Editing Ken Griffey Jr. (section)

===Seattle Mariners (1989–1999)===
[[File:Mural_of_Ken_Griffey_Jr.,_1994.jpg|thumb|right|upright|A mural of Griffey in downtown Seattle from the strike-shortened 1994 season. The tick-marks represent his home runs up to the time of the strike, when Griffey Jr. was chasing the single-season home run record set by Roger Maris in 1961.]]
In his first 11 seasons with Seattle (1989–1999), Griffey established himself as one of the most prolific and exciting players of the era, racking up 1,752 hits, 398 home runs, 1,152 RBI, and 167 stolen bases. He led the American League in home runs for four seasons (1994, 1997, 1998, and 1999), was voted the A.L. MVP in 1997, and batted .297.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Steiner |first1=Marc |title=April 3, 1989: Ken Griffey Jr. makes major-league debut for Mariners |url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/april-3-1989-ken-griffey-jr-makes-major-league-debut-mariners/ |access-date=January 3, 2022 |website=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]}}</ref>

Griffey's defense in center field was widely considered the standard of elite fielding during the decade, exemplified by his streak of 10 consecutive [[Rawlings Gold Glove Award|Gold Gloves]] from 1990 to 1999. His impressive range allowed frequent spectacular diving plays, and he often dazzled fans with over-the-shoulder basket catches and robbed opposing hitters of home runs by leaping up and pulling them back into the field of play. He was a frequent participant in the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star Game]] with the Mariners and led the American League multiple times in different hitting categories.<ref name=":1" /> He was featured on the [[Wheaties]] cereal box and had his own signature sneaker line from [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]].

[[File:Kicks.jpg|thumb|left|200px|One of Griffey's signature sneakers, the Nike Air Griffey Max.]]
On April 3, 1989, in his first MLB plate appearance, Griffey hit a line-drive double off [[Oakland Athletics]] pitcher [[Dave Stewart (baseball)|Dave Stewart]] at the [[Oakland Coliseum]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 3, 1989 |title=Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics Box Score, April 3, 1989 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/OAK/OAK198904030.shtml |access-date= |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> One week later in his first at-bat at the [[Kingdome]], Griffey hit his first major league home run.<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 10, 1989 |title=Chicago White Sox at Seattle Mariners Box Score, April 10, 1989 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA198904100.shtml |access-date= |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Entering the majors, Griffey was a highly touted prospect. In 1989, he was the #1 card in [[Upper Deck Company|Upper Deck]]'s [[Upper Deck Company#1989 set and Ken Griffey Jr.|first set of baseball cards]], with his card becoming one of the most popular cards of its era.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rovell |first=Darren |date=2016-01-06 |title=How Griffey's rookie card became No. 1 |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/14515983/how-ken-griffey-jr-rookie-card-became-no-1-upper-deck |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Mint Condition p.167">{{Cite book |last=Jamieson |first=Dave |title=Mint Condition: How Baseball Cards Became an American Obsession |publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press, imprint of Grove/Atlantic Inc. |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-8021-1939-1 |page=167}}</ref> He also licensed a chocolate bar in 1989 in Seattle that sold more than 1 million bars in its first year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Landers |first=Chris |date=2017-04-24 |title=And now, a look back at the historic deliciousness of Ken Griffey Jr.'s chocolate bar |url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/remembering-ken-griffey-jr-s-chocolate-bar-c225576334 |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=MLB.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Ryan |date=2012-01-04 |title=Why I’ve saved a Ken Griffey Jr. chocolate bar for almost 20 years |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/big-league-stew/why-ve-saved-ken-griffey-jr-chocolate-bar-161413852.html |access-date=2025-04-17 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1990 and 1991, Griffey and his father became the first son and father to play on the same team at the same time. In his father's first game as a Mariner, on August 31, 1990, the pair hit back-to-back singles in the first inning and both scored.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 31, 1990 |title=August 31, 1990 Kansas City Royals at Seattle Mariners Play by Play and Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SEA/SEA199008310.shtml |access-date=February 16, 2011 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> On September 14, the pair hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the first off [[California Angels]] pitcher [[Kirk McCaskill]], becoming the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs.<ref>{{cite web |date=September 14, 1990 |title=September 14, 1990 Seattle Mariners at California Angels Play by Play and Box Score |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CAL/CAL199009140.shtml |access-date=February 16, 2011 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> On September 21, Ken Griffey Jr. stole a fly ball hit by [[Sammy Sosa]] from his father, who was playing left field, for the third out of the inning. Then-20 year old Griffey Jr. was subsequently grounded by his father in the dugout after the play for going inside the former's previously established "three square feet territory" in left field for fly balls and had his car keys confiscated.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Herring|first=Davonta|url=https://globalgrind.com/5619094/the-griffeys-grounding/|title=Black Parents Don't Play: The Hilarious Time Ken Griffey Sr. Grounded An Adult Ken Griffey Jr.|website=globalgrind.com|date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> The duo played a total of 51 games together before Griffey Sr. retired in June 1991.

