The fourth edition of Ken Griffey Jr.’s Swingman Classic will take place later this week. The annual HBCU All-Star Game will kick off MLB All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia this Friday on MLB Network at 7:00 pm ET.
Ahead of the game, the Baseball Hall of Famer spoke to Front Office Sports about the impetus for starting the event, the role of analytics in baseball, his fascination with photography, and several other topics.
Front Office Sports: The Swingman Classic is entering its fourth year, what made you conceive of the idea and how has it grown over the last several years?
Ken Griffey Jr.: I’m a fortunate guy. My dad played in MLB, and I was able to go in the locker room and have accessibility that 99.9% of the kids in this country don’t get. You look at the decline of Black baseball players over the years and a lot of it is due to accessibility, resources, and exposure. These kids don’t have that.
My dad, mom, and I have always given back and to give back to the community that isn’t seen as much as it should be—you talk about baseball being an athletic sport, everyone needs to run, hit, throw, and catch. It takes time and patience and in certain situations family dynamics. Some kids don’t have that so they switch to football and basketball. I’m trying to bring them back to baseball.
