Where to even start with Ken Griffey Jr…
Griffey was Nicknamed “Junior”, “The Natural” and “The Kid”, for different reasons. All of them make sense, which we will get to.
Simply put, Griffey is far and away one of the most talented baseball players ever.
A true five-tool player, he could do just about anything on a baseball field. He would steal bases, hit home runs, and rob home runs (watch this!). Basically, anything you could dream up, he could make a reality.Griffey had one of the best MLB careers of all time. This card is an extremely special one, too.
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1989 UD Star Rookie Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10
Ken Griffey Jr: The Player
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1989 UD Star Rookie Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10
This card was part of Upper Deck’s debut into baseball card production in 1989.
A little history - Upper Deck used tamper-proof foil wrapper in its packaging, as opposed to the normal wax wrappers that Topps had made the norm. This detail helped catapult Upper Deck past Topps as the high-quality card producer at that time.
Upper Deck used this card as the #1 MLB rookie card to showcase the set. It was quite a risk to showcase the set with an up-and-coming player, instead of a proven superstar.
This card is one of the most symbolic cards of the modern era. Simply put, it is a key MLB rookie card for one of the best all-around players in baseball history.
Don’t miss the chance to buy this 1989 UD Star Rookie Ken Griffey Jr. PSA 10 card on Dibbs starting Thursday, April 7th.
Ken Griffey Jr: The Player
Ken Griffey Jr. and Ken Griffey Sr. became the first father/son duo to not only play in the MLB at the same time but also play on the same team and in the same lineup. That’s not even the full story.
They also became the first father/son tandem to hit home runs in the same game, when they hit back-to-back home runs.
Some background on “Junior” - Griffey was selected first overall in the 1987 draft by the Seattle Mariners. He made his MLB debut in 1989, quickly bringing some much-needed excitement to Seattle baseball.
Griffey had three nicknames - “Junior” because, well, he is Ken Griffey Junior. “The Kid” because he played with his dad. Lastly, “The Natural”, because he was naturally an incredible ballplayer.
During his 11 seasons in Seattle, it seems the only thing he could do better than hit home runs, was rob home runs.
He collected 10 All-Star Game selections. He led the American League in home runs four times, and took home the AL MVP once, in 1997.
Griffey was always one to put on a show during All-Star Weekend too, winning three home run derbies during his storied career.
When it was all said and done, Griffey played 22 seasons in the Major Leagues. He ended his career with a .284 career batting average, including 524 doubles and 630 home runs, along with 184 stolen bases.
Griffey’s 630 home runs are the 7th most in MLB history. He was elected into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
