Ken Griffey Jr - The Appreciation Post

This guy WAS the Michael Jordan of baseball both on and off the field. Posters of Ken Griffey, Jr. were on practically every kid’s wall. Junior had his own video games with Nintendo. He was on magazine covers and had other endorsements. Griffey was also the first baseball player to have his own signature shoe (with Nike). He made appearances in multiple TV shows, cartoons, and commercials. He was a baseball superstar who helped bring the sport back to life after the strike. Junior was also a Seattle cult hero. Many people, including me, believe that Ken Griffey, Jr. saved baseball in Seattle. The Mariners were the MLB’s doormat since entering the league in 1977. Their most wins in a season pre- Griffey was 77 (out of 162). Seattle had some solid ballplayers and an All-Star here and there, but not any superstars. Low attendance was a problem but so was their multi-purpose stadium, The Kingdome. That stadium, home to both the Mariners and NFL’s Seattle Seahawks from 1977 until 1999, was owned by King County. It was an arena that could host any sport but was not ideal for any sport. The Kingdome didn’t have luxury boxes nor a good playing surface. There was a right field wall implemented for an out-of-town scoreboard. It was nicknamed “The Walla-Walla” after Walla Walla, Washington. The roof of the Kingdome was only 250 feet high which meant the ceiling and steel wiring were in play. By the mid-90s slabs of concrete started to fall from The Kingdome’s ceiling. Something had to be done. The team’s owners could not renovate nor make any significant improvements to the building that could improve the team’s financial state. The Mariners needed a new stadium – or they would need to move. Getting a new baseball stadium in Seattle was no small task. The team’s owners could not fund a new ballpark on their own. They needed taxpayers to help fund a new ballpark. These were the same taxpayers who were still paying off the Kingdome. The timing was even worse because the issue was going to a vote in 1995, a year after the Players’ Strike. People weren’t over the ’94 strike. And now they wanted taxpayers to help fund a new stadium? The stadium tax vote didn’t pass either. The owners threatened to move the team if they could not get a new stadium funded. What was the point? The Mariners weren’t even any good. They never won anything. Until 1995, that is. Winning cures everything, right? The Mariners front office knew that they had to do everything they could to put a winning team on the field to see how the city would respond. It was their only chance to save baseball in Seattle. They traded for pitchers Andy Benes and Tim Belcher. They added veterans in outfielder Vince Coleman and reliver Norm Charlton. Edgar Martinez, Tino Martinez, and Randy Johnson were All-Stars. Oh, and they had this Ken Griffey, Jr. guy too. The city of Seattle got behind the “Refuse to Lose” Mariners. Fans turned The Kingdome into a madhouse. Griffey led the Seattle Mariners to an improbable comeback in the standings to win their first division title. His performance in the ’95 playoffs saved baseball in Seattle and saved the Seattle Mariners franchise. The city and state politicians eventually figured out a way to help fund a new ballpark. In July of 1999, the Mariners opened Safeco Field (now known as T-Mobile Park). The ballpark is also known as “The house that Griffey built.” Junior ended up leaving the ballclub after the 1999 season. He forced a trade to his hometown Cincinnati Reds to be closer to his family. His dad was the Reds’ new bench coach. Griffey had a good first season in Cincinnati, but the injury bug hit him hard starting in 2001. Junior suffered season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He was in decline as a star and as a baseball player. He was finally healthy enough in 2005 when he was named NL Comeback Player of the year after finishing with 35 homers and 92 RBIs. In June 2007, “The Kid” returned to Seattle for the first time as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Griffey was worried about how would be received, but quickly found both the Mariners fans and organization welcomed him back with open arms. They knew that “The House That Griffey Built” nor the Mariners would have survived in Seattle without him. The Mariners honored him in pre-game ceremony and Junior did not disappoint on the field, including a 2-homer game during that series. Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox in late 2008 where he had one last taste of playoff baseball. Then, in 2009 he decided to return to Seattle and signed with the Mariners to end his career. He was brought in to be a part-time DH, mentor to the younger players, and to be a good clubhouse guy. He gave the fans in Seattle a few more thrills before deciding to retire early in the 2010 season. Speaking of those thrills, here are my favorite Ken Griffey, Jr. moments: #10: The Trendsetter - The Backwards Cap & wearing Jackie Robinson’s #42: When MLB decided to honor the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier during the 1997 season, “The Kid” took it one step further. He wore Robinson’s #42 on Jackie Robinson day (April 15th). Soon after, other players did the same in following seasons. Now all players wear Robinson’s #42 on every Jackie Robinson day. Junior also made wearing a