The Griffey Family Made History With the Seattle Mariners on This Day 34 Years Ago
On this day (Aug. 31) in 1990, the Seattle Mariners and the Griffey family made baseball history. After Ken Griffey Sr. came to the Mariners and paired with his son, the family became the first father-son duo to appear in the same lineup together.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame posted about it on social media:
Before LeBron and Bronny, there were the Griffeys.
Ken Sr. joined Junior in the @Mariners outfield on this date in 1990, becoming the first father-son duo to appear in the same lineup in AL/NL history.
Before LeBron and Bronny, there were the Griffeys.
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) August 31, 2024
Ken Sr. joined Junior in the @Mariners outfield on this date in 1990, becoming the first father-son duo to appear in the same lineup in AL/NL history. https://t.co/Izmwy33hKS pic.twitter.com/roYQ0FPpi0
From a portion of the Hall of Fame's article:
In a home game against the Kansas City Royals on Aug. 31, 1990, this was put to the test, as Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. both jogged to the outfield, proudly donning the Mariners blue and yellow. They made history that Friday night, as the first father and son duo to appear in the same lineup...
“Being a father, I guess it’s a dream come true,” Griffey Sr. said to the Washington Post. “This is the pinnacle – this is the thing in my career that I’m very proud of – very proud of. You can talk about the ’76 batting race I was in and all that. But to me this is number one.”
Griffey Sr. was a 19-year veteran who played for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves and Mariners. In that 1990 season, when Griffey Jr. was in his first full season in the big leagues, the duo hit back-to-back home runs in one of the most iconic moments in baseball history. Griffey Sr. played 21 games with the Mariners in 1990 and 30 more in 1991. That was the end of his big-league career.
While Senior didn't have the Hall of Fame career that Junior did, to play 19 years is an incredible accomplishment. He hit 152 career homers and drove in 859 runs. He was a three-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion with the Reds.
As for Griffey Jr., he is one of the most iconic players in baseball history. He made 13 All-Star Games and won 10 Gold Glove Awards. He hit 630 career home runs and is the most popular player in Mariners history.
The Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA drafted Bronny James earlier this year, so the Lakers will become the next team to have a father-son duo when the NBA season kicks off in October.
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