Ken Griffey Jr.

hvaughn88
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Edited Date/Time 1/14/2016 3:44pm
Congrats on the HOF. One of my heroes growing up and such an icon for the game. I even use to tape my bats with the diamond pattern just to be like him.

I would like to give a swift kick to the ass of the 3 jerk offs that didn't vote for him, though.
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mxb2
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1/6/2016 4:12pm
Dude was a stud, my buddy(denny neagle) played with griffey on the reds. I got a team reds spring training t shirt from him and the whole team sign it. I then gave it to a buddy in the mx industry,who is a huge griffey fan.
Sandberm
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1/6/2016 4:21pm Edited Date/Time 1/6/2016 4:32pm
Hes a class act for sure. I dont think theres anybody who thinks he played dirty either.

I went to a Mariners game the second to last year he played. A half hour or so before the game got going while "stuff" was going on on the field a group of people who were not part of either team playing came on the field. You could tell they probably were from a charity or some organization and this was a special treat for them to go on the field before a Major League game. Anyways, I watched Griffey go from person to person in this group, smiling , shaking hands, hugs, taking pictures, he just really was gracious and welcoming to these people. He really made there day. And you could tell by the look on Kens face that he enjoyed doing it. It wasnt a chore for him to interact with the fans.

Anyways, thats my Ken Griffey Jr. story
APLMAN99
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Griffey was perhaps the best player of my lifetime, and I doubt there'd be much debate about that if he would have used "stuff" to recover from his injuries like so many of his contemporaries were doing.

When Griffey was new to the big leagues he lived in the Olympus neighborhood just south of Bellevue and would hang out at a McDonalds on Sunset in Renton. He'd race his RC cars around the parking lot with some other guys then get in his Ferrari and head to the Kingdome. Other than the Ferrari, he was just like any other teenager at the time.
APLMAN99
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1/6/2016 5:17pm
Probably some fucktard like Buck Showalter to leave Junior off of a ballot........

The Shop

FastEddy
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1/6/2016 5:24pm Edited Date/Time 1/6/2016 5:25pm
Griffey was awesome.

Anybody remember when he showed up with his family at A1 for JS7's first pro Supercross?
He hung out on Friday for practice and even stayed for the Crossover challenge.
Then he came back the next day early and stayed until late after the races.
He was a very humble guy talking with fans & stuff .
I always thought that was neat.
hvaughn88
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1/6/2016 6:25pm




Ted722
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1/6/2016 7:22pm
Congats Jr.! Talk about a father/son combo. Has there ever been a more successful father and son in baseball? Any MX equivalent?
APLMAN99
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1/6/2016 7:41pm
Bobby and Barry Bonds were more statistically successful, but Barry pretty much wiped out any chance of them having a real positive legacy to the game. ....
rosebud441
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1/7/2016 12:06pm Edited Date/Time 1/7/2016 12:07pm
Griffey used to make that ole King Dome shake.. Joey Corra, Edgar Martinaz, along with many others made for great baseball days in Seattle.

Shit, just remembered he was a Bellingham Belle while minor leaguing it..
TG130
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1/7/2016 1:25pm
Ted722 wrote:
Congats Jr.! Talk about a father/son combo. Has there ever been a more successful father and son in baseball? Any MX equivalent?
Harry and Stefan Everts ?
hvaughn88
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1/7/2016 1:46pm
Ted722 wrote:
Congats Jr.! Talk about a father/son combo. Has there ever been a more successful father and son in baseball? Any MX equivalent?
TG130 wrote:
Harry and Stefan Everts ?
That's a pretty accurate comparison.
APLMAN99
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rosebud441 wrote:
Griffey used to make that ole King Dome shake.. Joey Corra, Edgar Martinaz, along with many others made for great baseball days in Seattle. Shit, just...
Griffey used to make that ole King Dome shake.. Joey Corra, Edgar Martinaz, along with many others made for great baseball days in Seattle.

Shit, just remembered he was a Bellingham Belle while minor leaguing it..
Nope. He was a Bellingham Mariner I'm pretty sure. Back before they were independent.

If I remember correctly, he tried to overdose on aspirin while there. That kid had some serious pressure right away.
Sully
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1/7/2016 3:55pm
The last MLB game I went to was in the Kingdome in '98. Griffey started the game in centerfield, and by the end of the 8th inning, he'd rotated through every outfield position, plus short stop. At the top of the 9th, he came out playing first base. I was born and raised in San Diego, so Tony Gwynn is baseball to me, but Junior really isn't far behind as far as I'm concerned.
hvaughn88
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1/7/2016 5:31pm
Sully wrote:
The last MLB game I went to was in the Kingdome in '98. Griffey started the game in centerfield, and by the end of the 8th...
The last MLB game I went to was in the Kingdome in '98. Griffey started the game in centerfield, and by the end of the 8th inning, he'd rotated through every outfield position, plus short stop. At the top of the 9th, he came out playing first base. I was born and raised in San Diego, so Tony Gwynn is baseball to me, but Junior really isn't far behind as far as I'm concerned.
Junior and Gwynn...you'd be hard pressed to find a couple better guys than those two. They were all class and such a joy to watch play the game.
Sandberm
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1/7/2016 5:46pm
I remember the first HR he hit after coming back to the Mariners...it was like "Sweet Jesus, I remember THAT swing"!

