Ken Griffey News: Pro Sports Daily

Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. has knee surgery to remove bone spur

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October 27

Seattle Times

"Mariners designated hitter Ken Griffey Jr. had a bone spur removed from his left knee during arthroscopic surgery Monday in his native Cincinnati. The surgery was performed by Dr. Tomothy Kremchek and Griffey was released as an outpatient. Griffey, 39, a pending free agent, has yet to announce whether he plans to retire from baseball or return for another season in 2010. He endured numerous bouts of pain in his knee during a 2009 season that saw him hit .214 with 19 home runs, 57 runs batted in and post an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .735. Normal recovery time for this type of surgery is four to six weeks, according to the Mariners."

Zduriencik's tasks start with Felix, end at Jr.

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October 6

Tacoma News Tribune

"While the Mariners celebrated their season Sunday with an impromptu Love Boat parade around Safeco Field, it was easy to forget that the team that enjoyed such rare camaraderie in 2009 won't resemble the team that returns in 2010. Of the eight position players in Don Wakamatsu's batting order, I counted only two certainties for next season: Ichiro Suzuki in right field, and Franklin Gutierrez in center. And then there's the pitching - specifically, the unsettled future of ace right-hander Felix Hernandez. General manager Jack Zduriencik could fill several position needs by trading the Cy Young Award candidate, who's got two years remaining on his contract before he'll be eligible to ..."

Will Griffey get chance to write more history?

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October 6

Tacoma News Tribune

"If Sunday was Ken Griffey Jr.'s last game as a member of the Seattle Mariners, maybe even as a baseball player, then it was a fitting celebration for the man who helped save a moribund franchise and turn it into the modern Mariners we know today. Whether it was the numerous standing ovations he received - the final one after he was lifted from the game after hitting a single in the eighth inning, causing him to bite his lip and fight back tears - the countless hugs that were given to him that did cause him to weep, or being carried on the shoulders of his teammates around Safeco Field, it all seemed perfectly surreal. "A whole lot of love," he said, his eyes still red from tears. "A ..."

A perfect ending to the season, and maybe a career

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October 6

Seattle Times

columnist Jerry Brewer

"For a kinda/sorta/maybe/not really/I don't know yet/ask me later/got a Magic 8-Ball? goodbye, it was quite touching. Chants of "One more year!" Chants of "Griffey! Griffey! Griffey!" Standing ovations for all four times Ken Griffey Jr., the greatest of all Mariners, stepped to the plate. And in the eighth inning Sunday, before 32,260 fans at Safeco Field, at 3:22 p.m. in the Year of Bliss, Junior delivered one of his classic, breathtaking moments. He wept. He lined a single to center field in his last - at least for now - at-bat and succumbed to the emotions he'd stifled all afternoon. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu replaced Griffey with Michael Saunders after the hit, and the fans gave ..."

Griffey finishes as a singular sensation

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October 5

MLB.com

"When he stepped into the batter's box for the final time this season, in the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon, the emotions were running rampant inside Ken Griffey Jr. "It was probably the most nervous and emotional roller coaster I have ever been on as a ballplayer," he said. "You never know when it will be your last." At the end of the day, after all the standing ovations, the curtain call, and the ride off Safeco Field on the shoulders of Mariners teammates Ryan Langerhans and Matt Tuiasosopo following Seattle's season-ending 4-3 victory over the Rangers, Griffey was not sure about his baseball future. His eyes were red as he spoke to the media. "I am going to go back to Florida, talk ..."

Junior's blast leads Mariners

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October 4

Tacoma News Tribune

"The high-volume, postgame beer shower has become a happy routine for the Seattle Mariners this season – celebrating everything from first home runs to career milestones – but Ken Griffey Jr. had been handing out the showers all year. After the team's 84th victory, and Junior's 630th career home run, Junior got the shower. "They had some fun," Griffey said of his teammates, laughing. "There was beer and orange juice and cold water and maybe a little chocolate sauce. It was all good. It's been fun here from day one." With fabulous pitching and a pinch of offense, the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 2-1, in front of a Safeco Field crowd of 24,391 in the team's next-to-last game of the season ..."

