Ken Griffey Jr. named honorary starter for Daytona 500

Posted February 13, 2016 6:00 am

The Associated Press

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Newly elected baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. will serve as honorary starter for the Daytona 500.

Griffey will wave the green flag for "The Great American Race" on Sunday, Feb. 21.

Griffey received a record-breaking 99.32 percent of the vote (437 of 440) by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. He played 22 seasons, including 13 with the Seattle Mariners and nine with the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey was a 13-time all-star, 10-time Gold Glove winner and the 1997 American League MVP. He ranks sixth on the all-time home list, with 630.

Griffey will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in late July.

Griffey joins WWE star and actor John Cena as pre-race celebrities at the Daytona 500. Cena is the honorary pace car driver.

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