Ken Griffey Jr. works Inter Miami vs. Nashville SC match as a photographer
Since Lionel Messi first arrived at Inter Miami, a variety of celebrities and sports stars have been drawn to DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. However, only one has done so wearing a media vest: MLB hall of famer Ken Griffey Jr.
Wearing his signature backwards cap, Griffey was in attendance for Inter Miami’s MLS match against Nashville not as a mere spectator but as a pitchside photographer.
Sports photographer and @MLB Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. in his element. 📷⚾️ pic.twitter.com/kK79DiWnIO
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 31, 2023
Griffey has taken up photography since retiring from baseball in 2010. He’s photographed Monday Night Football games, a variety of MLB events — including this year’s Home Run Derby in Seattle — and even an IndyCar event for ESPN in 2016.
“Being able to shoot my kids’ games is my favorite. The looks on their faces are priceless,” Griffey told ESPN in 2016. He added that the event he most wanted to shoot was Olympic track and field.
Griffey’s former Seattle Mariners teammate Randy Johnson also turned to photography following his playing career. Earlier this year, he had a special exhibit at a gallery in Cooperstown, NY, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Griffey’s involvement with MLS goes beyond photographing matches, though. He and his wife Melissa became investors in the Seattle Sounders in 2020.
“I want the Sounders to be compared to the Yankees,” Griffey said at the time. “Twenty-seven, 28 championships. That’s what I root for, that’s what I want.”
In addition to Griffey, boxer Floyd Mayweather, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and social media stars Lele Pons and Alix Earle were also in attendance at the Miami-Nashville match. No photographer credentials for them, though; they were all just there to watch.
