The Kid and how he changed my life

You know today at 3 PM Ken Griffey, Jr., will become the first unanimous Hall of Famer in Major League Baseball history. But you know, Jr didn't just dazzle fans with his amazing talent, his ability to catch damn near every baseball hit his way, or his beautiful swing that swatted 630 home runs, but he made me the Mariners fan and a lover of sports and a sports writer/podcaster all in one day.

Back in 1994 my family and I were just moving back to Washington after living in California for about 2 years, so my grandma decided to bring me into the living room one day and made me watch the Seattle Mariners game that was being broadcast. It changed my life. For that day I saw The Kid smack two of his 630 home runs and after watching him make a couple of dazzling plays in center field I knew then that I wanted to be like Jr.

Now back in the early 90s you would probably hear kids say that they wanted to "be like Michael Jordan", hell no! For me I "wanted to be like Ken Griffey, Jr.!". It would be a whole year till I got to see my first professional baseball game live inside, to what at the time I considered my 2nd home, the Kingdome. That night I witnessed Jr hit a towering 420 ft home run that helped the Mariners win.

During 1995 I got to enjoy not just one but several other magical games, including Game's 4 and 5 of the American League Division Series. I have my dad to thank for that, I mean come on what dad would pull his 5 year old out of kindergarten to play hooky and go watch the Mariners kick ass? THE BEST DAD THAT'S WHAT!!!

1995 came to a heart-breaking end when the Mariners lost in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to the Cleveland Indians (I hate them forever). Imagine a 5 year old being held by his grandmother and crying more than Joey Cora did! That though wasn't the end of my heart break, the Mariners have been breaking my heart for years in the postseason, but that's not my point. My point I'm making here and also talking about is how Ken Griffey, Jr., became my idol, hero, and the reason for me being the struggling sports writer/podcaster right now and a die hard Mariners fan and sports lover.

I will say this, I may have been a Mariners fan but every time Jr stepped up to the plate I always got more and more excited. During 1997 I think I witnessed at least 20 of his historic and Mariners franchise record 56 home runs and that season was his only (really should have been his 3rd or 4th) MVP.

Then came 1999, the end of the Kingdome. Like most historic games in the Kingdome from 1995-99 I was there for the curtain call, the final game! Where Jr did not fail in giving me and 50,000+ one more final Jr Kingdome home run. And boy did that home run feel good to watch in person! Then came Safeco Field. By far the most beautiful ballpark in baseball where Jr's power seem to fade but I still got to see his first ever Safeco Field home run and 3 others I didn't think life was any better. Then came that faithful day in 2000 where I wake up and find out that Jr, my idol, has been traded to the Cincinnati Reds. As a 10 year old I started balling my little eyes out and I was this close from never cheering for the Mariners again and giving up on baseball as well.

Thankfully my dad and my mom suggested that I write a letter to Jr, what can I say? I was one desperate 10 year old trying to keep my favorite player in Seattle by simply writing a letter. 3 weeks after sending the letter off I got a response from Jr, not really but again I was 10, stupid and very easy to fool, but again getting a letter with the thought of Jr writing to me telling me not to give up on Mariners baseball and to keep supporting the team through anything made me not give up on baseball, Jr, and the Mariners. They say Griffey saved Mariners baseball for Seattle well he saved Mariners baseball for me.

So, guess what every time I saw the Reds on TV I was watching every time Jr stepped to the plate, and believe me I only watched it when Jr was at the plate and that's it. So you can imagine my surprise come 2001 when my dad tells me that me and my family are going to Atlanta to watch the Braves play, you guessed it the Reds! I got to enjoy a new ballpark and the joy of Braves baseball while watching my favorite player of all time in a different uniform.

And come on lets face it most Mariners fans somewhat like the Braves due to Braves baseball on TBS in the 90s right? RIGHT! And then came the year that Jr made his return to Seattle and who was there for those 3 games? ME! And in the final game Jr decided to really give the fans something to cheer for by hitting 2 home runs and his 2nd pushed him past Mark McGwire!

Year after year went by and I watch Jr hit his 400th, 500th, and 600th home run wearing a different uniform, till 2009 came and the news came in that Jr was coming back to Seattle! That season I attended at least 20 games, and Jr homered in 10 of those. Its funny, but in perhaps the 70 games that I have gone to where Ken Griffey, Jr., played he's hit a home run in at least 60 of those games! I will also say that I have the privilege of seeing Jr's final hit, at bat, and swing in both a Mariners uniform and for the final time in his 22 major league career.

22 years of greatest and I witnessed 18 of those great years. Come this August I will be going to Cooperstown, New York for what I am calling the final Ken Griffey, Jr., curtain call for me and watch him be inducted to the baseball Hall of Fame and come today he will be the first player in history to have 100% of the votes. Now think about this, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron never received 90% of the votes.....Jr is doing something no player in history has done! Funny even when Jr's sitting at home he's still setting records and amazing us all.

I want to take this time to thank the Seattle Mariners, who drafted the greatest baseball player of all time. Its thanks to this organization that brought so much joy to my life and to thousands of fans as well, and the Mariners and Jr not only made me a fan of baseball but made me the sports fan that I am today. I would also like to thank Jr for making millions of kids into fans of baseball and also bringing the joy of America's past time into their lives as well as mine.

Finally I want to thank Ken Griffey Jr., who made this post responsible, the man who dazzled us with Spider-Man like catches, mammoth home runs, and who brought a smile to our faces just by smiling himself. I want to thank Ken Griffey, Jr., for making me the man and sports writer/podcaster I am today. If it wasn't for you this never would have happened and I want to say thank you. Thank you Jr, I hope one day I can sit down and have a conversation with you and talk about your illustrious career.

Thank you Ken Griffey, Jr.