Moments before the June 2, 2010, game against the Minnesota Twins, the Seattle Mariners announced the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. Numerous were surprised by the announcement. The decision seems to are on his mind for a while, and he would rather call it a day early than remain on the team for the sake of nostalgia. He retires a living legend. He was one of the true greats, and is fifth on the all time home run list.
A career for the history books is closed as Ken Griffey Jr retires
For sports people of the Pacific Northwest, you will find few who loom as large as Ken Griffey Jr. Ken Griffey Jr is about as separable from the Seattle Mariners as Babe Ruth is from the New York Yankees. He made his professional debut in 1989, and he and his father are the only father and son to have played on the exact same team. He was each and every bit the prodigy, and was prolific on offense and defense. He won the American League Golden Glove 10 times and hit nearly 400 home runs during his original 10 years as a Mariner.
The Emerald City and the Kid part ways
In 1999, Griffey wanted to move closer to his family, which has long been his greatest priority. The Cincinnati Reds traded for him, and ironically, it was the Reds who his father played for and won two World Series with. He was plagued by injuries, even though he was incredibly productive when fit. The White Sox acquired Griffey mid way through the 2008 season. After the end of that season, he entered free agency, and wild speculation started that he may return to the Mariners.
The return of the prodigal son
Returning in 2009, he hit 19 home runs in the 2009 season. The 2010 season though, was frustrating as he saw few at bats and had not hit a single home run by May. He had been listed as a reserve for a game against the Minnesota Twins, as outlined by the Seattle Times. An emergency press conference was called just before the game, where it was disclosed he had pulled the plug. He had said that his retirement would be swift and that he would “never allow myself to become a distraction.” It seemed that he knew it was time, and called the game.
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Seattle Times
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