"George doesn't want anyone in the dugout" - Ken Griffey Jr. once refused to sign with the New York Yankees because of former owner George Steinbrenner's alleged discrimination against him and his dad
MLB legend Ken Griffey Jr. once admitted that he snubbed the chance to sign for the New York Yankees after he was kicked out of the dugout as a kid. The admission came in light of him hitting out at former owner George Steinbrenner for alleged discrimination.
In the documentary "Junior," which premiered in June 2020, the former Seattle Mariners and Cincinnati Reds player spoke about Steinbrenner.
"I came up to visit my dad. It was just me and him, got to go to [Yankee Stadium] early and I'm sitting in the dugout. A security guard comes over and says, 'Hey, George [Steinbrenner] doesn't want anybody in the dugout.'"
He also spoke about his reaction when one fan told him to come to the Yankees.
"If the Yankees were the last team—if they were the only team that gave me a contract—I'd retire."
Griffey Jr. was selected in the 1987 MLB Draft. He was part of 13 All-Star Games, winning 10 Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards and the 1997 American League MVP Award. He recorded 2,781 hits and smashed 630 home runs before calling it quits in 2010.
Ken Griffey Jr. congratulates Aaron Judge after historic 62nd homer
Ken Griffey Jr. sent a congratulatory text to Judge after the Yankee broke Roger Maris' long-standing record of 61 homers set in 1961. Griffey Jr. was on The Pivot Podcast, where he revealed his conversation with "All-Rise."
He said:
"I actually sent him a note, 'Congratulations, keep going.' And he texts back, 'Thanks, I'm just trying to be like you.'"
We asked Ken Griffey Jr about @TheJudge44’s historic achievement. He gave Judge his flowers. Then, he made sure to pitch a new home in the NorthWest that would fit just right this off-season.
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Griffey Jr. himself came close to Maris' record after hitting 56 homers in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998. However, Judge has cemented his legacy as a Yankee, surpassing Babe Ruth's 60 in 1927 and Mickey Mantle's 52 in 1956.
Judge also has a chance at the Triple Crown. He leads the AL with 61 homers and 131 RBIs with a second-best batting average of .311, behind Luis Arraez. The last recipient of the famous Triple Crown was Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Judge could become the third Yankee after Lou Gehrig in 1934 and Mantle in 1956 to accomplish the tremendous feat.
With the playoffs among us, the Yankees' division series opponent is yet to be decided as the outfit aims for a World Series ring.