Ken Griffey, Jr. Statue

This statue commemorates Seattle Mariners Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. (1969-) Nicknamed “Junior” or “The Kid,” he spent thirteen of his twenty-two big league seasons with the organization. In his first stint with the Mariners from 1989 to 1999, Griffey established himself as a rangy center fielder and a feared power hitter, winning ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards. In six of those eleven seasons, he hit forty or more home runs. One of those was 1997, when he belted fifty-six homers and collected 147 RBIs on his way to capturing the American League Most Valuable Player Award. The thirteen-time All-Star retired during the 2010 season, finishing his career with 2,781 hits, 1,836 RBIs, 630 home runs, and a .284 batting average. In 2016, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. On April 13, 2017, the Mariners unveiled a statue of Griffey during a small ceremony in front of the main entrance to Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park). Designed by Chicago-based artist Lou Cella, who also completed the statue of longtime Mariners play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus inside T-Mobile Park, the larger-than-life-sized bronze sculpture depicts the slugger in action at the plate. Dressed in a 1997 Mariners uniform, he follows through on his swing as he looks up, watching the ball that he just launched sail through the air for a home run.

George Kenneth Griffey, Jr. was born on November 21, 1969 in Donora, Pennsylvania, about thirty miles south of Pittsburgh. The son of major league All-Star Ken Griffey, Sr., he grew up in Cincinnati watching his father play in the outfield for the Reds. The younger Griffey attended the city’s Archbishop Moeller High School before the Seattle Mariners selected him with the first overall pick in the 1987 MLB Draft. After joining the organization, he spent two years in the minor leagues, during which time the highly-touted prospect experienced some growing pains adjusting to the game at the professional level. 

Griffey made his major league debut on Opening Day of the 1989 season. Since Ken Griffey, Sr. was still playing for the Reds at the time, he and his father became the first father-son duo to play in the big leagues at the same time. Later that season, his father requested a trade to Seattle, where he played alongside his son through the 1991 season. The younger Griffey ultimately spent the first eleven of his twenty-two big league seasons with the organization. In that time, he established himself as a rangy center fielder and a feared power hitter, winning ten consecutive Gold Glove Awards and seven Silver Slugger Awards. In six of those eleven seasons, Griffey hit forty or more home runs. One of those was 1997, when he belted fifty-six homers and collected 147 RBIs on his way to capturing the American League Most Valuable Player Award. 

Following the 1999 season, the Mariners traded Griffey to the Reds. With Cincinnati, he recorded his 500th career home run in 2004 and his 600th four years later. After nine years with the Reds, Griffey joined the Chicago White Sox for the 2008 season before returning to Seattle in 2009. During the 2010 season, after years of injuries that hampered his performance and limited his playing time, the thirteen-time All-Star abruptly retired. Griffey finished his major league career with 2,781 hits, 1,836 RBIs, 630 home runs, and a .284 batting average. In 2016, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America elected him to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Upon his official induction that summer in Cooperstown, New York, he became the first Mariners player to enter the Hall of Fame in franchise history. 

On April 13, 2017, the Mariners unveiled a statue of Griffey during a small ceremony in front of the main entrance to Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) at the corner of Edgar Martinez Drive and Dave Niehaus Way. Designed by Chicago-based artist Lou Cella, who also completed the statue of longtime Mariners play-by-play announcer Dave Niehaus inside T-Mobile Park, the larger-than-life-sized bronze sculpture depicts the slugger in action at the plate. Dressed in a 1997 Mariners uniform, he follows through on his swing as he looks up, watching the ball that he just launched sail through the air for a home run. Present at the ceremony, in addition to Griffey, his family, and members of the Mariners front office, were former teammates Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, and Dan Wilson. 

Jenks, Jayson. "Mariners unveil statue of Ken Griffey Jr. at Safeco Field." The Seattle Times, April 13, 2017 <https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-unveil-statue-of-ken-griffey-jr-at-safeco-field/>.

Johns, Greg. "Mariners reveal Ken Griffey Jr. statue." mlb.com. Web. 8 July 2021 <https://www.mlb.com/news/mariners-reveal-ken-griffey-jr-statue-c224110202>.

"Ken Griffey Jr." baseballhall.org. National Baseball Hall of Fame. Web. 8 July 2021 <https://baseballhall.org/hall-of-famers/griffey-jr-ken>.

Verdi, Robert. "Ken Griffey, Jr." Encyclopædia Britannica. Web. 8 July 2021 <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ken-Griffey-Jr>.