Ken Griffey Jr.'s First At-Bat Back in Seattle with the Mariners ~April 14, 2009~

[Seatownbro12]

I was at this game on Opening Day 2009. Sitting in the left-field bleachers. When Griffey stepped to the plate, I got chills it was so loud. Its still one of the only times I've ever seen my dad tear up.

[milkmanmexican]

Growing up Griffey wsa my idol. I tear up a little when I think of what could have been. nonetheless...outstanding.

P.S. I dont actually tear up.

[Fanik10]

I would have loved to see him pass Bonds.

[fordboss00]

Dang sure gonna miss Griffey!

I remember the time the world baseball classic came around for the first time and Griffey was elected to play for team USA

The only reason i bought the tickets was to go watch him play center @ Chase field

[gokubangchichi]

griffey's way better then arod griffey plus he's drug free arod cheats

[BigRedMachine006]

I wish they made a Griffey baseball game after 'Ken Griffey Jr's Slugfest'. That game was sick back in the day (and still is fun) and it's the only game with Dave Niehaus commentating, and Griffey's voice (or the last one w/Jr's voice first with Safeco field I think too). The funniest thing which I found out by accident is if you create Ichiro, the announcer says his name. The greatest moment I remember Junior for is "The Slide". And the icing on the cake is it was against the New York Yankees

[BigRedMachine006]

It had come full circle, only fitting he ends his HoF career where he started. The only guy never mentioned, implicated, accused, etc. about using performance enhancing drugs. That is why he is better then

Barry "i didn't know they were Steroids" Bonds

[jaytmcneal]

i have a pic of his first hit on my facebook jaytmcneal

[jaytmcneal]

i have a pic of his first hit on my facebook

[K1LLA781]

the kid is living proof u don't need steroids to hit 600 plus hr's and eventually make it in the HOF...unlike barry the juicer bonds

[WoolleyMan822]

Was there for this not far away from the video being taken. AMAZING!!!

[Spartan0430]

@BurntLaces

Griffey is our (seattle's) most beloved player

[rhcpguitarar]

40 years old and they're still scared to pitch to him.

[kromezer28]

the swingman

[184melvin]

ken griffey jr is the best he a good player i respect and he will always be ma favorite player

[tranzitms]

I still get choked up whenever i see any video of Jr. He was more then a baseball player he was and still is a class act. Gonna miss you Jr,alot.

[mcdonaldskilledme123]

why could he have been on this yrs reds.  be in the post season for once.

[rawfishe]

@mcdonaldskilledme123 for once? he was on the 95 refuse to lose Ms mang

[poopnugget24]

I hate how everyone is blaming Don Wakamatsu for the unexpected retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. Don gave him plenty of chances to prove that he could still get the job done, but Ken didn't meet Don's expectations and he didn't want to put him in the lineup. So don't blame Don for this whole thing.

[quarf53206]

the mariners are the Detroit lions of MLB the owners dont care if they win they just want to make money

[SeabassaHOYYY]

YEAHHHH HE GOT A HIT! but were still the mariners... :(

[il1k3c3r34l]

People may complain about his injuries or say he "could have" or "should have" done this or that, but he got old like any normal person not on steroids. He was maybe the best ballplayer in the past 60 years, but his body gave up like it should have. We got to watch one of the greatest careers of all time, and that's what makes all those career/season HR records so special. Even a great player like The Kid couldn't break them. They're all very special players. Sosa/Bonds/McGwire can't touch them.

[diehardoaklandfan510]

Ken Griffey Jr was one of my baseball heroes growing up. I had his poster right next to my Rickey Henderson poster in my room growing up. Its just too bad he had so many injuries, he could have easily been the undisputed home run king. Instead of Balco Barry.

[sfgunner88]

Ken Griffey Jr was my Willie Mays, Jr can do it all !

[wadereed27]

the mariners gonna have a beastly ass team this year cliff lee and felix gonna be great together. go mariners

[WarriorsNeedsSomeToo]

@wadereed27 sorry too say this but the mariners ended up sucking. BADLY. and cliff lee is most definetly gonna go.

[bobbymidnight]

I used to work in the music industry and I met Griffey at the 1991 MTV celebrity softball game at USC and told him, "I'd love to have your future." He smiled and said, "You and everyone else I meet." I wish he'd never left the Emerald City.

[UGLYSTIKCOLIN]

I won't lie. I cried when I watched Ken step back in the batters box again.

[elmalloc]

@UGLYSTIKCOLIN Shoulda lied

[Nadool]

Just got a 12 game weekday package for the Yankees this year and I am excited to see Seattle and get a chance to see the kid play. I'm going to be knocking little kids out of the way to get his autograph if at all possible lol. "Get out of the way kid, that's my guy, not yours." I can't wait. Love this guy.

[ballisticbliss]

Agreed. If he wasn't hurt for half this century, he would have had 800 dingers.

When on all cyclinders, he was the best player/athlete the game has ever seen.

You can say what you will about being a little surly, but he was not a bad guy or cheater. It seems with age he has gotten better and more amiable.

Hope Seattle can make it happen next year on his last year. See you in the HOF

[katra777]

@ballisticbliss

I agree with everything you said but alas I think injuries are part of the game and if you can't keep your body healthy then that's something you just have to deal with, even freak accidents. I feel the same way about Penny Hardaway and Tracy McGrady.

[rawfishe]

@ballisticbliss haaa dingers

[JayMoore17]

@ballisticbliss - ANd didn't have to take steroids to hit all of them, just natural strength.

