The Seattle Mariners Drafted Ken Griffey Jr.'s Son Even Though He Doesn't Play Baseball

The Seattle Mariners honor Ken Griffey Jr. by drafting his football-playing son, Trey.

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It's hard for the children of legendary athletes to step outside of their parent's shadow and set their own mark. Most people would expect the sons of Michael JordanShaquille O'NealDwyane Wade, or LeBron James to follow in their dad's footsteps and excel at basketball. Ken Griffey's son, Trey Griffey, knows this feeling all too well as he pursues his passion for football in hopes of making it in the NFL someday. 

Trey once stated that he wanted to play baseball, but even his father told him to play another sport in order to create his own legacy. 

"At first, all I wanted to do was play baseball," Trey says. "But as I got older, my dad told me, 'You have to choose the sport you want to play.' I said I want to play football. Once I turned 11, I was done with baseball."

But it seems that Trey continues to be subjected to nepotism, even if it requires throwing away a perfectly good draft pick. 

The Seattle Mariners drafted the Arizona Wildcats senior wide receiver in the MLB Draft's 24th round on Saturday, even though Trey hasn't played baseball since he was a child. Trey was drafted in the 24th round because Griffey wore no. 24 while playing for the Mariners. Drafting Trey seems like an honorable nod to the best player to ever wear the Mariners' uniform (and team's hat backwards). They even drafted Trey as a centerfielder, the same position as his dad. 

In a similar move, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted Torii Hunter Jr., the son of former Angels player Torii Hunter. He was drafted in the 23rd round, but unlike Griffey's son, Hunter Jr. actually plays baseball (and football) at the University of Notre Dame. 

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