USA – Future Hall-of-Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. has been named an American Public Diplomacy Envoy by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Griffey joins former baseball star Cal Ripken Jr. as baseball envoys. Ripken was selected as an envoy for the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in 2007.

A baseball clinic Ripken and former Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher Dennis Martinez was conducting for kids and coaches in Nicaragua was scrapped this week in Leon by its sponsors because protests surrounding local election results were hampering travel.

Griffey will make his first baseball-related trip for the State Department to Panama in January.

The 38-year-old, who will celebrate his birthday this week, has played for the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox and is currently a free agent. He is sixth on the all-time career home run list with 611.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.org

Tags: USA