Monday is 25-Year Anniversary of Seattle Mariners Trading Ken Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati Reds
In this story:
Monday marks the anniversary of an interesting day in Seattle Mariners history: It's the 25th anniversary of the team trading superstar Ken Griffey Jr. to the Cincinnati Reds.
Per the @MLB account on social media:
DYK: Ken Griffey Jr. was the first Hall of Fame player who hit 40+ home runs in a season in both the AL and NL. He was traded from the Mariners to the Reds OTD in 2000. #BlackHistoryMonth
DYK: Ken Griffey Jr. was the first Hall of Fame player who hit 40+ home runs in a season in both the AL and NL. He was traded from the Mariners to the Reds OTD in 2000. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/6WFldkJhrX
— MLB (@MLB) February 10, 2025
The idea of trading Griffey is still a sore spot to M's fans of a certain age, but he had expressed his desire to return back to his hometown, and the team obliged, shipping him out for Brett Tomko, Mike Cameron, Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer.
Cameron became a fan favorite instantly. Over his four years with the M's, he helped the team get to the playoffs twice, and made the All-Star Game in 2001. He won two Gold Gloves with the M's over those four years and hit 25 homers in both 2001 and 2002.
In addition to the Mariners, he also played with the Chicago White Sox, Reds, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Boston Red Sox and Florida Marlins over his 17-year career.
He won three Gold Gloves in total, stole 297 bases and was a .249 career hitter.
Tomko, 51, spent parts of 14 years with the Reds, Mariners, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers. He was with the Mariners for the 2000 season and a portion of 2001, going 10-6 in 43 appearances.
Griffey, of course, is one of the greatest players in baseball history. Selected No. 1 overall by the Mariners in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft, he made his debut in 1989. He hit hit 630 home runs and earned induction to the Baseball of Fame in 2016. He was a 13-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glover.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
HIGH PRAISE: ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian recently had high praise for George Kirby, saying that he thinks he can be the best pitcher in all of baseball. CLICK HERE:
DON'T YA KNOW: Robinson Cano provided the only run for the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean Series championship win! CLICK HERE:
RECORD-BREAKING: Can the Los Angeles Dodgers break the Mariners 116-win record from 2001? Infielder Miguel Rojas thinks so. CLICK HERE:
Follow Seattle Mariners on SI on social media
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on "X" @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the "Refuse to Lose" podcast by clicking HERE.
