Former White Sox Ken Griffey Jr. elected to Hall of Fame
CHICAGO – Former Chicago White Sox outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. has been elected today to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Griffey will join catcher Mike Piazza in the Class of 2016, with the 77th induction ceremonies to be held on Sunday, July 24 in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Griffey, 46, becomes the 38th former member of the White Sox organization selected to the Hall of Fame. Griffey received 99.3 percent (437 of 440 ballots) of the votes, the highest voting percentage in the history of the Hall of Fame.
“On behalf of the entire White Sox organization and our fans, I want to sincerely congratulate Ken on today’s election to the Hall of Fame, the highest and greatest honor bestowed on a baseball player,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, chairman of the Chicago White Sox. “Ken played on a division championship-winning team in 2008, and he provided Sox fans with great memories that will not be forgotten.”
Griffey was a career .284 hitter (2,781-9,801) with 524 doubles, 38 triples, 630 home runs, 1,836 RBI 1,662 runs scored, 184 stolen bases, a .370 on-base percentage and .538 slugging percentage in 2,671 games over 22 major-league seasons with Seattle (1989-99, 2009-10), Cincinnati (2000-08) and the White Sox (2008). His 630 home runs currently rank sixth on the all-time list.
“Even though his time with the White Sox was very brief, Ken was impactful, helping us win a division title in 2008,” said Ken Williams, White Sox executive vice president. “This honor is so well deserved, and I couldn’t be happier and more proud of our former player and our friend.”
A 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, Griffey was unanimously voted as the American League Most Valuable Player in 1997 after leading the league in home runs (56), RBI (147), runs scored (125) and slugging percentage (.646).
Griffey appeared in 41 games with the White Sox in 2008, hitting .260 (34-131) with 10 doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI. He threw out Minnesota’s Michael Cuddyer at home plate from center field in the fifth inning of Game No. 163 (“Black Out Game”), preserving a scoreless tie. The White Sox would go on to win the game, 1-0, on a home run from Jim Thome, clinching the AL Central Division Title.