[asiansensation1337]

Griffey Jr....the best since Babe Ruth. EASILY

[stavrophotography]

@asiansensation1337 two words, one name . Hank Aaron

[RobloxianSliddet]

@asiansensation1337 Which is exactly why he has his own N64 Game. THUMBS UP IF YOU HAVE/OR LIKE KEN GRIFFEY JR BASEBALL FOR NINTENDO 64

[SeijinDinger]

@asiansensation1337 I would say better because while Babe Ruth was a great hitter, Griffey was a great all around player, as well as a person who showed a lot of class and integrity on and off the field

[dhide14]

@asiansensation1337 probably fatter than the Babe these days

[dhide14]

beautiful camera work....way to capture his hit 

[dphai]

growing up I didnt really like watching baseball until i saw this man.. KEN GRIFFEY JR. play! His swing to his fielding was something special to see. I remember me and my friends would go out to our elementary school field and try to swing like him. If it wasnt for Ken Griffey Jr, I wouldnt have watched or played baseball! and thats a true fact.

[Nadool]

Born and raised a Yankee fan but this guy right here is my favorite of all time. Nothing sweeter in the game than this guy's home run swing. When he just knows it's gone and that bat just drops flat on the ground...what a treat to have watched him through the years. One thing a Yankee fan can be jealous of Seattle for :)

[SAIKOsean]

lemme know when you tie/breakl the single season win record :D

Someone wins the series every year, only 2 teams in history have 116 wins.

[alfredonike12]

I am not gay at all but this man is the most beautiul thing playing baseball, my GF agrees with me

[KMCproductions0]

he ended it the same way........ single up the middle. makes me tear up to think hes not comming back. at least i saw him hit number 630 and his last game

[emceeAMile]

HOME TOWN HERO!!!

They really messed up on his bobblehead, though, it looks nothing like him

[Xmaggot93X]

That must have been hell for the pitcher trying to concentrate.. haha.

[TeganX7]

I lump Jr. into the category of all those guys who went off to fight in WWII (like Ted Williams) ... we can only guess how high the numbers would have been ... Jr. I think is on the short list of guys from this era (like maybe a Greg Maddux or Frank Thomas) who were great, and never had the cloud or PEDs on them. Its a great shame Jr's injuries never allowed him to realize those numbers (though they are more than enough to get to Cooperstown).

[peecht0480]

I think I can speak for a majority of baseball fans that I wish that  Ken Griffey, Jr would've broke the all time home run record and not Barry Bonds. If it weren't for all the injuries Griffey would have over 800 home runs.

[jeffnjessica]

Bonds McGwire Sosa A-Rod all took steroids so they could keep up with da kid!!!

[Kyle4Prez]

Sweet Swing Jr. Too bad Cedeno is hitting better than him.

[troyh2012]

juniors a beast. if he played more he would have a better batting average.

[thecouchpotato101]

Mariners are the best team to watch in the A.L. I think I mean the yankees are borig to watch but the Mariners r fun to watc in 09!!!@!@!!

[SeattleMarinersFan1]

i love the seattle mariners

as u can tell

I LOVE JR AND EVERYONE

[psych21490]

I live all the way out in Missouri in the southern most part, and I'm a die hard Seattle Mariners fan. I started watching it al at the age of 6 and remember seeing him play with the Mariners. It was that old lineup with him Buhner, Randy, Tino, Edgar and the others that made me love this ball club so much. While also being a Cardinals fan, I got a chance to go to a game where both played in St. Louis. I wore a Seattle jersey while my parents wore the usual Cardinals jersey. I love the Mariners..

[adamk4747]

I was born and raised In seattle, washington and I can honestly say I love this man. I was at the 1995 playoff game against the yankees when Edgar hit him in off the double all the way from first. That was was the greatest sports moment in my life Ive ever witnessed and Ill remember it for ever. The 1995 mariners season was the greatest thing Ive ever witnessed. JUNIOR, RANDY, EDGAR, BUHNER. TINO. WILSON. SO CLASSIC

[badtown88]

The greatest player of his generation. If he's ever tied to steroids, I might actually cry.

[WillBraden]

luckily, Jr. doesn't take so much as a multivitamin! when Bonds, McGwire and their ilk are remembered as asterisks, Griffey will be remembered as a modern day titan of the game. a class act, a true talent, and one of the players with the most integrity to ever play the game.

[dreamtheatersg18]

couldn't have said it better myself

[Graw227]

Truley the greatest baseball player of this steroid era. Too bad injuries cost him the 2nd half of his career =/

[popydude]

if jr. did not get injured he would have 800+ home runs right now

[Deekus64]

amen

[bpm1313]

second that

[easyusername13]

Jr. is awesome!!!

[maknstfe2]

sniffle sniffle

[s3ah4wkfan83]

the best day EVER!! i was there and i swear man i almost cried.. that walk off bunt/ error by yuni to score guti!!! that was great

[iamzeroedin]

Everyones favorite baseball player growing up!

[badtown88]

True. Everyone who grew up in the 90's loved this guy. How could you not

[DJM442]

a true "legacy" in the MLB is back, such a class act. i still have one of Jr's candy bars in my freezer!!!!!!

[staxjannyfan]

Sorry I meant to say Griffey

[staxjannyfan]

As a lifetime Mariner fan who remembers the classic Mariners', it is great to see Griffy back.

[yankeefan42]

Cool guy, class act....wish him in the best in his return to Seattle!

[jw4osu03]

God bless him. I'm a huge Reds fan and it feels really good to see him so welcomed and succeed in his first at bat.