Editing Ken Griffey Jr. (section)

===Seattle Mariners (second stint) (2009–2010)===
[[File:KenGriffeyJr2009ST.JPG|thumb|right|Griffey, batting against the Cubs after returning to the [[Seattle Mariners|Mariners]] during Spring training, March 2009.]]
As a free agent, Griffey was courted by the Mariners and the [[Atlanta Braves]]. The national media was dubious about Griffey's ability to contribute meaningfully, with ''The Washington Post'' noting "... the Mariners are not about to sign Griffey for baseball reasons; they're bringing him back to Seattle to sell tickets."<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Cameron |date=February 14, 2009 |title=Seattle's $5 Million Marketing Plan: Ken Griffey |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/baseball-insider/2009/02/seattles_5_million_marketing_p.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217010441/http://voices.washingtonpost.com/baseball-insider/2009/02/seattles_5_million_marketing_p.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 17, 2013 |access-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref> Griffey ultimately accepted a contract offer from the Mariners on February 18, 2009, after "agonizing" over the decision. Griffey indicated he was motivated by sentimental reasons toward Seattle, where he received an overwhelmingly positive reception when he last played there as a Cincinnati Red in June 2007, but was inclined towards the Braves for its proximity to his home in Orlando, Florida, and his desire to be with his family during the season.<ref>{{cite web |last=Crasnick |first=Jerry |date=February 19, 2009 |title=Griffey chooses Mariners |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3917214 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |website=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> Apparently, Griffey was very close to signing with the Braves; however, a premature report emerged from ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' that an Atlanta deal was done and a conversation with [[Willie Mays]] and his own 13-year-old daughter played a factor in his choice.<ref>{{cite web |author=Street |first=Jim |date=February 18, 2009 |title=Griffey headed back to Mariners |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090218&content_id=3846072&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221073948/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090218&content_id=3846072&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=February 21, 2009 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |work=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> Griffey once again sported #24 with the Mariners; the team had not issued the number to any player or coach in the nine years between his two stints in Seattle.

[[Image:Ken Griffey, Jr. final at-bat in 2009.jpg|thumb|left|Ken Griffey Jr. during his final [[plate appearance]] of the 2009 season.]]

Griffey went 1-for-3 with a home run in his regular-season debut on April against the [[Minnesota Twins]].<ref name=":8">{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Jim |date=April 7, 2009 |title=Griffey ties mark for Opening Day homers |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090406&content_id=4143590&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090410131719/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090406&content_id=4143590&vkey=news_sea&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=April 10, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> The home run was Griffey's eighth [[Opening Day]] home run;<ref name=":8" /> as of 2025, he is tied with [[Frank Robinson]] and Adam Dunn for first place in this category. On April 15, 2009, Griffey hit his 400th home run as a Mariner (613th of career), off [[Los Angeles Angels]] pitcher [[Jered Weaver]], becoming the first MLB player to hit 400 home runs with one club (Mariners) and 200 home runs with another (Reds).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Jim |date=April 16, 2009 |title=Milestones mark Mariners' big win |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090415&content_id=4286170&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419140616/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090415&content_id=4286170&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=April 19, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> AP stated, "Griffey returned to the Mariners in 2009 and almost single-handedly transformed what had been a fractured, bickering clubhouse with his leadership, energy and constant pranks."<ref name=":7">{{cite news |last=Booth |first=Tim |date=June 3, 2010 |title=Ken Griffey Jr. retiring at age 40 |work=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txmarinersgriffeyretir |url-status=dead |access-date=January 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016105715/https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=txmarinersgriffeyretir |archive-date=October 16, 2015}}</ref>

On June 23, 2009, at [[Safeco Field]], Griffey hit the 5,000th home run in franchise history, off [[2009 San Diego Padres season|San Diego Padres]] pitcher [[Chad Gaudin]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Johns |first=Greg |date=June 23, 2009 |title=Griffey adds piece of history: M's 5,000th home run |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |url=http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/archives/172083.asp |url-status=dead |access-date=October 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207203753/http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports/archives/172083.asp |archive-date=February 7, 2011}}</ref> This was Griffey's 619th career home run. On July 1, Griffey hit career home run 621 at the new [[Yankee Stadium]], off [[Yankees]] pitcher [[Andy Pettitte]] in the sixth inning.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Jim |date=July 1, 2009 |title=Mariners finished by Yanks' third homer |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090701&content_id=5650388&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705133759/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090701&content_id=5650388&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=July 5, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> It marked the 44th different ballpark in which he had hit a home run.<ref name=":9" /> On August 12, 2009, against his former team, the Chicago White Sox, he hit a run-scoring single in the bottom of the 14th inning to win the game, 1–0, for the Mariners.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Jim |date=August 13, 2009 |title=Griffey gives Mariners win in 14 innings |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6396274&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818001959/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090812&content_id=6396274&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sea |archive-date=August 18, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[Seattle Mariners]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref>

Griffey returned to the Mariners for the 2010 campaign with a similar one-year contract to that of 2009,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Street |first=Jim |date=November 11, 2009 |title=Griffey returning for another season |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091111&content_id=7652126&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091114075240/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091111&content_id=7652126&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |archive-date=November 14, 2009 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> but struggled offensively over the first two months while posting a .184 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]].<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Ken Griffey Statistics and History |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffke02.shtml |access-date=May 14, 2012 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> On April 27, Griffey passed [[Andre Dawson]] for 45th on the career hit list. On May 20, in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Griffey hit a run-scoring single off Blue Jays' closer [[Kevin Gregg]] to win the game, 4–3, for the Mariners.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=May 20, 2010 |title=Mariners end five-game skid with late rally by Blue Jays |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300520112 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221107150051/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/300520112 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 7, 2022 |access-date=November 7, 2022 |website=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |language=en}}</ref> After starting the ninth inning trailing 3–1, the Mariners rallied in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases on two singles and a [[Base on balls|walk]], then tied the game via a walk and a [[sacrifice fly]].<ref name=":10" /> The walk-off single was the final hit and run batted in of Griffey's MLB career, and moved him past [[Rafael Palmeiro]] to 14th on the all-time RBI list.