Griffey formerly lived in the same neighborhood in Orlando as golfer Payne Stewart . After Stewart 's death in a plane crash on October 25 , 1999 , Griffey started expressing a desire to live closer to his relatives in his hometown of Cincinnati . Not only did Griffey want to live closer , but he wanted to be able to raise his kids , Trey and Taryn ( Tevin was not born at the time ) . On February 10 , 2000 , Griffey was traded to the Reds for pitcher Brett Tomko , outfielder Mike Cameron , and minor leaguers Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer . Griffey signed a nine-year , $ 112.5 M contract with the Reds after the trade was completed , with a club option for a tenth
death in a plane crash
1999 South Dakota Learjet crash
Ken Griffey Jr.