Inside The Mariners

Ken Griffey Jr. Wows Everyone in Cooperstown at East-West Classic

Saturday afternoon was a celebration of the Negro Leagues at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., and former Seattle Mariners' star Ken Griffey Jr. stole the show for everyone involved.

Brady Farkas

Aug 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is introduced prior to the Mariners Hall of Fame induction of Felix Hernandez (not pictured) prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is introduced prior to the Mariners Hall of Fame induction of Felix Hernandez (not pictured) prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Baltimore Orioles at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
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Former Seattle Mariners' star and National Baseball Hall of Fame member Ken Griffey Jr. stole the show on Saturday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y.

As several former players participated in the East-West Classic, which honored the tradition of the Negro Leagues, Griffey served as one of the coaches, becoming the most popular person in the ballpark.

I was in Cooperstown personally, and the amount of Griffey jerseys on the streets, and the amount of people clearly there to see Junior was overwhelming.

He received a huge ovation when he was announced to the Doubleday Field crowd:

And several other players, with very accomplished resumes themselves, were in awe of Griffey also.

Per Jerry Hairston Jr., who was a 16-year veteran with the Orioles, Dodgers, Rangers, Cubs, Reds, Padres, Nationals, Yankees and Brewers.

#Picture w/ the #GOAT

And from Curtis Granderson:

My face says it all, the day has finally come, I got a photo with the GOAT, aka one of my favorite players Ken Griffey Jr. before our East-West Classic game in Cooperstown

Granderson was a 16-year veteran who played with the Tigers, Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Marlins, Brewers and Blue Jays. He hit 344 career homers and made three All-Star teams.

The celebration of the Negro Leagues was done in coordination with the new "Souls of the Game" exhibit which honors Black baseball at the Hall of Fame.

One of the best players in baseball history, Griffey spent 22 years in the big leagues with the Mariners, Reds and White Sox. One of the most popular players to ever play the game, he hit 630 career home runs. He was a 13-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover, a seven-time Silver Slugger and a former MVP.

He was a lifetime .284 hitter, who graced the covers of video games, magazines and starred in movies like "Little Big League."

Though he never made the World Series, he was a dominant playoff performer, hitting .290 in 18 career games in October. He had six home runs in those games.

In addition to being a Baseball Hall of Famer, he is also in the Mariners' Hall of Fame.

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Brady Farkas

BRADY FARKAS

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