Article Written By: Manny Alcala
Today marks the 44th birthday of one of the greatest players Major League Baseball has ever seen. George Kenneth Griffey Jr. most commonly known as Ken Griffey Jr. had an amazing career that included 13 all star selections, 10 gold glove awards, 7 silver slugger awards, and 1 MVP award. His numbers back up his achievements as he slugged 630 home runs, had 1836 runs batted in, maintained a batting average of .284 and an OPS of .907 for his career which lasted 22 years.
Let’s put the numbers and statistics aside for the moment, the kid was exciting to watch! He had tremendous power in his swing, made some miraculous catches in the outfield and even when he ran the base-paths it was a pleasure to see. Who can forget the base running clinic Griffey Jr. put when he scored from first base in the 11th inning in game 5 of the 1995 ALDS vs. the Yankees leading the Mariners to the ALCS.
We wish you a very happy birthday Ken Griffey Jr. There’s no doubt in my mind that you will be inducted in the Hall of Fame in year 2016, the year of your eligibility. You will always be remember and loved by fans all over the world and even though you are 44 years old today, you will always be “The Kid”.