Seattle Mariners Legend Made Baseball History This Week Back in 2001
Seattle Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. made incredible baseball history in this week 23 years ago.
The historic note came from Baseball Reference on social media:
Today in 2001, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 450th home run of his career, becoming the youngest player in history (by 15 days, over Jimmie Foxx) to reach that mark...
He was also the youngest to hit 350 and 400.
Today in 2001, Ken Griffey Jr. hit the 450th home run of his career, becoming the youngest player in history (by 15 days, over Jimmie Foxx) to reach that mark...
— Baseball Reference (@baseball_ref) August 9, 2024
He was also the youngest to hit 350 and 400. pic.twitter.com/EkmrHqcXql
Now, Griffey didn't hit that 450th career homer as a member of the M's, instead popping the milestone blast with the Cincinnati Reds. It came on Aug. 9, 2001.
However, he did hit the 350th career homer of his career with the M's, which came in 1998 against the Texas Rangers. It was hit at the Kingdome, where Junior hit so many of his prodigious blasts.
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. The 1995 Mariners run to the American League Championship Series is largely credited with saving baseball in the city.
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