One of the sweetest homerun swings ever, ...so smooth.
APLMAN99
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I remember sitting in the Kingdome on the first base line, sometime in the summer of 91 or 92 I think. Griffey hits this line drive to right field that looks like it might have a chance to be caught by the first baseman if he jumps quick enough. He doesn't, of course, and the ball just keeps going, barely rising, and ends up over the right field fence. Even only sitting 10 or 12 rows up, it looked like the ball never got as high as us on it's whole path.

Hardest hit ball I've ever seen. And Jay Buhner used to hammer the crap out of the ball, but I've never seen another one hit like that.
1/8/2016 10:17am
Sandberm wrote:
I remember the first HR he hit after coming back to the Mariners...it was like "Sweet Jesus, I remember THAT swing"! One of the sweetest homerun...
I remember the first HR he hit after coming back to the Mariners...it was like "Sweet Jesus, I remember THAT swing"!

One of the sweetest homerun swings ever, ...so smooth.
Yes, his was swing was so fluid, just looked effortless.

One of the good guys.
P-Nut
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1/8/2016 11:42am
hvaughn88 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/01/06/118677/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/01/06/118678/s1200_image.jpg[/img]




Loved that swing....
APLMAN99
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Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 will be retired by Mariners organization

By Mark Townsend

Two days after Ken Griffey Jr.'s call to the National Baseball Hall of Fame became official, the Seattle Mariners have announced perhaps the coolest possible tribute to Griffey aside from his election to Cooperstown.

Beginning in 2016, no player in the entire Seattle Mariners organization will ever wear Ken Griffey Jr.'s No. 24 again. The number will be completely retired in his honor, with an official ceremony set to take place on the weekend of Aug. 5-7.


There are certainly past Mariners worthy of consideration to have their number retired. Hall of Famer Randy Johnson would be one. Edgar Martinez, a potential future Hall of Famer, would be another. It's pretty clear though that the Mariners wanted to wait for this moment for Griffey, who will be the first to go in wearing a Mariners cap. That alone is pretty cool. But the lengths they're going to honor his legacy is simply awesome.


The announcement came during Griffey's latest Hall of Fame press conference on Friday night at Safeco Field. The Mariners literally rolled out the red carpet for the honoree and gave him a welcome fit more for royalty.


Bravo, Mariners. Bravo.

The team also announced Griffey will throw out the first pitch at their home opener on April 8, so the celebration of his career figures to be a year long venture. Fans attending the weekend event in August will also receive a bobblehead, replica Hall of Fame plaque and a jersey.

Of course, the love hasn't just been limited to the Mariners organization. On Wednesday, Griffey's No. 24 began flying high above the Space Needle in Seattle, signifying the love and respect he had earned from the entire city.


Needless to say, this has been a whirlwind week for Griffey, and Friday's announcement is a pretty cool way to punctuate it.

CR250Rider
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1/11/2016 4:24pm
I wonder why it wasn't unanimous ?
Seattle loves both Griffeys!
APLMAN99
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1/11/2016 4:53pm Edited Date/Time 1/11/2016 4:54pm
CR250Rider wrote:
I wonder why it wasn't unanimous ?
Seattle loves both Griffeys!
Because of the old phucks who don't vote for players on their first eligible ballot based on some stupid tradition.

One of them was probably named Showalter.......

Junior got the highest percentage in history.
rhargrave431
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1/14/2016 11:50am
I too attended many Seattle Mariners games throughout the years and was always amazing watching him play. I understand why he left Seattle and his reasoning, but it really is too bad he left. They essentially built Safeco Field around him and his swing. He could of potentially had an even more stellar career had he stuck around. Congrats on the HOF career, Junior.
TG130
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1/14/2016 3:16pm
CR250Rider wrote:
I wonder why it wasn't unanimous ?
Seattle loves both Griffeys!
I heard a radio interview a few years ago with a reporter that does HOF voting. There was a candidate that year that should have been unanimous but wasn't (can't remember who it was). This reporter did not vote for that particular player and it wasn't because he didn't think the player deserved it. His reasoning was this - he figured that particular player would get enough votes anyway from the other sports writers to get elected, which he did. He wanted to give his vote to another player who he thought was deserving, but probably wasn't going to get the necessary amount of votes to get in. He just wanted to boost this guy's chances of getting elected. I'm not saying that's what happened here with Griffey, but that was this writer's explanation. I know a lot of these guys might not vote for a player just because he doesn't like him (Bonds, Clemens, etc), but probably not the case with Griffey. I think he was pretty well liked by most if not all.
hvaughn88
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1/14/2016 3:44pm
CR250Rider wrote:
I wonder why it wasn't unanimous ?
Seattle loves both Griffeys!
TG130 wrote:
I heard a radio interview a few years ago with a reporter that does HOF voting. There was a candidate that year that should have been...
I heard a radio interview a few years ago with a reporter that does HOF voting. There was a candidate that year that should have been unanimous but wasn't (can't remember who it was). This reporter did not vote for that particular player and it wasn't because he didn't think the player deserved it. His reasoning was this - he figured that particular player would get enough votes anyway from the other sports writers to get elected, which he did. He wanted to give his vote to another player who he thought was deserving, but probably wasn't going to get the necessary amount of votes to get in. He just wanted to boost this guy's chances of getting elected. I'm not saying that's what happened here with Griffey, but that was this writer's explanation. I know a lot of these guys might not vote for a player just because he doesn't like him (Bonds, Clemens, etc), but probably not the case with Griffey. I think he was pretty well liked by most if not all.
Personally, I think that's an awful reason to withhold a vote for someone. I've heard that reasoning before, and to be honest, I think that's a cop out to just continue the tradition of no one being a unanimous vote.

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