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Former Seattle Mariners outfielder and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. joins the Seattle Sounders ownership
Hall of Fame Seattle Mariners outfielder, Ken Griffey Jr., and his wife will officially be joining the Seattle Sounders ownership. The Major League Soccer team from Seattle opened up ownership stakes and has some big names in the ownership group alongside Ken Griffey Jr. TV host Drew Carey has been an owner for a while, Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks and music icon Ciara joined together in 2019. Macklemore and his wife Tricia Davis also joined as part of the new group of owners.
https://twitter.com/SoundersFC/status/1328867889303076865?s=20
According to Seattle Sounders FC, the Griffey family made a family decision:
"Griffey Jr.’s decision to join the Sounders was a family one, led strongly by his wife of 31 years, Melissa, who is a die-hard soccer fan and former player herself. He quipped that the concept of stoppage time took him a little while to get used to, but he enjoys how fast-pace and exciting soccer is."
In 2019, Ken Griffey Jr. was able to witness the Seattle Sounders win the MLS Cup in Seattle, and he led the “Scarves Up” celebration before the game started. Although Griffey Jr. was raised in Cincinnati, he has invested heavily in the Seattle community. He has worked with the Boys and Girls Club, the Make-a-Wish Foundation, and Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Griffey Jr. has now joined an impressive Seattle Sounder franchise which has become one of the most successful sports teams in Seattle. Although the former Seattle Mariners star does not have any soccer experience, he is a competitor and wanted to be a part of something great.
The Seattle Mariners Hall of Famer is not the only celebrity athlete that has recently bought a stake in a soccer team. A new National Women’s Soccer League franchise from Los Angeles has a star-studded group of investors as well. Led by Natalie Portman, Billie Jean King, Lindsey Vonn, PK Subban, Serena Williams, and many more. More recently, Ryan Reynolds became a co-owner of Wrexham AFC, a Welsh soccer club.
There seems to be a large movement to invest in soccer and Griffey Jr. joined the wave of celebrities to do so. The Seattle Sounders play its first playoff game of this season next week.