Griffey rolls back clock, Yanks

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September 21

Tacoma News Tribune

"There was no planned promotion, no old flannel uniforms – just the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on Sunday. So Ken Griffey Jr. turned back the clock on his own. After taking the lineup to home plate for the first time all season, Junior made time roll backward, hitting a home run and a double and driving in four runs as the Mariners beat the Yankees, 7-1. Ian Snell got the win. Adam Moore got his first big-league hit. Mike Carp singled, walked and made a couple of fine defensive plays. None of them were professional players when Griffey broke into the big leagues in 1989 – and none had signed their first contract when he hit five home runs in October of 1995 to push ..."

Griffey Jr. homers in win over Mazzaro, A's

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August 25

Contra Costa Times

"Vin Mazzaro's start at Safeco Field will make good story fodder when he plops a grandchild on his lap years down the road. He can talk about how he plunked Ken Griffey Jr. with a 1-2 pitch the first time he faced the future Hall of Famer. He also can relate how Griffey took him deep in the same game for career homer No. 625. Down the road it will be quality entertainment. Right now, the facts of Monday's 3-1 loss to the Seattle Mariners can't seem too appealing. Mazzaro filled up the stat sheet over five innings in a way the A's would rather not see. Five hits, three earned runs, four walks, four strikeouts, two hit batsmen, two homers. All done over 99 pitches that should have taken him ..."

Guest appearance in left - Junior

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June 14

Tacoma News Tribune

"Ken Griffey Jr. started in left field for the first time in his Seattle Mariners career Saturday, and for just the second time in 2,568 big-league games. "I played there one game for Cincinnati in 2002, and the next day they came to their senses and put me back in center field," Junior said. More than a bit surprised by the media attention to his going into the lineup as a left fielder, Griffey had a little fun with the press before the game began, explaining that anything untoward that might happen out there would not be his fault. "If the ball gets to me, somebody has already screwed up," he insisted. "Somebody on the dirt part of the field missed it before I had to pick it up. The ..."

Griffey offers memories of Big Unit

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May 23

Seattle Times

"Ken Griffey Jr. was left out of the lineup against the Giants and former Mariner Randy Johnson on Friday night. But that didn't mean Griffey didn't get in a few playful cuts against his longtime teammate. Griffey held court for about 10 minutes before the game to discuss Johnson, who played alongside Griffey in Seattle from 1989 to 1998. And when asked his favorite Johnson memories, he mentioned one obvious - coming out of the bullpen against the Yankees in the 1995 AL Division Series - and one long forgotten: an inning of left field Johnson played in 1993. "He asked Lou [Piniella, then the Mariners' manager] and Lou was like, 'Yeah, go out there,' " Griffey said. "I was like, 'Huh?' I was ..."

Griffey's home run ignites Mariners, who snap losing streak

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May 11

Seattle Times

"It wasn't entirely the kind of home-run shot that inspires tales for future baseball generations. To be sure, Ken Griffey Jr. got most of it right, starting with the sweet Mother's Day swing that catapulted a ball so hard and deep to right that the outfielder playing there didn't bother to budge a muscle. There was also the collective crowd groan on contact, telling everyone within earshot that the ball was gone before it was even halfway to the fence, not to mention the Mariners leaping to life in a dugout that long seemed dead. About the only problem with Griffey's tying, eighth-inning blast on Sunday afternoon - which propelled the Mariners to a 5-3 comeback win over the Minnesota Twins ..."

Junior's return triggers quick thaw at Safeco Field

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April 15

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

columnist Art Thiel

"For a day that rated parkas for penguins, there was no meteorological way to explain how it ended up warmer than summer. But there is no scientific explanation for how Seattle, baseball, a win and Ken Griffey Jr. combine to melt the frostiest realities. The guy still has something, Seattle still wants it, and damned if all didn't jump across a decade Tuesday afternoon to get it back. "From the day he signed, this was the moment we'd been waiting for," Don Wakamatsu, the Mariners manager, said of the pregame introduction of the favorite baseball son. "It didn't disappoint." Ninety six thousand gloves and mittens did nothing to muffle the thunder that roared over Griffey's pregame entrance ..."

