Mariners Greatest Hits: “The Kid” Center Fielder Ken Griffey Jr

We continue our “Greatest Hits” series with the greatest player in franchise history. Ken Griffey Jr. left an undeniable mark on the fan base and was crowned an MLB Hall of Famer in 2016.

Junior also became the first Mariner to have his number retired by the organization, and on April 14th, the team will unveil its second statue outside the centerfield gates at Safeco Field.

The task of boiling down Griffey’s greatest games and moments to just three is impossible. How could we even know where to start?  Who can forget his 1995 ALDS performance against the Yankees? He hit five homers and slashed .391/.444/1.043. Wow.

Or how about that time he climbed the wall of Yankee Stadium to rob Jessie Barfield of a home run? The smile he had as Barfield stood at second, hands on his hips, in utter disbelief?

Always with a flair for the dramatics, Griffey blasted his 500th career home run on Father’s Day 2004 as Griffey Sr. looked on from the stands.

The simple truth is that in a career that included 13 All-Star games, 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers, 630 home runs, and an MVP award, it is impossible to rank a top-three.

In fact, if 10 different Mariner fans were asked for their top-three Griffey moments and games, you could get 30 different answers. The real measure of the impact Junior had on Seattle transcends generations.

The Seattle Mariners wouldn’t exist without Ken Griffey Jr. Here are my three favorite Griffey moments. So let’s sit back and enjoy the career of the one, the only, Ken Griffey Jr.

The Griffey’s Go Back-to-Back: September 14, 1990

The very essence of baseball is that it is a game that can be passed down through the generations. Dads share their summer memories of their youths to the kids as they watch the ball game. It is a father and son playing catch in the yard and arguing which of their childhood hero’s was better.

On September 14, 1990, the Griffey’s lived the dream of millions. Father in left field. Son in center field. It was a poignant reminder of what baseball really is. A reminder of what baseball can be.

In the first inning, against the Los Angeles Angels, the elder Griffey smashed a ball over the left-center field fence. Not to be outdone by his ” old man”, Junior sent one over the left field fence two pitches later

They Griffey’s lived the dream. Father and Son, playing baseball together. What can be better than that?

“The throw to the plate is late! The Mariners are going to play, for the American League Championship!”

Come on. Did you really think we could get through an entire article without mentioning “The Kid’s” dash around the bases? The iconic image of the famous Griffey smile at the bottom of the pile at home plate is perhaps the single most recognizable picture in Seattle sports.

Most fans can remember the inning like it was yesterday. Joey Cora avoiding the tag of Don Mattingly at first. Junior’s base hit up the middle. Edgar Martinez’s double down the left field line. All beautifully narrated by Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus.

The most iconic moment in Mariners history, and the most iconic player in Mariners history, forever together. Nirvana.