The Griffeys Experience

Fathers are life coaches, one may say. For the many of us who have been fortunate enough to have the presence of our fathers, it is fair to say that we learn from them by observation, imitation and admiration. They teach us what we need to know and we also adopt some of their habits, culture, manners and ideas.

For Ken Griffey Junior his relationship with his father provided him with all of the characteristics mentioned above, and something else that was not only super special, but very rare. However, there were tough and dark times, too. This is a relationship that could have ended in tragedy before Ken Griffey Junior began playing professional baseball, as he tried to commit suicide at the age of 18 for having constant arguments with his dad, which led to depression and angriness, but thankfully, his suicide attempt was not successful. After the incident Junior and his dad improved their relationship by having more understanding, patience and respect for one another. Reasons that gave them the beautiful and never-seen-before opportunity to play professional baseball together for the same team a couple of years later.

In 1990, Ken Griffey Senior joined forces with his league son, Ken Griffey Junior, on the Seattle Mariners from 1990 to 1991, and became the first ever father and son duo in the MLB. Night in and night out, 40-year-old Ken Griffey Senior and 21-year-old Ken Griffey Junior were blessed to play with one another, to share the club house and dugout, to cheer and support each other right on the field. But what is really interesting about the Griffey father and son experience in Seattle, is that they once hit back-to-back home runs. First, Ken Griffey Senior catapulted a pitch 402 ft out of the park, and then his son took his turn at bat and knocked the ball 388 ft away to the left-field bleachers. The fact that they, occasionally, played together in the outfield was already amazing, but the back-to-back homers made this story even more unforgettable and historical.

For Junior and Senior this was a blessing experience that almost no father and son can ever have or dream of at a professional sport level. It was truly magical for themselves and fans from all over the world to witness how they took the most out of this experience by enjoying every moment of it.

As a father, I doubt there was a better feeling for Ken Griffey Senior than to watch his son grow as an individual and a baseball player right next to him. In the two years that they spent together with the Mariners, Ken Griffey Junior played great baseball having a batting average of .300 and .327 while his father’s was .377 and .282. And, after Ken Griffey Senior decided to put an end to his 19-year-old career, his son went on to play for 20 more seasons (playing a total of 22 seasons) and worked his way through to become one of the most legendary players in the history of baseball, being always recognized for his offensive power and defensive abilities, and associated with All-Star games, MVP and Golden Glove awards. 

Happy Father's Day!
- Y gracias por no fumar!

Senior in front of Junior in 1991 baseball card photo.
Picture from bapple2286.wordpress.com