After all these years, Junior is still The Kid…and the man

He was The Kid with the backwards hat and the big smile, our hero with the smooth swing and the sweet glove.

He was The Kid with the backwards hat and the big smile, our hero with the smooth swing and the sweet glove.

He was Ken Griffey Jr., and he was every kids idol in Seattle. Now, only days removed from joining the 600 home run club-an exclusive list of only six players – it seems as good a time as any to reflect on what Griffey meant to Seattle, and to the scores of fans in the Northwest who grew to love the Mariners because of their centerfielder.

That includes this reporter.

I was only four years old when Griffey made the Mariners out of spring training in 1989. As his legend grew over the years, so did my reverence for The Kid.

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Griffey seemed to be everything that was right with sports to me. He played hard, he loved his fans, he smiled, and yes, he actually did appear to be having fun out there.

It looked too easy, some of the things he did. But we could believe it, because we believed in him.

That’s why every little-leaguer (including this one) tried to emulate that sweet swing, why we turned our hats backwards (because Junior did it, and it was cool), and why we ALL wanted to wear No.24.

Nothing could stop Griffey. He became the youngest player to hit 300 home runs. He became the youngest player to hit 350 home runs. He became the youngest player to hit 400 home runs. And yes, he became the youngest player to hit 450 home runs.

Then he flew, flew away, all the way home to Cincinnati.

And he killed the ball his first year, to the tune of 40 home runs and 118 RBIs.

Was I bitter he left? Not really, besides the fact my favorite player was now playing across the country and I wouldn’t be able to watch him play everyday.

Then Junior started to get hurt, and what he should have been started to be seen as what he could have been.

I started to lose track of Junior around that time, only really seeing an injury update every now and then.

I really didn’t see a whole game with Griffey in the lineup until he came back to Safeco Field with the Reds last season to a heroes welcome.

What I saw those three games brought me back to childhood – that swing, that athletic ability (albeit now in right field), and yes, even a little bit of that Junior swagger.

And oh yes, that smile. The 38-year-old kid was still having fun.