November 21st: Happy Birthday Michael Strahan and Ken Griffey Jr.

Michael Strahan

By JIM PURCELL

Two notable birthdays in the world of sports today are all-time greats in their respective sports football Giant legend Michael Strahan and baseball slugger Ken Griffey Jr.

Michael Anthony Strahan was born this day in 1971, in Houston, Texas. He is the youngest son of former Army Major Gene Willie Strahan and basketball coach Louise Traylor Strahan. After high school, Strahan went on to play football for Texas Southern University.

Meanwhile, in the NFL, Strahan joined the New York Giants in 1993 as a defensive end. He was invaluable part of the famous 2008 underdog Giants team that defeated the vaunted New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, played at University of Phoenix Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona.

Before his Super Bowl win, though, in 2001, Strahan shattered the NFL single season sack record with 22.5.

Today, Michael Strahan is a football analyst on Fox NFL Sunday and is a regular contributor to ABC's Good Morning America program.

Ken Griffey Jr.

Strahan shares his birthday with George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey Jr., who was born in 1969, the son of famous Cincinnati Red Ken Griffey Sr. Known as either "Junior" or simply "The Kid," the baseball progeny began his storied MBL career on April 3, 1989 with the Seattle Marines as an outfielder. During his 22-year tenure in the Great American Game, Griffey Jr. played for the Mariners (1989-1999), the Cincinnati Reds (2000-2008), the Chicago White Sox (2008) and finally he left the game from where he began, again as a Seattle Mariner (2009-2010).

During his playing career, Griffey Jr. had a lifetime batting average of .284, a lifetime hits count of 2,781, a home run record of 630 and runs batted in numbering 1,836.

Following his playing career, Griffey Jr. joined the front office for the Mariners as a special consultant. Meanwhile, in 2016, Griffey Jr. was elected the Baseball Hall of Fame with a stunning 99.32 percent of votes that are cast by Hall of Fame voters. To date, that remains a Hall of Fame voting record.