Mariners draft son of Griffey Jr.

Published 9:41 pm Saturday, June 11, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) — Trey Griffey, the son of Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., has been selected in the Major League Baseball draft by the Seattle Mariners in the 24th round — fittingly, his father’s old team and jersey number.

It appears the pick Saturday on the draft’s final day is simply the Mariners paying homage to their former star. The younger Griffey is a wide receiver at the University of Arizona, but hasn’t played baseball competitively since before high school. He had 11 catches for 284 yards, including a 95-yard touchdown grab as a redshirt junior last season.

Ken Griffey Jr. will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame next month, and the Mariners plan to retire his No. 24 this season.

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Torii Hunter Jr., an athletic outfielder for Notre Dame, was taken in the 23rd round by the Los Angeles Angels — one of his father’s former teams.