Griffey Jr. joins Seattle Sounders ownership group

SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders have added Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. to the club’s ownership group.

Griffey’s ownership stake was finalized earlier in the year, but the announcement had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team said Tuesday. Griffey and his family make up the second addition to the ownership group this year, along with Seattle Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke and his wife, Tara.

“This is a meaningful day for our entire family,” Griffey said in a statement. “My wife Melissa and I said that we wanted to be a part of something special, not only for ourselves, but for our kids to be proud of, and this is it. We know how much this club means to Sounders fans, and for us, this comes back to the city where it all started for our family.”

Griffey started his baseball career with the Seattle Mariners, making his debut in 1989. He played in Seattle from 1989-99 and again at the end of his career in 2009-10. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 with the third-highest vote total in history at 99.3 percent.

Griffey joins an ownership group that last year added Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his wife, Ciara, and hip-hop star Macklemore among a group of local investors.

The Associated Press