Once again, I found myself immersed in the nostalgia of flipping through old baseball card binders, stumbling upon two cards in my collection, one of which I knew very little about. The first card, a 1991 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Sr. #572, featured his son, Ken Griffey Jr., in the photo. Griffey Jr. was a cherished sports hero from my childhood, typical for kids born in the ’80s and raised in the ’90s. I considered him the coolest person on the planet. Jr. would sport his baseball cap backward like his fans, making appearances at every celebrity event, including a favorite from the ’90s, MTV Rock N’ Jock. And who could forget his infamous smooth swing that every kid tried to imitate?
Despite collecting numerous cards, surprisingly, I never could afford his renowned 1989 Upper Deck Rookie, yet owning it remains on my bucket list.
Turning back to the cards in hand, both have been in my collection since childhood. I was familiar with the story of Ken Sr. and Jr. becoming the first father-son teammates in Major League Baseball history. Griffey Sr., a Cincinnati Reds 2x World Series Champion and legend, was part of my knowledge. I’ve even seen the video of Griffey Jr. stepping in front of his dad to catch a routine pop-up, the two laughing about it on the way back to the dugout.
While I was well-acquainted with the #572 card mentioned earlier, one thing I did not know about Ken Sr. and Jr. was that their relationship was not always smooth. During his teenage years, Ken Jr. attempted suicide, fundamentally altering their relationship for the better as they grew much closer afterward.
The second card I discovered was the one I had no clue about – a 1992 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Sr. and Craig Bloodlines #85. The picture showcased three family members in their Seattle Mariners uniforms. How did I miss this card? Though I was aware of other brothers playing in professional sports, like the Cansecos, I must have been so star-struck by Ken Jr. that I didn’t take the time to delve into the card further and completely missed his brother. This discovery led me on a hunt for information, culminating in this article. So, who is Craig Griffey?
The cards, each capturing a moment in time, tell a tale beyond the baseball diamond. Ken Sr. and Jr.’s unique father-son dynamic, marked by challenges and triumphs, adds a layer of humanity to the legendary baseball lineage. The discovery of Craig Griffey, often overshadowed by the fame of his brother, provides insight into the pressures and pursuits beyond the spotlight.