At the [[Home Run Derby|MLB Home Run Derby]] in 1993, held at [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards|Oriole Park]] in [[Baltimore]], Griffey hit the [[Baltimore & Ohio Warehouse at Camden Yards|warehouse beyond the right-field wall]] on the fly and he is still the only player ever to do so.<ref>{{cite av media | title=1993 HRD: Griffey crushes home run off warehouse | date=November 19, 2014 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iwebCJ_pJ8 | via=YouTube }}</ref> As with every home run that hits [[Oriole Park at Camden Yards#Eutaw Street|Eutaw Street]], each feat is honored with a circular plaque, embedded in the concourse's walkway, in the exact spot where the ball landed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=July 13, 1993 |title=Now Fielder Is Where He Knows He Belongs |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/13/sports/baseball-all-star-notebook-now-fielder-is-where-he-knows-he-belongs.html |access-date= |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Official Site of the Baltimore Orioles |url=http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/ballpark/guide.jsp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909084448/http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/bal/ballpark/guide.jsp |archive-date=September 9, 2015 |access-date=February 16, 2011 |work=[[Baltimore Orioles]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> In 1994, he led the league in All-Star voting . That season, which ended prematurely in August due to [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|the players' strike]], Griffey hit 30 home runs in the Mariners' first 65 games. He had four multi-home run games that year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ken Griffey Jr. 1994 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=griffke02&t=b&year=1994 |access-date=November 5, 2022 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Although his pace cooled somewhat in the final eight weeks of the season (he only hit 10 home runs in the Mariners' last 47 games), his 40 home runs by August 12 led the American League, two ahead of Chicago's [[Frank Thomas]] and four ahead of Cleveland's [[Albert Belle]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1994 American League Batting Leaders |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1994-batting-leaders.shtml |access-date=November 5, 2022 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

One of the most memorable moments of Griffey's career with the Mariners came during the [[1995 American League Division Series]] (ALDS) against the [[New York Yankees]]. After losing the first two games, the Mariners and Griffey were on the verge of elimination, but came back to win the next two games, setting up a decisive fifth game. In the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 5, with Griffey on first base, teammate [[Edgar Martínez]] hit a [[The Double (Seattle Mariners)|double]]. Griffey raced around the bases, slid into home with the winning run, and popped up into the waiting arms of the entire team.<ref>{{cite av media | title=1995 ALDS Gm5: Ken Griffey Jr. scores the game-winning run to sends Mariners to ALCS | date=November 17, 2014 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8SBJzOEcyU | via=YouTube }}</ref> The 1995 ALDS kicked off a brief rivalry between the Yankees and Mariners. Griffey may have escalated it by saying that he would never play for the Yankees, because the Yankees allegedly treated his father, Ken Griffey Sr. badly. Also, when Griffey was a kid visiting his dad in the Yankee clubhouse, Yankee manager [[Billy Martin]] would, believing that children did not belong in the clubhouse, kick him out.<ref name=":12" /> Although the Mariners subsequently lost the [[American League Championship Series|ALCS]] to the [[Cleveland Indians]], The Double and Griffey's run remains one of the most memorable events in Mariners history, capping a season that "saved baseball in Seattle",<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 25, 2004 |title=Martinez is beloved by Seattle fans; what about Hall voters? |url=https://www.espn.com/espn/print?id=1888518&type=story |access-date= |website=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Markusen |first=Bruce |date=May 24, 2008 |title=Legendary broadcaster reflects on 40 years of baseball |url=http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080524&content_id=7420&vkey=hof_news |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019084135/http://web.baseballhalloffame.org/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080524&content_id=7420&vkey=hof_news |archive-date=October 19, 2008 |access-date=October 19, 2008 |website=[[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum]]}}</ref> Seattle's improbable late-season playoff run that year, spurred by Griffey's return from injury, led to the construction of [[Safeco Field]] and the future security of a franchise rumored for years to be on the move.<ref name=":7" /> The play also inspired the title of the video game ''[[Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run]]'' for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Nintendo]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://ia804600.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/32/items/retrokit-manuals/snes/snes-original.zip&file=Ken%20Griffey%20Jr.%27s%20Winning%20Run%20%28en%29.pdf |title=Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run ''instruction booklet'' |publisher=[[Nintendo of America]] |year=1996 |pages=2 |via=Archive.org}}</ref>

