Ken Griffey Jr. Joins MLB as Senior Adviser to Commissioner Rob Manfred
The greatest Seattle Mariners player is back in the majors, just not with a specific team.
Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as a senior adviser to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. He will consult in a variety of areas.
Specifically, Griffey’s role centers on baseball operations and youth baseball development. One of the main focuses for “youth baseball development” is improving diversity at the “amateur levels.”
“I am humbled to be asked to work with Major League Baseball in this role,” he said in a statement. “It will be an honor to represent the best sport in the world and to promote our game among today’s youth.”
The Kid will also serve as an MLB ambassador at “youth baseball initiatives and special events” like the MLB All-Star Game and the postseason.
“We are thrilled that Ken will represent Major League Baseball on some of our sport’s most important stages, alongside our current and future stars,” Manfred said in a statement. “We 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.”
After retiring in 2010, Griffey became a youth ambassador for MLB and the players’ association. He’s also been serving as a special consultant for the Mariners.
In case you didn’t know, Griffey helped jump-start the idea for all players to wear No. 42 on Jackie Robinson Day.
