Sounders get boost from Ken Griffey Jr. as they look to rebound

Hall of Famer's visit provides a lift for the team after CONCACAF Champions Cup exit

Apr. 18, 2026 at 6:50am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a Sounders soccer match, with overlapping planes of bright greens, blues, and reds representing the players, field, and stadium environment.Griffey's visit provides a creative spark as the Sounders look to rebound from their CONCACAF disappointment.Seattle Today

The Seattle Sounders received a morale boost from the visit of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., a minority owner of the soccer team, as they look to rebound from their disappointing CONCACAF Champions Cup exit. Griffey and his caddie/comedian Michael Collins set up a putting game and provided tips and laughs for several Sounders players, including Jordan Morris, Jackson Ragen, Cristian Roldan, and Paul Rothrock.

Why it matters

The Sounders are looking to bounce back after being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and Griffey's visit provided a much-needed pick-me-up for the team. As a minority owner, Griffey's involvement with the Sounders helps strengthen the connection between the soccer team and the local community.

The details

The Sounders dropped a quarterfinal series to Liga MX side Tigres UANL in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, despite winning the home leg 3-1. Tigres' away goal was the tiebreaker for the 3-3 aggregate scoring. In MLS competitions, the Sounders are unbeaten in their past four matches (3-0-1) - all on the road. The team will likely have a heavily rotated lineup for their final match of the regular season against St. Louis City on Saturday.

  • The Sounders dropped the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal series to Tigres UANL on Wednesday.
  • The Sounders defeated St. Louis City 1-0 on the road in March.

The players

Ken Griffey Jr.

A Hall of Fame baseball player and a minority owner of the Seattle Sounders soccer team.

Michael Collins

Griffey's caddie and comedian, who joined him for a vlogging series called "Caddie & The Kid".

Jordan Morris

A Sounders player who received tips and laughs from Griffey and Collins.

Jackson Ragen

A Sounders player who received tips and laughs from Griffey and Collins.

Cristian Roldan

A Sounders player who received tips and laughs from Griffey and Collins.

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What they’re saying

“These guys are enamored with him (Griffey) in some ways. It's a match made in heaven.”

— Brian Schmetzer, Sounders coach

“You go through ebbs and flows. I remember in Leagues Cup two years ago, we scored multiple set pieces in a row where we couldn't score in a long time. Being sharp and mentally focused when set pieces come (is important). Altogether, as well, not giving them the opportunity. We've conceded a lot of corner kicks this year (47 in MLS competitions). To be honest, for how many corner kicks we've conceded, we've done well.”

— Cristian Roldan, Sounders player

What’s next

The Sounders will look to bounce back in their final match of the regular season against St. Louis City on Saturday.

The takeaway

Griffey's visit provided a much-needed morale boost for the Sounders as they look to rebound from their CONCACAF Champions Cup exit and focus on the MLS season. The team's connection to local sports legends like Griffey helps strengthen their ties to the community.