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 everybody off guard with the announcement. The decision seems to are on his mind for some time, and he would rather call it a day early than remain on the team for the sake of nostalgia. He had an accomplished career. As the fifth all time home run hitter, he is in rarefied air as a player.

Article Source: Ken Griffey Jr retires from Mariners, baseball

21 year career brought to a close as Ken Griffey Jr retires

Ken Griffey Jr's retirement ends a legendary career among sportsmen of the Pacific Northwest. It is about as easy to separate Ken Griffey Jr and also the Seattle Mariners as it is to separate Joe Namath and also the Jets. He made his professional debut in 1989, and he and his father are the only father and son to have played on the very same team. He proved worth the investment of instant cash, as he was a prolific player on both sides of the ball. The first ten years he was Seattle, he won the Golden Glove award from the American League 10 times over and hit nearly 400 home runs.

The Emerald City and also the Kid part ways

By the time he was traded, Griffey had been wanting to move closer to his family, which was always his greatest priority. The Cincinnati Reds traded for him, and ironically, it was the Reds who his father played for and won two World Series with. He was plagued by injuries, although he was incredibly productive when fit. Half way through the 2008 season, Griffey was traded to the White Sox. When he entered free agency, there was a public outcry for the Mariners to get him back on the roster.

Return of the prodigal son

Never skipping a beat, he hit 19 home runs over 2009 as a returning Mariner. The 2010 season though, was frustrating as he saw few at bats and had not hit a single home run by May. According to the Seattle Times, he was listed as eligible to play in a Tuesday night game against the Twins. An emergency press conference was called just before the game, where it was disclosed he had pulled the plug. He had promised he would "never allow myself to become a distraction." It seemed that he knew it was time, and called the game.

Citations

Seattle Times

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