Let’s remember Ken Griffey, Jr., the greatest Seattle Mariner ever, who was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on this day in 2016 (January 6)
It feels like everything I’ve posted to date in this series is negative (save for the creation of a labor union): bridge collapsing, murders, casualties of war), but here is one that is unequivocally positive.
Ken Griffey Jr. was the top draft choice in 1987 by the Mariners (where, during two stints, he spent the majority of his career). Early on, he had the potential to be an impact player in the Major Leagues, and his career showed that: he is currently seventh of the list of most home runs in a career (with 630), won the Golden Glove award ten times, and was the American League MVP in 1997, when he led the league in home runs and runs batted in.
With his legendary career, there was little doubt he’d be a first ballot Hall of Famer, but how he was voted in, I think, shocked quite a few people, including Griffey himself. Upon the occasion, the Seattle Times quoted Griffey as saying, “I was just hoping — the big thing is to get into the Hall of Fame — it’s not what you got, just as long as you get in. I was really surprised to be the highest.”
Out of 440 voters for the Hall of Fame, Griffey appeared on 437 ballots. The Times said, “The 99.3 vote percentage is the highest in Hall of Fame history, surpassing the 98.84 percent set by pitcher Tom Seaver in 1992.” I suspect a record like that will stand for a very, very long time.
Let’s watch his Hall of Fame speech:
Also, can I say just how much I love these photos?
For further reading:
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