The Laughing Giant

Ken Griffey Jr. is bigger then the game of baseball, he is the game’s all-time greats is without question. In his prime, Ken Griffey Jr. was considered the best player in baseball, on pace to rewrite the record books.

But saddly the days of Griffy baseball has come to an end. Griffey unexpectedly decided Wednesday night to retire at the age of 40 after 22 seasons.

He finishes his career after 13 All-Star appearances, 630 homers — fifth on the career list — and 1,836 RBIs — and he’s an almost certain first-ballot Hall of Famer.

All Time Home Run List: Barry Bonds 762 Hank Aaron 755 Babe Ruth 714 Willie Mays 660 Ken Griffey Jr. 630 Sammy Sosa 609

The real list looks more like this….

Player Homers

Hank Aaron 755 Babe Ruth 714 Willie Mays 660 Ken Griffey Jr. 630

“While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them prior to the 2009 season and was invited back that I will never allow myself to become a distraction,” Griffey said.

“I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my teammates and their success as a team is what the ultimate goal should be,” he said.

“To play with him is a treasure I will keep deep in my heart,” Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki said through an interpreter. “I have played 19 years in professional baseball and I can say he was one of my best teammates and my best friend.”

Ken Griffey Jr. I not only want to thank you for playing the game of baseball, but becoming a true role model for all your fans. A player like Griffy comes once in a life time.

Also thank you for N64 Ken Griffy Jr. Slugfest, the best baseball game ever made.