baseball cap backwards cool. How did that start? As a kid, Junior would wear Senior’s cap but it was too big. He would turn it around so it would fit and never stopped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J_KJiS8rfc #9: Ken Griffey, Jr. Certified Prankster: “The Kid” was also one helluva prankster. His teammates always had to be on high alert. Junior once convinced Alex Rodriguez that the Mariners stars were going to auction off their sperm to the highest bidder, a la thoroughbred horses. A-Rod was ready to participate but luckily Junior put a stop to the prank before it got too far. Griffey would pay off debts to his teammates – in pennies. His most legendary prank targeted manager Lou Piniella. The Mariners skipper won a steak dinner bet with Junior. How did Griffey pay off his bet? Take a look… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgGPCLKgaEY #8: King of the Kingdome: The Mariners were set to move into Safeco Field in July of 1999. Junior gave The Kingdome one final send off. Griffey hit a home run in hit final at-bat in The Kingdome. He also hit a home run in his first ever at-bat in The Kingdome ten years earlier. Junior's first and final swings at the old barn were home runs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Bo2kDM7d4o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU7oIqUQ56c #7: Junior hits the warehouse: Ken Griffey, Jr. won a record three Home Run Derbies during MLB’s All-Star festivities and was the runner-up in two other seasons. He didn’t win it in 1993 but managed to do something that no other player had done at the new Oriole Park at Camden Yards… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uePJdB9Chow #6: The Griffey Commercials: There are many great Griffey commercials, but these are my favorite. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F_w8WTFlwk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0TY9E5xGwI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUxTntgDZVo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re9h8_qKE8I #5: Eight consecutive games with a home run! Junior tied a Major League record with home runs in EIGHT consecutive games from July 20-28, 1993. He become only the third player in MLB history to accomplish this feat! Griffey nearly broke the record the following game, but a long fly ball hit the center field wall and stayed in the park for a double. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z97H-EvCwOk #4: “The Arrival” – Griffey Jr. robs Jesse Barfield Junior stunned Yankees star Jesse Barfield after robbing a home run at Yankee Stadium in 1990. “The Kid” had arrived. Barfield was one of many victims of sensational home run saving catch by Ken Griffey, Jr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mn5ZcmFN1ds #3: #500 on Father’s Day: With Ken Griffey, Sr. in attendance in St. Louis, Junior belts career home run #500 – on Father’s Day! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug4gEWeaKLw&t=102s #2: Father and Son go back-to-back: The Mariners decided to acquire Ken Griffey, Sr. in late 1990. Senior and Junior then became the first father and son to play in the same outfield. Days later against the California Angels they become the first father and son to hit back-to-back home runs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCk1UY5Afus #1: “The Winning Run” and the 1995 ALDS versus the Yankees: I’ve already talked about this at length. The 1995 ALDS may have been Junior’s pièce de résistance. I love that he hated the Yankees. I loved it even more that he crushed them in this series with those ALDS record five homers and this winning run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf4QYds5lFI Over a 22-year Major League Baseball career Junior accomplished the following: - 630 home runs (7th all-time) - 1,836 RBIs (16th all-time) - 13-time MLB All-Star - 10-time Gold Glove Winner - 7-time Silver Slugger - 1992 All-Star Game MVP - 1997 American League MVP - 4-time AL Home Run Leader - 3-time Home Run Derby Champ (record) - 2005 NL Comeback Player of the Year - Named to MLB’s All-Century Team in 1999 - One of 29 players in MLB history to appear in an ML game in four different decades - Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame - Saved baseball in Seattle Ken Griffey, Jr. is an all-time great and well deserving of his place in Cooperstown. There's no question about it. He is my favorite all-time player and THE reason why I ever became interested in baseball as a kid. The Seattle Mariners were the first team outside of Chicago that I ever rooted for. It was awesome for me to see Griffey don a White Sox uniform, even though it was towards the end of his career and years past his prime. Junior unfortunately never made it to a World Series but accomplished everything else in the game and more. At the same time, he’s also one of the greatest “what if” stories in baseball history. What if he never left the Mariners? How many homers would he have hit if he would have stayed healthy in the early 2000s? Would he had played on a championship team if he stayed healthy? We will never know. What we do know is that Ken Griffey, Jr. was a human highlight reel and one of the best to ever do it. Thank goodness for YouTube! Talk about endless entertainment! Most importantly… Thank you, Junior.

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