Blessed with athletic talent and youthful exuberance, Ken Griffey Jr. became known as “The Kid”, and “The Natural” during his playing career. A former Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player, Griffey finished with 630 career home runs.

In this letter, he reflects on the beauty of baseball. “People ask me my favorite part of the game and I tell them: the whole thing. It’s making that impossible catch; it’s gunning down a speeding baserunner at home plate from deep in centerfield. And it’s the feeling you get when you see your pitch. Then you hear the crack of the bat and you know the ball is gone.”

It’s no wonder that fans who saw Griffey play always picture him smiling.

Best known as the father of the Hall of Fame outfielder who bears the same name, Ken Griffey was a fine ball player in his own right. In the collection is this questionnaire filled out entirely by a 19-year old Griffey Sr. just three months after his high school graduation in 1969, a full four years before his big league debut.

Griffey lists his birthplace as Donora, Pennsylvania, the same small town that produced Stan Musial and lays claim as the hometown of the younger Griffey as well. Senior also lists his race as, “Negro” and notes that he earned high school letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track.

Though he wouldn’t debut in the bigs until nearly four years to the day after filling out the questionnaire, Griffey was in the midst of his first season as a professional. This piece provides an glance into the early career of the three-time All Star and two-time World Series champion.

Donruss came out with a special set of baseball cards commemorating each team’s Opening Day lineup. Only the players in the starting lineup were featured in the 1987 offering. Shown here is Ken Griffey’s card from that set depicting him with the Atlanta Braves. The outfielder’s career was winding down by the time he was in Atlanta though he did manage to hit .285 over parts of two seasons with the Braves. The card is signed boldly in blue sharpie.