MLB HOFer Ken Griffey Jr. Named Senior Advisor to Commissioner Rob Manfred

Major League Baseball announced Friday that Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. has been hired as a senior advisor to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

The announcement noted Junior will take on a special role in youth initiatives, a position the 13-time All-Star said he's "humbled" to accept:

Few players in MLB history appeared to have more fun playing baseball than Griffey.

The 51-year-old Pennsylvania native started his career with the Seattle Mariners in 1989. He played alongside his father, Ken Griffey Sr., for the M's in 1990 and 1991.

He'll always be remembered for his picture-perfect left-handed swing and wearing his hat backward, which helped him earn the nickname The Kid during his rise to become one of MLB's best players.

Griffey won the American League MVP Award in 1997. His resume features 10 Gold Glove Awards, and he led the AL in home runs four times. His 630 homers rank seventh in MLB history.

He also played for the Cincinnati Reds (2000-08) and Chicago White Sox (2008) before returning to Seattle in 2009 for the final two years of his career. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of its 2016 class with 99.3 percent of the vote.

MLB is trying to change the narrative around the sport amid headlines like "Why No One Watches Baseball Anymore" and "Why Is Baseball So Boring to Many Fans?" Engaging more young players and fans is crucial, and there's perhaps no one better to lead the charge than Griffey.

His youthful, enthusiastic approach to the sport made him a fan favorite, and baseball could use an infusion of those qualities as it attempts to attract the next generation of fans.

The long-term challenges MLB faces are larger than any single person can fix, but hiring Griffey feels like a step in the right direction.