[[File:Ken Griffey Jr. 1997.jpg|thumb|Griffey bats for the Mariners, 1997]]
In 1997, Griffey led the Mariners to the AL West title and captured the [[American League]] [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player Award]], hitting .304 with 56 home runs and 147 RBI during 157 games.<ref name=":0" /> On April 15, 1997, Griffey wore the number 42, which led to an MLB tradition started in 1999 known as [[Jackie Robinson Day]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Johns |first=Greg |date=April 16, 2015 |title=Mariners at forefront of establishing Jackie Robinson Day |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/seattle-mariners-ken-griffey-jr-was-first-to-wear-no-42-to-honor-jackie-robinson/c-118562336 |access-date=November 19, 2021 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> The next season, 1998, was a season which was followed closely by the national media as both Griffey and [[Mark McGwire]] entered the summer ahead of the pace of [[Roger Maris]]' home run record of 61. Despite Griffey falling short, Major League Baseball put forth an effort to draw a new set of young fans and regain those disenchanted by the [[1994–95 Major League Baseball strike|1994 strike]] focused on McGwire, Chicago Cubs slugger [[Sammy Sosa]], and Griffey's [[1998 home run chase|pursuit of Maris' record]]. Griffey, however, fell out of the spotlight due to some nagging injuries and was surpassed by McGwire and Sosa, who both broke the record set by Maris. Despite falling out of the record chase, Griffey nearly duplicated his 1997 statistics, finishing with a .284 average, 56 home runs and 146 RBI in 161 games.<ref name=":0" />

In 1999, he ranked 93rd on ''[[Sporting News|The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.<ref>{{Cite web |title=100 Greatest Baseball Players by The Sporting News : A Legendary List by Baseball Almanac |url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml |access-date=January 28, 2011 |website=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref> This list was compiled during the 1998 season, counting only statistics through 1997. At age 29 (going on 30), he was the youngest player on the list. That year, Griffey was elected to the [[Major League Baseball All-Century Team|MLB All-Century Team]]. However, when ''TSN'' updated their list for a new book in 2005, despite having surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Number 93.

While with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American League Gold Glove winner, the 1992 [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award|All-Star Game MVP]], 1997 AL MVP, 1998 [[ESPY Awards|ESPY]] co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, 1999 [[Players Choice Award#Award for Player of the Decade|''Players Choice Awards'' Player of the Decade]] (by the players), and was named to the All-Century team in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The All-Century Team |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/mlb_history_moreinfo.jsp |access-date=January 28, 2010 |website=[[MLB.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Departure from Seattle (1999–2000)====
Griffey formerly lived in the same neighborhood in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]] as golfer [[Payne Stewart]]. After Stewart's [[1999 South Dakota Learjet crash|death in a plane crash]] on October 25, 1999, Griffey started expressing a desire to live closer to his relatives in his hometown of Cincinnati. Not only did Griffey want to live closer, but he wanted to be able to raise his kids, Trey and Taryn (Tevin was not born at the time). On February 10, 2000, Griffey was traded to the Reds for pitcher [[Brett Tomko]], outfielder [[Mike Cameron]], and minor leaguers [[Antonio Pérez (baseball)|Antonio Perez]] and Jake Meyer. Griffey signed a nine-year, $112.5 million contract with the Reds following the trade, with a club option for a 10th.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 12, 2000 |title=Griffey Dealt to Reds in Five Player Deal |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[CNN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/02/10/griffey_trade_ap/ |url-status=dead |access-date=March 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010514135212/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/news/2000/02/10/griffey_trade_ap/ |archive-date=May 14, 2001}}</ref> Earlier that offseason, Griffey vetoed a trade to the [[New York Mets]] for [[Roger Cedeño]], [[Octavio Dotel]], and a relief pitcher variously reported as [[Dennis Cook]] or [[Armando Benítez]].<ref name="metstrade">{{cite news |date=December 14, 1999 |title=Griffey rejects Mariners' trade with Mets |work=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/1999/1213/231893.html |access-date=April 13, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Clair |first1=Michael |date=April 6, 2020 |title=What if Griffey had accepted that trade to the Mets? |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/ken-griffey-jr-traded-to-mets-possibilities |access-date=April 13, 2020 |work=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]]}}</ref> Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, said afterward that Griffey would only accept a trade to the Reds, and "[i]f he can't go to Cincinnati, then he's going back to Seattle for the final year of his contract."<ref name="metstrade" />