Growing up around Major League clubhouses because of his father, Ken Griffey Sr., Ken Griffey Jr. understood how fortunate he was to have access to environments many young baseball players never experienced.
That understanding eventually evolved into a desire to give back to the game. Through the HBCU Swingman Classic, Griffey is helping create opportunities for student-athletes at Historically Black Colleges and Universities while elevating the visibility of HBCU baseball.
"There [were] kids that I played with who had no opportunity like this," Griffey said during an interview with MLB Network. "My parents always gave back, and this is my way of giving back to the game that I love. Giving these kids an opportunity to be seen and heard is important."
MLB on Thursday announced the 50-player roster and coaching staff for the annual event, set for July 10 during All-Star Weekend at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Among those selected are returning participants KJ White Jr., a senior at Southern University, and Justin Journette, a senior at Norfolk State University.
Griffey’s goal is to help student-athletes ultimately hear their names called on Draft day, but it is equally important that the event exposes participants to careers throughout baseball, whether on the field or elsewhere in the sport.
That commitment is evident, according to comedian Roy Wood Jr., a 2001 graduate of Florida A&M University who has supported the event since its inception in 2022. Wood shared that Griffey spends a lot of time interacting with players, offering advice and sharing lessons from his Hall of Fame career.
"I know the young players appreciate it because Griffey [is] a baseball magnet for all the Black greatness that preceded these young men," Wood said. "I was at the SWAC Tournament for two days, and it's beautiful to see the hustle that these players at these Black colleges put in.”
“And then to be gifted an opportunity to play during All-Star Weekend in front of all these pro scouts ... yeah, the Swingman Classic is a huge deal."
For the players the impact of the event extends far beyond exposure.
"This means the world to me," White said. "This is something I can count on every summer to give me an opportunity to come out there and show my talents. I can't do anything but be excited and prepare myself."
White said one of its greatest benefits is the chance to learn from other top players across HBCU baseball.
"We all know throughout the season it's super competitive," White said. "But coming out here and sometimes being on the same side as a guy who got you out earlier in the year, it's cool to talk to him and ask what he was thinking, be able to get better."
Because teams from different conferences rarely face one another during the regular season, the event also creates a space for players to build relationships beyond their own programs.
"It's a big honor," Journette said. "The first year, I was hurt. The second year, I got to play in Atlanta and meet all the guys from the SWAC, all the MEAC schools. We don't get to play those guys, so it's awesome to play all of them, meet all of them and be teammates."
For Journette, baseball has also already opened doors far beyond the diamond to a kid who grew up in Richmond, Va.
"I never thought I'd be traveling [to] all these places," Journette said. "Going to Atlanta, Texas, I never thought playing baseball would take me to all those places."
What the game has given White is purpose in finding ways to work through the struggles of the game.
"Sometimes you can do everything right," White said. "Come to the field, make sure you get there early, make sure you get the swings in, but you might not get the success. But this year, I did get the success, so I've learned a lot about my process."
As the event enters its fourth year -- and with 10 players drafted -- Griffey believes its long-term success will be measured by the number of players it helps reach the next level.
"[I'm] excited, happy [because] it's a brainchild of a lot of people that helped me get through this," Griffey said. "It was a lot of work behind the scenes. It's getting better and better each year, but hopefully we can continue to have this thing.”
“One day, there'll be like 20 guys in the Draft, and that's my goal, to have these kids drafted and have them out there having fun and play the game that I love to play and still watch and still admire all these guys out there."