more than enough to earn him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016, where he received 99.32% of the vote. Griffey was also a 13-time All-Star. He joined the Mariners’ front office as a special consultant after finishing his career with the team.
Facts
| Net Worth | $90 Million |
| Salary | $3.5 Million |
| Date of Birth | Nov 21, 1969 (53 years old) |
| Place of Birth | Donora |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.905 m) |
| Profession | Baseball player |
| Nationality | United States of America |
