Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

An era comes to a close, as Ken Griffey Jr has announced his retirement on June 2, 2010, right before a game against the Twins. Griffey caught just about everyone off guard with the announcement. It seems he had been wrestling with the decision after beginning off a disappointing 2010 season, and it appears he is heading off to the sunset rather than become a token of nostalgia. He retires a living legend. As the fifth all time home run hitter, he is in rarefied air as a player.

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A career for the history books is closed as Ken Griffey Jr retires

There aren't numerous sportsmen who are held in the esteem Ken Griffey Jr is. It is about as easy to separate Ken Griffey Jr and also the Seattle Mariners as it is to separate Joe Namath and the Jets. He made his debut in 1989 for the Seattle Mariners, and he and Ken Griffey Sr are the only father-son combination to play Major League Baseball on the exact same team to date. He proved worth the investment of easy cash loans, as he was a prolific player on both sides of the ball. He won the Golden Glove from the American League 10 times and hit nearly 400 home runs in his original stint with Seattle.</p>

The Kid leaves the Emerald City

By the time he was traded, Griffey had been wanting to move closer to his family, which was always his greatest priority. He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds, the team his father played on and won two World Series with. He was plagued by injuries, even though he was incredibly productive when fit. The White Sox acquired Griffey mid way through the 2008 season. After the end of that season, he entered free agency, and wild speculation started that he may return to the Mariners.

Return of the prodigal son

Never skipping a beat, he hit 19 home runs over 2009 as a returning Mariner. By May of 2010, he had seen little time at the plate and no home runs. He was listed on the reserve for the game against the Twins, according to the Seattle Times. Just before the game started, a quick press conference was called and the announcement was made. He had said that his retirement would be swift and that he would “never allow myself to become a distraction.” Griffey knew it was time to call the game.

Citations

Seattle Times
seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2012015906_griffey03.html