The most successful father-son player in Major League Baseball history. Now he has a camera in his hand instead of a bat.
Ken Griffey Jr. (55) was already a destined superstar when he made his debut. His father, Ken Griffey Sr. was a legend in the major leagues for 19 years. His son was also drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the first overall pick in 1987.
But Griffey Jr. was even more talented. In a career that spanned 24 years and 2,671 games until 2010, Griffey Jr. had a career batting average of .284 with 630 home runs and 1,836 RBIs. He also added 184 stolen bases, making him the textbook example of a ‘hotshot’. From season MVP (1997) to home run king (four times), 10 Gold Gloves, and 13 All-Stars, he was a man who had it all. He was also the first major leaguer to play in four different decades. On September 15, 1990, he set a rare record for a single-game rich man”s back-to-back home run.
Upon his retirement in 2010, 바카라사이트 he was elected to the Hall of Fame with a whopping 93.32% (437/440) of the vote. This was the highest percentage of support ever, until later cases of unanimity (Mariano Rivera) and one vote against (Derek Jeter).
Griffey Jr. traveled to South Korea for the opening two games of the Major League Baseball’s Seoul Series at the Gocheok Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on May 20-21. “I mainly did sightseeing,” he said. Namsan Tower was impressive, and yesterday we went to the palace. I took a lot of pictures,” he laughs.
The Seoul Series is the third opening game in Major League Baseball history to be played overseas.
The previous two were in Japan, and Griffey Jr. marveled at the “love for baseball in Korea. The energy in the stadium is incredible.”
Reflecting on his playing days, he said, “It was really hard when I retired. I didn’t have any thoughts. When asked why he didn’t join a major league coaching staff, he laughed and said, “My wife said I was too good for that.” But in his heart, he always loved baseball.
Still, baseball has always been in his heart. He continues to coach privately and was the hitting coach for the U.S. National Baseball Team last year. His passion for the game is ongoing.
His real job after retirement is as an amateur photographer. He”s taken photos of the Major League Baseball (NFL) World Series, among other events.
On this day, Griffey Jr. walked around the field with a huge bag on his back.
He never put it down, even when chatting with San Diego manager Mike Shields, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, and others.
“It’s got my favorite camera and lenses in it,” he says, smiling broadly. “I first took pictures in 2009. “I started in 2009 to capture my three kids growing up. I captured my son’s first touchdown, my daughter’s first goal,” he says, looking back at all the happy moments.
“I didn’t want my children to feel burdened (by their father’s fame) like I did. I used to give them the advice, ‘You are who you see in the mirror,'” he said. He also had kind words for Lee Jong-beom’s son, Lee Jung-hoo (San Francisco Giants), 토토사이트 추천 who is the richest player in the KBO. These are words that carry the weight of a son who has surpassed his father.
“Thanks to my father, my name was easily recognized. But I also had a job to do (on the field). Now that he’s in the big leagues, he’s already proven himself. He just needs to show what kind of player he is. Just be yourself.”