Ken Griffey Jr. Retires At Age 40

[The Fraze]

In my opinion, one of the greatest players to ever walk the planet, and an icon of my childhood, called it quits today. I'm not sad about it or anything. I just think it's a big deal.

Here's the story:

Back Where It Began With the Mariners, Griffey Calls It Quits
By TYLER KEPNER
Published: June 2, 2010


— Ken Griffey Jr., whose sweet swing launched 630 home runs and electrified a generation of fans, announced his retirement Wednesday after 22 major league seasons.

Griffey, 40, was hitting .184 with no homers in 33 games this season for the Seattle Mariners, the team with which he will always be most identified. Griffey, the No. 1 pick by Seattle in the 1987 draft and a Mariner for his first 11 seasons, is largely credited with saving what had been a futile franchise.

“I’d like to thank my family for all of the sacrifices they have made all of these years for me,” Griffey said in a statement. “I’d like to thank the Seattle Mariners organization for allowing me to finish my playing career where it started. I look forward to a continued, meaningful relationship with them for many years to come.”

Griffey joined the Mariners in 1989, at age 19, before the franchise had a winning season since it began play in 1977. Wearing his cap backward during practice and smiling often, Griffey was such a sensation that he quickly had a candy bar named for him.

He led the Mariners to their first playoff appearance in 1995 and was named American League most valuable player two years later. In 1999, the Mariners opened Safeco Field, ending years of speculation that the team might move.

“Ken’s enduring legacy will be as the ballplayer most responsible for keeping Major League Baseball here in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest,” Howard Lincoln, the Mariners’ chief executive, said in a statement. “His achievements in baseball are well known and second to none. In the near future, I look forward to seeing Ken inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. For me, Ken Griffey is more than just a fabulous baseball player. He is a great man in every sense of the word.”

As weak pitching doomed the Mariners in the late 1990s, Griffey asked to be traded to the Cincinnati Reds, his hometown team. He was sent there in February 2000 amid much fanfare.

Ken Griffey Sr. had starred for the Reds’ championship teams in the 1970s, and even played briefly with his son for the Mariners; they hit back-to-back homers off Kirk McCaskill of the Angels in 1990. But the younger Griffey’s tenure in Cincinnati was marked mostly by frequent injuries, and the Reds never reached the playoffs.

Griffey returned to the postseason with the White Sox in 2008, but Chicago lost in the first round. Last season, Griffey signed back with Seattle and hit 19 homers, but this season signified the end.

Though he may be the greatest player to never reach the World Series, chances are Griffey will not be remembered most for that. Griffey played mostly during an era without steroid testing, winning four home run titles. As slugger after slugger has become ensnared in the scandal, Griffey’s achievements have stood out even more; he has never drawn a hint of suspicion of using illegal drugs.

“To each his own,” Griffey, who is married with three children, told The New York Times in 2003. “If people feel they need to do certain things, that’s fine. I don’t need to do those things. My thing is, when I’m 70 and 80 years old and I’m sitting on the porch with my grandkids and those guys are long gone, that’s the important thing. You either have a short-term reward or a long-term reward.”

Griffey came under criticism this season when The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., reported that he had been sleeping in the clubhouse during a game and was unavailable to pinch-hit. But this had long been a habit of Griffey’s and was generally accepted as an eccentricity of a player who was extremely popular among people who knew him well.

“Over the years my family and I have developed a close relationship with Ken and his family that we cherish,” the Mariners’ president, Chuck Armstrong, said in a statement. “Ken Griffey Jr. epitomizes all that is good and right about professional athletics. He is a role model for the youth of today.”

Griffey finished with a .284 average, and his 1,836 runs batted in rank 14th on the career list. His 630 home runs are fifth, behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660).

Those accomplishments will almost certainly land Griffey in Cooperstown in the summer of 2016, as soon as he is eligible, but he never aspired to a Hall of Fame career. His role model all along, he has often said, was a man who hit only 152 home runs: his father.

[Cooler Tom Schuler]

If it weren't for the injuries, he probably would have been the greatest ever. It's a damn shame. Still a magnificent career, though.

[The Fraze]

Totally agree, I think he would have been the greatest ever if it had not been for the injuries once he made it to Cincinnati. And he had a squeaky clean rep. No drugs, steroids, nothing. He was a phenom naturally. I am going to cherish the fact that I have been in attendance for a young Ken Griffey Jr. home run, while playing for Seattle. I saw it at Candlestick Park in SF.

[Jeritron]

I am attending a White Sox Mariners game while I'm in Chicago this summer, and I have field passes. I'm a bit disappointed to know he's not going to be there now, since I was looking forward to potentially meeting him.

