The Best of His Time

Despite the fact that Armen and Levack like to make fun of me and say it didn't happen, I grew up in Seattle. I lived there for six years. It was ages one to six.

It wasn't the longest time. But they were my most formative years.

It's where I learned to love baseball. It's where I got to watch every night, the man who made me love baseball, Ken Griffey Jr.

For my money, Griffey is the greatest player of my generation. He was powerful yet graceful. He was smooth, even if he was sometimes ornery. He was cool. He was the best.

Ken Griffey Jr. played part of 22 seasons in the major leagues with the Mariners, Reds, White Sox and Mariners again. He was a No. 1 overall pick. He hit 630 home runs. He was an all-star. He was an MVP. He hit 50 home runs twice. He saved baseball in Seattle.

The Mariners had been perennial losers for years. They were set to pack up shop and move to Tampa (as I recall), but then the 1995 season happened. The Mariners came back from more than 10+ games out in August to save the season, and then save baseball in the Northwest.

If not for injuries in Cincy, I think Griffey would be known as the best player of all-time.

Today, Ken Griffey Jr. will be voted into the Hall of Fame. It's the only end to the greatest career of this era.

Thank you, Junior. From baseball fans, from Mariner fans, and from that little kid who used to watch Mariner games and wiggle his hips when he swung the Mariners giveaway bat in the living room.

WATCH: Some of Junior's highlights, from his Mariners Hall of Fame induction.