Fan Fanatic Sports Staff
Remember Ken Griffey Jr. when he was that young stud with the sweet swing and the guy that seemingly made every amazing catch in center field?
Yes, that was about 15-20 years ago when Griffey was first beginning to make a name for himself in the Majors.
Well, while Griffey's skills have diminished over the years -- as they should -- he's still hanging around after agreeing to a one-year deal with the Seattle Mariners.
Good for Griffey.
The game used to be about him, putting on a show for the fans with his head-scratching skills, but now Griffey is a reserve player that's more like a coach.
His leadership and passion to help the younger players is why the Mariners had no issues with bringing him back at a bargain basement price of a base salary of $2 million.
Griffey, who has 630 career home runs, 1,829 RBIs and a .285 average, has been a joy to watch over the years.
I don't remember the 2009 version of Griffey as a .214 hitter with 19 home runs, I remember the Seattle days of back-to-back 56 HR seasons (in 1997-98) and seven 40-plus HR seasons in the first 12 years.
Those were the days for Griffey, and then injuries broke him down after his first season with the Reds (he never should have left Seattle, either).
The production has tapered way off, but Griffey's still got that sweet left-handed swing that every father wants their kid to have.
If you're in the 30-plus age group, I'm willing to bet a Griffey poster hung somewhere on your wall, or you wanted to be just like him growing up on the baseball diamond.
Griffey's no doubt a first-ballot Hall of Famer. And if you want to show your kid what a left-handed swing should look like, just watch a Seattle Mariners game this season.
One more year and it may be retirement time for Griffey.
Either way, it's been a great career for Ken Griffey, Jr.
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