Seattle Sounders FC

Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and his family joined the ownership group for the Seattle Sounders, the club announced Tuesday.

"Ken Griffey Jr. is a name that requires no introduction, whether in Seattle or across the sports world, and we couldn't be more proud to welcome Ken and his family into our club," Sounders majority owner Adrian Hanauer said in a statement. "As a lifelong resident of this great city, bringing someone like Ken into Sounders FC holds a special significance to me, as he is truly a part of Seattle sports' heart and soul. We value the contributions that he will add as a partner in our club and welcome him and his family with open arms."

Griffey spent 13 of his 22 MLB seasons with Seattle, winning the 1997 American League MVP Award and emerging as one of the most beloved athletes in the city's history.

The Griffey family joined a robust leadership group that notably includes Ciara and Russell Wilson and Price Is Right host Drew Carey.

"This is a meaningful day for our entire family," Griffey said in a statement. "My wife Melissa and I said that we wanted to be a part of something special, not only for ourselves, but for our kids to be proud of, and this is it. We know how much this club means to Sounders fans, and for us, this comes back to the city where it all started for our family. We are joining a first-class organization, and we are so proud to give back to the city we love. To the Seattle Sounders community: we are inspired to become part of what you have created. Like you, we are excited to get behind our incredible team as the players prepare for this year's playoff run."

The Sounders have been among the most successful franchises in MLS, finishing second in the Western Conference in each of the last four seasons and regularly finish with among the highest attendance in the sport.

Griffey's joining the Sounders ownership group will further ingratiate himself with the Seattle community.

The MLS season has been suspended since March 12 because of the coronavirus pandemic, which could lead to significant financial losses for its franchises.

"The losses at the team level in MLS will be astronomical. Hundreds of millions, billions, really big numbers," Seattle Sounders owner Adrian Hanauer said on Wednesday's episode of the Sounder At Heart podcast. "But the MLS ownership is solid and committed to the league and their teams long term. That is fantastic."

According to Jeff Carlisle of ESPN, the league could remain suspended through June 8.

The Sounders are one of the most valuable franchises in MLS at $405 million, with $47 million in revenue in 2019, per Chris Smith of Forbes. However, the team had only $1 million in operating income during the season.

Even with the infusion of money from 11 new investors last August, there is still a limited margin.

With a significant portion of the season potentially lost, each team will have minimal opportunities to generate revenue. But despite the problems, Hanauer has faith in MLS to survive the year.

"There's been lots of criticism of single entity structure—no promotion-relegation, salary cap—heard over the years," he explained. "But some of those principles are what will allow this league to survive and thrive coming out the other end."

Seattle has also taken care of its employees during the suspension. According to Pablo Maurer and Sam Stejskal of The Athletic, the team has not furloughed any staff and doesn't plan to, while only senior staff have taken pay cuts.