Celebrate the Mariners' return to Toronto by revisiting an iconic Ken Griffey Jr. homer

Seattle Mariners legend and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has been in the news recently, with it seeming that his talents go beyond being one of the best baseball players in Major League history.

As we wrote about earlier this week, Griffey was a credentialed photographer at the 2025 Masters, with a photo he took of Rory McIlroy receiving plenty of attention:

Back in the baseball world, Jackie Robinson Day gave fans another reason to think about Griffey positively. Each year every player wears No. 42 on Apr. 15 to honor the day Robinson made his Major Leage debut, with the tradition being started by none other than "The Kid".

A hit for the ages by Ken Griffey Jr.

Keeping the positive momentum rolling along, this weekend's Mariners series against the Toronto Blue Jays gives us another excuse — not that we need one — to remember Griffey fondly. With the three-game set taking place in Toronto, thoughts almost automatically turn to one of the most iconic home runs of his Major League career:

Never has arguably the prettiest ever swing in baseball been more beautifully encapsulated, combined with the lethal power at Griffey's disposal. The Associated Press noted his blast was estimated at 451 feet, the longest ball hit to right field at what was then called the "SkyDome."

Staying on that theme, the home run came back in 1996. It was about two decades before Statcast, something which Matt Kelly of MLB.com almost lamented a couple of years ago. He compiled a list of 12 massive homers (in no particular order) he wishes came under Statcast tracking, and of course he had to include Griffey's bomb in Toronto.

Kelly had a fun take on the seven-time Silver Slugger's home run, as he said: "Remember that scene in Little Big League when Griffey, the big bad villain, launches one to the upper deck and then lazily flips his bat? This dinger off Toronto’s Giovanni Carrara was pretty much that scene come to life. This ball cleared the Hard Rock Cafe and landed well into the fifth deck, and Griffey’s classic swing made the feat look effortless."

Mariners could use Ken Griffey Jr. now

Effortless is almost the antithesis of the Mariners offense these days. In fairness, though, the lineup has been galvanized to an extent since their unbelievable 7-6 comeback win against the hated Houston Astros.

By extension, Rogers Centre is one of the better hitting ball parks in the Majors and somewhere which holds recent positive memories for Mariners fans because of the wild card sweep in 2022. Perhaps someone like Julio Rodríguez or Cal Raleigh can use the opportunity to pay homage to Griffey and come up with another highlight reel long-range home run.

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