Ken Griffey Jr., Iconic Athlete Talks Career, Fatherhood, Aaron Judge & Lebron | The Pivot Podcast

Fired up to sit down with one of the most iconic athletes in sports, Ryan, Channing and Fred welcome one of their long time idols, Hall of Famer and thirteen-time All-Star, The Cincinnati Kid, Ken Griffey Jr. to the Pivot Podcast for a candid conversation covering his upbringing, relationship with his father, highs and lows of his career, the game of baseball today, becoming a pilot, and much more!

Known as one of the most prolific home run hitters baseball has ever had, Griffey Jr paved the way for many young black athletes to chase their dreams and became a global icon for his elite play, charismatic attitude and approach to the sport of baseball. Starting the backwards hat trend, earning nicknames of the natural and Cincinnati Kid were all part of the larger than life persona that fans idolized about the young athlete. 

Following in the footsteps of his father, Ken Griffey, the young Griffey knew playing professional baseball was something obtainable at a young age. Ryan asks him about his experiences with his father growing up and Griffey Jr tells the guys that his father was a “normal” dad. An individual who took pride in household structure and spending quality time with his children. At home, he was dad and on the field he was my teammate. 
It’s no secret that this father-son duo was historic.

On Sept 14, 1990, the Griffeys hit back-to-back home runs for the Mariners. They became the first, and still the only, father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in a Major League game.

Despite the accolades, Ken struggled with understanding who he truly was as a teen. In the shadows of his father’s legacy and the amounting pressures to be a star at a young age, Griffey Jr attempted suicide before getting to the Major Leagues, a moment that almost robbed the world of his talent, and he shares how this moment changed him and brought him even closer to his parents. 

Ryan asks about the lack of diversity within MLB and what Griffey believes to be one word- money. Baseball serves to be a challenging sport for minority communities due to financial obligations. They guys speak on the reason behind why he wore #42 and how Griffey Jr understands that his legacy wouldn’t exist without Jackie Robinson’s ability to withstand. Fred and Channing ask about the use of steroids in the league and the effect it has had on the game and players as well as a personal whether he’s ever been affected by not winning a World Series, Ken lets the guys know he’s content because he gets to write HOF after his name and that to him is everything. 

Switching to baseball today, the guys talk about the play of Aaron Judge and Griffey reveals how he recently exchanged messages with the New York Yankee and makes it known that he feels Judge is the best player in the game today.

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