August 31, 1990Seattle King Dome, Seattle, WA
They used to play baseball together as father and son in their backyard. Then Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. got to play together in a bigger venue.
The Griffey’s became the first father and son to play on the same team in the majors on August 31, 1990, helping the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. It was a memorable and moving night both fans and for the Griffey’s as Ken Sr.'s wife, Birdie, watched from the stands.
''I wanted to cry,'' Griffey Jr. said after the game. ''It was his day,'' he said, referring to his father.
Griffey Sr. gave his son reason to be proud. They made a bet on who would get the first hit, and the 40-year-old Griffey won dinner from his 21-year-old son with a first-inning single. Griffey Jr. then followed with a single and both Griffey’s eventually scored.
Then in the sixth inning, Griffey Sr. threw out Bo Jackson at second base, who was trying to stretch a single into a double. Griffey fielded the ball off the wall and threw a strike to second base.
''I'd have been mad if anyone else had thrown me out, but it was a piece of history,'' Jackson said. ''Those Griffey’s were messing with me.''
