The Kid is coming home.
For one night, at least. And for good reason.
Ken Griffey Jr. will be the recipient of the 2023 Royal Brougham Sports Legend Award, the Seattle Sports Commission announced Friday morning.
The Mariners Hall of Famer is scheduled to accept the award at the 88th annual Sports Star of the Year Awards Show on Feb. 28 at The Westin Seattle.
“I’m honored to accept the Royal Brougham Sports Legend Award and join this roster of incredibly influential figures in Washington sports,” Griffey Jr. said in a statement. “Seattle is a very special place to my family and me, and I look forward to celebrating with and recognizing the accomplishments of fellow award winners, nominees, and the sports community.”
Griffey began his major-league career with the Mariners as a 19-year-old in 1989 and grew to become one of the most popular athletes in American sports in the 1990s.
He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016 after a 22-year career in which he hit 630 home runs, won 10 Gold Gloves and was named to 13 All-Star Games.
He is now a member of the Mariners and Sounders FC ownership groups, and is a senior adviser to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred.
Griffey recently partnered with MLB and the MLB Players Association to launch the HBCU Swingman Classic, an All-Star experience for baseball student-athletes from Division-I programs at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU).
The event is scheduled to debut during the MLB All-Star Weekend when it returns to Seattle in July at T-Mobile Park.
“The 2022 season of Washington sports was thrilling to watch unfold,” Seattle Sports Commission president and CEO Beth Knox said in a statement. “Highlights of that season are going to make for a powerhouse awards show, allowing fans to relive that excitement and celebrate the irrefutable legacy of Ken Griffey Jr.”
The 88th Sports Star of the Year Awards Show is scheduled from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 28 at The Westin Seattle. Reserved tables and individual tickets for the red-carpet show can be purchased at seattlesports.org.