Seattle Mariners: Junior is MLB’s G.O.A.T.
Clint Prasky
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Ken Griffey Jr. is undoubtedly the best player in Seattle Mariners history. Making the case for Junior as MLB’s Greatest Of All Time.
While we sit and wait for the owners and players to figure out their labor differences before games are lost, I wanted to talk about the greatest Seattle Mariners player ever, Ken Griffey Jr., and his place in history. Where most rank him and how it compares to where I do.
Hot start
If you were there, you could see from day one that Junior was simply different. From his all-out hustle on defense and home run robbing, wall-crawling catches to his majestic stroke; he was different. Combine that with his electric smile and true love for the game, and he was heads and shoulders above the rest.
Seattle Mariners fans know that Griffey made his MLB debut in 1989 at the ripe old age of 19. Nineteen years old, who does that any more? In legendary fashion, Junior took Dave Stewart deep into left-center for a double in his first MLB at-bat. Then in his first Kingdome at-bat, he hit a home run (go figure).
Griffey had a flair for the dramatic early on in his career. Then in 1993, he took a big jump to the tune of .309, 45 HR, 109 RBI and finished fifth for MVP. in a controversial vote. Junior followed that up in 1994 with .323 40 HR 90 RBI in a strike-shortened season finishing second this time around.
The summer of 95
This is where his career took a slight detour in 1995; Junior got hurt while chasing down a gapper into right-center. On May 25, he made the catch but slammed into the hard Kingdome wall and crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain. It was every Mariners fan’s worst nightmare as the up-and-coming star had to miss extended time.
The season looked bleak, and their hopes waned by the day. Then it happened. Griffey returned to the lineup on August 15, and the Seattle Mariners went 28-17 down the stretch to win the American League West by a game over California. Junior and the boys not only saved baseball in Seattle but restored a fanbase for the entire MLB after the strike-shortened previous season.