{"id":18896,"date":"2021-02-01T11:57:43","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T17:57:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=18896"},"modified":"2021-02-01T11:57:43","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T17:57:43","slug":"mlb-names-hall-of-famer-ken-griffey-jr-senior-adviser-to-commissioner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/?p=18896","title":{"rendered":"MLB names Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. senior adviser to commissioner"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ken Griffey Jr. is named Commissioner’s senior advisor<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Ken<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cThe Kid\u201d is back, and he\u2019s here to help bring more kids back to the game he loves. Major League Baseball announced on Friday that it has hired Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.<\/a> as a senior advisor to Commissioner Rob Manfred.<\/p>\n

Griffey will consult with MLB in a number of areas, with a special emphasis on baseball operations and youth baseball development, particularly on improving diversity at amateur levels. He\u2019ll also serve as an MLB ambassador at youth baseball initiatives and at special events, such as the All-Star Game and during the postseason.<\/p>\n

\u2022 How Griffey inspired wearing No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to get kids to play baseball. I think it\u2019s the greatest sport in the world, and I want more kids to play,\u201d Griffey said on MLB Network on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cKids don\u2019t think that they can make a living playing this game because they\u2019re too small. You\u2019ve got guys who are future Hall of Famers and Hall of Famers who are under 5-[foot]-9. It\u2019s not the size of the person. It\u2019s what you can do on that field. I could care less if you\u2019re 5-2. If you can play ball, you can play ball, and I want you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffey brings credentials, passion and \u201ccool\u201d to the role. The 13-time All-Star became the face of baseball in Seattle — if not the entire game — during the 1990s, enhancing the brands of himself and the game at a time when the league really needed it. His highlight-reel catches and upper-deck home runs made him one of the most recognizable athlete of his era, and his fervent smile and backwards cap made him one of the most relatable.<\/p>\n

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He had to do it. #JrHOF<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Yh3gWjqtUO<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) July 24, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

For Griffey, it was never about his self-swag or fame. He is steadfast that his success was driven by his genuine love for the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has everything,\u201d Griffey said. \u201cYou have to think. There\u2019s strategy. You don\u2019t have to be physical. You don\u2019t have to be the biggest guy on the field. You don\u2019t have to be the smallest guy. As long as you can run catch and throw, you can play this game. And if you\u2019ve got heart, and that\u2019s all that really matters. If you\u2019ve got heart, you can play this game.\u201d<\/p>\n

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BREAKING: The Kid joins MLB \u2026<\/p>\n

Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as Sr. Advisor to the Commissioner with an emphasis on baseball operations, youth development and improving diversity at all levels of the game. pic.twitter.com\/GMAF7fSOtr<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 MLB (@MLB) January 29, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Griffey takes on this role at a time when the league is competing for youth participation with basketball, football and other sports, which has made it one of Manfred\u2019s top agenda items in recent years. Griffey\u2019s kids played baseball in their youth but steered more toward football as they grew, he said Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are thrilled that Ken will represent Major League Baseball on some of our sport\u2019s most important stages, alongside our current and future stars,\u201d Manfred said in a statement. \u201cWe welcome the perspective and insights that Ken gained as an historic player, as a parent, and as someone who has spent his life in and around our great game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Griffey also will serve as a consultant for MLB on the on-field product to help draw younger audiences. There has been some concern among those around the game about the lack of balls in play, as the Majors have become increasingly driven by home runs and strikeouts.<\/p>\n

MLB also hired former Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein earlier this month<\/a> as a consultant for on-field matters to help determine how various rule changes might affect the game. Epstein will work with the Commissioner\u2019s Office and analytics departments for 30 clubs.<\/p>\n

While Griffey on Friday said he wouldn\u2019t change anything about the game, he acknowledged that change is likely coming.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s perfect the way it is,\u201d Griffey said. \u201cThat\u2019s just me, but the fans right now want it quick. I think things are going to speed up a little bit. For me, having a no time limit game is what it\u2019s all about. It\u2019s 27 outs. That\u2019s the beauty of baseball. It\u2019s not who got the ball [last], the time limit. It\u2019s 27 outs and no matter what happens in those 27 outs, it\u2019s got to be played.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Griffey has had a prominent presence since retiring in 2010, currently serving as a youth ambassador for both MLB and the MLB Players Association on their joint baseball development initiatives. He\u2019s also been a special consultant to the Mariners since retiring.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Griffey jump-started the donning of No. 42 across MLB on Jackie Robinson Day, which has become one of the most prominent dates on the MLB calendar. Since 2007, all players wear the number that was retired throughout MLB in 1997 during the annual event that honors the Hall of Famer Robinson, who broke MLB\u2019s race barrier in 1947.<\/p>\n

Griffey was the 2011 recipient of the Commissioner\u2019s Historic Achievement Award, which marked just the 12th time that the honor was bestowed upon a figure in the game. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame with a then-record 99.3% of ballots cast during his first year of eligibility in 2016.<\/p>\n

The 10-time Gold Glove Award winner was drafted by the Mariners with the No. 1 overall pick in 1987 and spent 13 of his 22 big league seasons with Seattle. He also played for the Reds and the White Sox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ken Griffey Jr. is named Commissioner’s senior advisor \u201cThe Kid\u201d is back, and he\u2019s here to help bring more kids back to the game he loves. Major League Baseball announced on Friday that it has hired Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. as a senior advisor to Commissioner Rob Manfred. Griffey will consult with MLB […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2405,11,8,1314,1456,1156,2416,107,14,1,7,9,10],"tags":[3540,1474,1364,1368,3335,2144,3334,1312,3332,3333,3539,3330,3331,148,34,3541],"class_list":["post-18896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-business","category-entertainment","category-global-business-entrepreneurs","category-global-news-updates-and-more","category-global-sports","category-hall-of-fame","category-mlb-sports-news","category-most-commented","category-news","category-sports","category-us","category-world","tag-1969-age-51-donora","tag-1474","tag-1364","tag-1368","tag-1996-1999-nl-comeback-player-of-the-year-2005-4x-al-home-run-leader-1994","tag-2144","tag-2007-al-mvp-1997-10x-gold-glove-award-1990-1999-7x-silver-slugger-award-1991","tag-1312","tag-781-home-runs-630-runs-batted-in-1","tag-836-teams-seattle-mariners-1989-1999-cincinnati-reds-2000-2008-chicago-white-sox-2008-seattle-mariners-2009-2010-career-highlights-and-awards-13x-all-star-1990","tag-center-fielder-born-november-21","tag-for-the-seattle-mariners-last-mlb-appearance-may-31","tag-for-the-seattle-mariners-mlb-statistics-batting-average-284-hits-2","tag-ken-griffey-jr","tag-mlb","tag-pennsylvania-batted-left-threw-left-mlb-debut-april-3","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18896","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18896"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18896\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18896"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18896"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/myboysay.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18896"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}