Ken Griffey, Jr. has retired from major league baseball today

[Missy Vixen]

If you ever lived in Seattle and loved baseball, it's a sad day.

Per KJR-AM Seattle, and the Seattle Mariners, Ken Griffey, Jr. hung up his cleats for the last time this afternoon.

'Bye, Junior. We'll never forget you.

-MV

[Mojambo]

1. Best player of his generation.

And I got to see it all up close.

Still remember watching him hit the second MLB pitch he saw for a double off of Dave Stewart.

Sad way to go out, but he couldn't do it anymore.

Should be a first ballot HoFer.

[Missy Vixen]

2. I'm remembering 1995's "The Slide"

I still can't watch him sliding into the base (and ending up on the bottom of a gigantic pigpile of players!) without tears.

Mariners fans waited so long for that.

Griffey saved baseball in Seattle. I hope he enjoys the rest of his life.

[pokerfan]

5. That's how I will remember him

and not as a .184 hitter (season to date).

[tishaLA]

10. If he's not first ballot, I don't know who is

I don't know if he was the best player of his generation--I'm not enough of a MLB fan to know--but he was my favorite player of his generation. He had the most elegant swing....the kind only left handed hitters can have.

[WCGreen]

13. He was one of the greats...

Got to see him play with the Reds and Seattle here in cleveland...

[LynneSin]

17. Classiest one too - never heard his name pop up when they talked about roids

He would never ever do that to taint the game!

[Missy Vixen]

3. Story from the Seattle Times

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2012015906_griffey03.html

[Tobin S.]

4. He was a great player

I got to see him here when he played for the Reds and unfortunately suffered several injuries. I think that barring the injuries he would be the all time home run king.

[Broken_Hero]

6. I knew it was coming, but thanks Ken

its been a pleasure having you aboard...damn, I miss the days of Buhner, Griffey, and Edgar. I doubt the Mariners will every have a trio like that again(throw in A-rod for at least a couple of those years too).

[WillParkinson]

7. NOOOOO!

When he stayed at the hotel he would order room service. He was an incredibly nice man and an exceedingly generous tipper.

[Blue-Jay]

8. Red's fans (of a certain age) liked him better than Mariner's fans.

[SeattleGirl]

9. And I've got a parcel of swamp land to sell you.

[Blue-Jay]

11. We loved Junior even when he was hitting homers in Seattle.

He reminded us of the Big Red Machine that we loved in the 70's.

[tblue]

12. xox, Junior!

Sad.

[KamaAina]

14. Funny. Jim Joyce just called him safe at first.

:evilgrin:

[gmoney]

15. Geez, how old does that make ME?

[Seneca]

16. One of the greats

Hard to believe it's the end of an era - there can't be too many players active whose pro careers started in the 80's.

[av8rdave]

18. Got to meet him a couple of times. Very low key, very polite.

One of the greats.