Amazing career. Amazing player. My favorite of alltime and probably the best of my lifetime

[XCaliber]

Surely one my favorite players of all-time it's too bad his numbers went south post his Seattle Mariner days after his injuries he was never the same but in his case it's probly for the best.

[Jeritron]

Sure, his injuries did take away from his astronomical potential, but 630 hrs doesn't lie.

[McLegend]

Griffey has pretty much been retired for 2 years now.

[The Fraze]

It's amazing to think that he hit 630 HR's being plagued with injuries like he was. Incredible...

[Emperor Smeat]

Best non-Red Sox player I liked as a kid during the 1990s to early 2000s. Of all the big name home run hitters of the 1990s, he's the only one not to have been busted for steroids or other enhancements.

Easily could be at 1000 Home Runs had he not broken down after his 1st 1-2 years with the Reds since his stats were incredible during his time with the Mariners.

[The Fraze]

He definitely would have been the home run king. His numbers were unbelievable.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Greatest player I've ever seen. Injuries hurt his career and he didn't reach the milestones everyone knew he could reach, but that won't be what defines Griffey's legacy. The true sign of Griffey's legacy will be when guys from our generation sit their sons down and talk about baseball, the first guy they talk about won't be Bonds or McGwire, it'll be Junior.

[Innovator]

Sad day yesterday was

[Triple Naitch]

Really bummed I won't get to see him this summer. Gotta give him props for being man enough to admit when he's done and not take up a roster spot. Still, I'd rather see him go the same route as Gwynn and Ripken did and announce during the season and have his own farewell tour during the summer. That probably would have gotten him to another All Star Game.

[The Fraze]

I am a fan of both McGwire and Bonds. I grew up with Bonds being on the hometown team because I'm from the Bay Area. But, it's nice to see how the greatest pure baseball player to walk the planet never had a hint of controversy involving drugs. Yet, had better numbers than everyone else. Shame he was hurt so much in Cinci.

[Evil Vito]

Junior was incredible. Really no other way to put it. I remember rumors that the Mets were interested in him in like 2007/08, and, despite being injury-prone and nowhere near the Junior we all knew and loved, I would have marked out big time to see him on my favorite team.

I only got to see him play live once I believe. Mets/Reds, afternoon game in 2005. We left after like the 8th inning when the Mets blew the game wide open against Danny Graves to take a 7-run lead. We almost never leave games early, but with NY rush hour looming it seemed like a good reason to leave in a blowout. Mets won the game and everything, but once we got to the car we heard Griffey hit a HR off of Manny Aybar in garbage time. Regret not seeing it.

[The Fraze]

Glad to have witnessed a Griffey homer.

[Jeritron]

Remember when McGwire put on a huge showstealing performance and hit 13 hrs in the HR Derby at Fenway, but Griffey just hit steady and ending up winning the thing in the end?
Great HR Derby, and a metaphor for their careers really.

[The Fraze]

I watched this game.

[Jeritron]

I own all of the video games from his epic Nintendo franchise

[Innovator]

The one on Super Nintendo was awesome

[The Fraze]

A buddy of mine does too. Those games were sweet for the time.

[Jeritron]

The ones on 64 were the best

[Jeritron]

I wonder if they stopped making them when he went to the Reds due to the Mariners being owned by Nintendo.

[Jeritron]

They should make a new one for Wii commemorating his career

[McLegend]

Originally Posted by Jeritron Remember when McGwire put on a huge showstealing performance and hit 13 hrs in the HR Derby at Fenway, but Griffey just hit steady and ending up winning the thing in the end? Great HR Derby, and a metaphor for their careers really.

Sorry to be Mr. No it all, but Jeremy Burnitz won that Home run Derby.

So no metaphor there.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

Umm, Griffey won.

[Jeritron]

Yes sir.

[Supreme Olajuwon]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseb...g/99asgf14.htm

[McLegend]

Fascinating. Don't remember Griffey winning that at all.

[McLegend]

Perhaps I just remember Burnitz eliminating McGwire, and that being treated as a big deal.

[The Fraze]

[DaveWadding]

Since he came back to the Mariners, I've got to see him a couple times in spring training. Even standing in his vicinity is a magical experience.

[Jeritron]

[Jeritron]

I think that should be allowed as an autoplay for this thread

[The Fraze]

Instead of call me jr. is sounds like he's saying homie g.

[weather vane]

Um not that song ffs! The SNES game is one of the best games of all time... KILLS every other game

[Jeritron]

47 mph

[MVP]

It sucks that the story on Griffey's retirement is second fiddle to the blown call.

Probably the best player of this generation.

[weather vane]

Mike Mussina pitching to Dave Valle

[Juan]

One of my favorite baseball players ever.