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'The Kid' Returns: Ken Griffey Jr. Signs With Seattle Mariners

MLB.com news article:

Quote:

02/19/09 12:44 AM EST

Griffey selects Seattle as best match
Future Hall of Famer returning to where storied career began
By Jim Street / MLB.com

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Ken Griffey Jr. is coming home.
The future Hall of Fame outfielder, who began his Major League career with the Mariners 20 years ago this year, has decided to return to Seattle.

"I can't begin to tell you how ecstatic all of us are," said general manager Jack Zduriencik after announcing the deal in the press room at the Peoria Sports Complex at about 6:30 p.m. MT. "He is as well. I spoke to Brian [Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg] a few minutes ago, and he said that Ken is relieved and he is excited about coming back to Seattle."

Griffey accepted the Mariners' one-year contract offer, which includes a $2 million base salary and up to $2.5 million in incentives -- based on at-bats and attendance. His return to Safeco Field is expected to lure at least 200,000 additional fans this season.

Exactly when Griffey will report to Spring Training was not immediately determined.

But the mere fact Griffey decided to return to his MLB roots has the organization on cloud nine.

"I can get rather emotional about things, and I definitely got emotional this morning when I got off the plane [in Seattle] and got a phone call from Brian," Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said. "He asked if I was on the ground and outside the plane. I told him I was, and he said, 'Ken wants to talk to you.'

"Ken got on the phone and kind of played with me a little bit before telling me he was coming back. I am not ashamed to tell you I teared up."

The 39-year-old Griffey is expected to bring No. 24 out of storage when he arrives and goes to work providing run production and leadership in the clubhouse.

Quote:

Griffey met with Zduriencik and manager Don Wakamatsu for about two hours on Sunday during a stopover on his return flight to Orlando, Fla., and he underwent a complete physical at the Peoria Sports Complex. Griffey passed.

Meanwhile, across the country, the Braves also decided Griffey would be a good fit in their lineup and used Chipper Jones as the primary lure.

In fact, for the past several days, it appeared that Griffey would sign with the Braves. Negotiations were moving at a steady pace until Tuesday afternoon, when the veteran outfielder learned of a report in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution that indicated he'd already decided to play in Atlanta.

But Griffey told MLB.com in a telephone interview later that morning that he had not made his decision and was "still kicking things around with my family."

Between the newspaper story and a phone call Wednesday morning from Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Mays, Griffey decided mid-afternoon on Wednesday that his career was making an about-face, going back to where it began.

Quote:

Griffey began his storied career in Seattle 20 years ago as a 19-year-old kid with a fabulous personality and smile to match.

He hit home runs -- 398 of them -- and made spectacular catches. He was selected to 10 consecutive All-Star teams, won 10 Gold Gloves and one Most Valuable Player Award (1997).

...this is a joke, right? :eek:

Seems like a lifetime ago... it's almost like Linden coming back to the Canucks. :p

No joke. The Mariners didn't have a lot of money to spend this offseason, but the current economic conditions have lowered the asking price for many free agents. They were looking for a big bat in LF/DH to replace Raul Ibanez (signed with Philadelphia Phillies). Of free agents in their price range, the Mariners missed out on Bobby Abreu (signed with LA Angels) and Adam Dunn (signed with Washington Nationals). Picking between Garrett Anderson and Griffey, they chose the Seattle hero.

i had no idea he was still an active player, figure he retired ages ago.
and yes, i don't follow or care about baseball

I am going to go watch some Mariners game at safeco field this season

611 career hr, hope this guys legit

Quote:

Originally Posted by urrh (Post 6288819)

i had no idea he was still an active player, figure he retired ages ago.
and yes, i don't follow or care about baseball

I'd like to echo the above comment.

might as well, make this thread official MLB 2009 thread lol

I remember playing this game for years:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-mlb-cover.jpg

Good memories.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sexyaccord (Post 6288831)

611 career hr, hope this guys legit

It's likely. A lot of players were named in the Mitchell Report last year (like Andy Petitte and Roger Clemens), and A-Rod was the only big name to emerge from the Sports Illustrated reveal on the 2003 secret testing. Through both these reports there's nobody pointing fingers at Griffey.

they still suck

thanks to bavasi all the talent's been emptied

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Notorious MSG (Post 6288857)

I remember playing this game for years:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-mlb-cover.jpg

Good memories.

i remember this game being at zellers.. more specifically the old location at champlain mall for the longest time .. no fucken idea why i rememebr that lol

didnet he play professional golf or something for awhile?

About time he came home. It didn't feel right when he left.

good news, now get jay buhner, and randy johnson back too, bring it back to the old school :lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by hotjoint (Post 6289354)

good news, now get jay buhner, and randy johnson back too, bring it back to the old school :lol

Hahaha, bring back Joey Cora and Edgar Martinez as well.. but in all seriousness.. good signing and I hope he stays healthy and perhaps end his career where it all started.

If it weren't for injuries this guy would (probably) be the home run king right now.

Griffey is my child-hood hero. Now I gotta run downstairs and tell my dad.

Imaged Griffey and A-rod back together again. That would be the tits.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eastwood (Post 6289546)

Griffey is my child-hood hero. Now I gotta run downstairs and tell my dad.

Imaged Griffey and A-rod back together again. That would be the tits.

damn i forgot that a rod was on the mariners too, they had a really good team back then when lou pinella was coaching them

Say no to A-roid. I liked that guy too but now, it seems like his career is going downhill...

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Notorious MSG (Post 6288857)

I remember playing this game for years:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...-mlb-cover.jpg

Good memories.

This was an awesome game. Spent many hours when I was a kid playing. Got a SNES a couple of years ago on ebay and bought this game to relive the memories.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 411ken (Post 6289580)

Say no to A-roid. I liked that guy too but now, it seems like his career is going downhill...

Here's a little trivia about that prodigy some of you guy's refer to "A-roid."

In his first game in MLB (Seattle Mariners), he hit three home-runs. That's might impressive for a 19 year old.

i remember ken griffey jr being the shit back in the day then all of sudden, he just disappeared out of the spotlight. good to see that he might return back to his roots in seattle.