Griffey inducted into Mariners Hall of Fame

SEATTLE — In front of a sold-out crowd at Safeco Field, Ken Griffey Jr. was inducted into the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame Saturday evening.

The induction took place before the Mariners game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Griffey, nicknamed “Junior” and “The Kid”, walked out from center field, where the number 24 was painted on the grass in his honor, to a deafening ovation.

On the infield were his former teammates, whom he individually thanked.

“I just wanted to play baseball and that was the only thing that really mattered. It was me going out there and playing, and trying to win ball games for this team,” Griffey said.

During the ceremony, current Mariners players wore their caps backwards in tribute.

Griffey was a center fielder with the Mariners from 1989 to 1999 and returned for the 2009 season. His final season with the club was in 2010.

He became the seventh member to be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame and joins Alvin Davis, Dan Wilson, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson and Dave Niehaus.

KIRO