Ken Griffey Jr. joins Mariners as a partner

SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners announced Monday that Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has purchased shares in the Seattle Mariners franchise and joined the Mariners Partnership Group.

“On behalf of all of the partners, I want to welcome Ken,” Mariners chairman John Stanton said. “Ken has been an icon of our franchise, on and off the field, for over three decades and we are thrilled that he is joining us as a partner. His knowledge of the game, love of the Mariner fans, his experiences as a player, his passion for community service and his desire to help grow our sport will be a welcome, and invaluable, additional voice.”

Griffey Jr. was drafted by the Mariners in 1987 and played in Seattle from 1989-1999 and 2009-2010.

He becomes the first Mariners player in club history to join as a partner.

“As I said in my Hall of Fame speech, I’m very proud to be a Seattle Mariner,” Griffey said. “I’m excited for this incredible opportunity to join John and the rest of the Mariners Partnership Group. This is a dream come true because of the relationship I’ve always had with the team, its fans, and the city of Seattle. I view this as another way to continue to give back to an organization and community that has always supported me, and my family. I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to this organization’s success in any way possible.”

After retiring in 2010, Griffey Jr. was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016 in his first year of eligibility.

The Mariners retired his number 24 in 2016, the first number to be retired by the franchise.

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