Welcome Home, Ken Griffey Jr.

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I may have only been four-years old when Ken Griffey Jr. broke into Major League Baseball back in 1989, but growing up in the '90s there was no player I wanted to be more like, than Griffey. His sweet, beautiful, and effortless swing, was imitated on sandlots across the country. Even though my team growing up was and still is the Cleveland Indians, I still followed Griffey and the Seattle Mariners.

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During the summer mornings, I would turn on Sportcenter, and could not wait to see the Mariners highlights. I always knew there was a chance I would see a highlight or a top ten play from Griffey. I did not matter if the highlight was a titanic home run in the upper deck of the King Dome, or a diving catch in center field, or even watching him climbing the outfield wall to rob a home run, every kid including me, wanted to be Ken Griffey Jr.


Junior Dominated The 1990s:

-10 All-Star Selections
-10 Gold Glove Awards
-7 Silver Slugger Awards
-3 Home Rum Derby Champion
-1 All-Star MVP (1992)
-1 MVP (1997)
-Avg: 38 HR & 109 RBI
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Most Home Runs in the 1990s:

1. Mark McGwire--- 405
2. Ken Griffey Jr.--- 382 (Current HR Total: 661, 5th All-Time)
3. Barry Bonds------ 361
4. Albert Belle------- 351
5. Juan Gonzalez---- 339
6. Sammy Sosa------ 332
7. Rafael Palmeiro----- 328
8. Jose Canseco------ 302

From studying the home runs stats above, there is one big fact that jumps out. Look who Griffey is accompanied with. All of those seven other players on that list, have been linked or some how involved in Major League Baseball's steroid investigation. All of those players, except Griffey, have always been speculated for using steroids or Performance Enhancing Drugs. Griffey accomplished so much in the 1990s without the use of steroids and still ranks high on that list with the alleged and confirmed steroid users.
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After the 1999 season, Griffey asked for a trade to his dad's former team, the Cincinnati Reds, to be closer to his relatives. Little did he know, that trade would be a bad career move for Junior. His time with the Reds was riddled with injuries and his production dropped.

2000: 145 Games, 40 HR, 118 RBI
2001: 111 Games, 22 HR, 65 RBI
2002: 70 Games, 8 HR, 23 RBI
2003: 53 Games, 13 HR, 26 RBI
2004: 83 Games, 20 HR, 60 RBI
2005: 128 Games, 35 HR, 92 RBI
2006: 109 Games, 27 HR, 72 RBI
2007: 144 Games, 30 HR, 93 RBI
*2008: 102 Games, 15 HR, 53 RBI*

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*In mid 2008, Griffey was traded to the Chicago White Sox. At the conclusion of '08 season, the White Sox declined to pick up Griffey's $4 million option, making him a free agent. Reports around the league this past month, indicated Griffey would sign with the Atlanta Braves to be closer to his family in Orlando, FL. However, after talks with Hall of Famers Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and his daughter, Griffey chose to go back to Seattle, where is career began 20 years ago.

------------ -"Dad, I really think you should go back to the Mariners and not have any regrets about how you finished." -Taryn Griffey, 13-year-old daughter of Ken Griffey Jr.
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That is all what dad needed to hear. Griffey and the Mariners agreed on a one-year contract worth $2 million plus incentives.

This move by the Seattle Mariners is clearly a nostalgia move. Junior is 39 and he is not the player he use to be. His numbers have dropped, his bat speed is slower, has since moved to left field because of his lack of quickness, and you will probably see him batting as the DH in some games.

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Signing Griffey is smart for the organization. They bring back a hero and will boost attendance. Normally, adding a 39-year-old outfielder means the team is not getting better, but this move gives something back to the fans and for the city of Seattle.

It brings back the excitement that was once there. It gives the younger fans a chance to watch a future Hall of Famer. In a city where many things have gone wrong since Junior left in 2000. The Mariners haven not been to the playoffs since 2001, they are coming off its second worst season in franchise history (61-101, 39 games back of first place in division), Starbucks closed 600 stores, laid off 1,000 jobs, Microsoft lost 62 percent of its value, Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago, the city's NFL team (Seattle Seahawks) lost Super Bowl XL to Pittsburgh and have never been the same. Seattle even lost its NBA team (Supersonics) this past year. The owner could not get a new arena, so he moved the team to Oklahoma City and renamed the team the Thunder.

Bringing Ken Griffey Jr. back is a bigger move for the the fans and city than is it to the team. Griffey is the result, of a man who did not cheat, while in the steroid era. He was clean and did things the right way. He may not be the player he once was, but I hope, when I can wake in mornings this summer, I can turn on Sportscenter and hope to see a highlight of one the game's all time best, just as I did a decade ago.

~Sabol


Highlights Of Griffey's First Stint With Seattle:
http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?mid=200902193847956