Ken Griffey Jr. Wows Everyone in Cooperstown at East-West Classic
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:
Ken Griffey Jr. is ready and so are we — let’s play ball! pic.twitter.com/7m5qsmUMLr
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) May 25, 2024
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
Picture w/ the #GOAT @baseballhall #MLB pic.twitter.com/V0GrJpUihX
— Jerry Hairston, Jr. (@TheRealJHair) May 26, 2024
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
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 #legend #baseballhalloffame pic.twitter.com/0gJPr6BMjf
— Curtis Granderson (@cgrand3) May 25, 2024
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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