Griffey homers in return to Mariners, ties record

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April 7

MLB.com

"The last time Ken Griffey Jr. played an Opening Day game with the Mariners, he hit a home run and moved within one of tying a Major League record held by Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. That was 10 years ago. Since then, Griffey and his wife, Melissa, adopted a newborn, named him Tevin, and Robinson became the godfather. On Monday night at the Metrodome, Griffey finally caught Robby. "It is quite an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Frank," Griffey said after hitting his record-tying eighth Opening Day home run during the Mariners' 6-1 victory over the Twins before a sellout crowd of 48,514. It was Junior's first Opening Day blast since he started the 1999 season -- his last with ..."

Age 39 in baseball - is it good or bad?

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April 6

Seattle Times

"Ken Griffey Jr. is entering his 21st season in the major leagues and he turned 39 years old in November. Statisticians seem to be predicting Junior will have a mediocre year, but aging sluggers can still be good at 39 - and we're not just talking about Barry Bonds. Here's a look at five Hall of Fame players and how each performed in their age 39 seasons. For Griffey, we used projected stats"

Ken Griffey Jr. returns to Seattle a grown man

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April 5

Seattle Times

columnist Larry Stone

"Ken Griffey Jr. is back, and it's tempting to add the traditional addendum: It's like he never left. On the surface, that seems to be true. The face may be a bit more weathered, and the body a little more padded. But when he puts on the iconic No. 24 and steps in the box, bat cocked, Griffey still strikes the same imposing image. Griffey once again is the hub of the Mariners' clubhouse, just as he was in his Seattle glory days, minus the recliner - a veritable magnetic field that attracts players, media, team employees and anyone else who wanders by into his web. "When he starts talking and telling stories, you'll see everybody in the locker room just start circling around him," observed ..."

Ken Griffey Jr. reflects on stint with Chicago White Sox

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March 16

Chicago Tribune

"Ken Griffey Jr. said his two-month stint with the White Sox invigorated him enough to continue his storied career. It also convinced him to undergo arthroscopic surgery on a left knee that bothered him more than anyone realized. But Griffey stressed Sunday that he let Sox general manager Ken Williams know about his nagging injury before the July 31 trade with the Reds was completed. "I told them, this is my situation," Griffey said Sunday. "I wasn't going to sit there and hide the ball. It's not fair to the other guys." Griffey admitted his sore left knee affected his ability to push off his back leg at the plate and resulted in him hitting only three home runs in 51 games. But he said he ..."

Piniella fondly recalls Griffey days

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March 10

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"I didn't have high hopes. I didn't even have low hopes. After arriving at HoHoKam Park, home of the Chicago Cubs, on Monday morning, I was told that Lou Piniella might not be available to talk one-on-one about his reunion with Ken Griffey Jr. on Tuesday afternoon in Peoria. A Cubs spokesman said Piniella was already upset with the team's play, quoting him as saying, "It's not like I want to win the Cactus League title, but I'm tired of getting our (bleeps) kicked." Ah, Sweet Lou, you just never know what you're going to get, and the MLB Network was here, wanting a piece of him, too. So his time was tight. But then he showed up in front of the dugout to speak to reporters, and it was good ..."

Griffey playing catch-up

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March 9

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Ken Griffey Jr. scored from first base after his first plate appearance Sunday, but didn't have to run hard because the hit that scored him was Wladimir Balentien's home run off Arizona starter Seth Etherton. Griffey scored from second base after his second plate trip, but he didn't have to run much then, either. Russell Branyan's double was the longest hit of the day, a shot that hit near the top of the 40-foot- high batter's eye in center field. In his third at-bat, Griffey didn't score at all, but he actually did some running. He singled to right-center, turned around and waved at the bench and continued trotting down the right-field line, ultimately going to the Seattle clubhouse, his ..."

Griffey returns to Mariners lineup

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March 5

Seattle Times

"The Ken Griffey Jr. reunion tour crossed off another significant date Wednesday - his first game action - even if Griffey himself seemed somewhat amused at all the fuss. "It was bound to happen sooner or later," he said wryly. Indeed it was, and his walk and fly out to center in his two plate appearances here in an 11-9 loss to Australia won't be remembered long. And because it wasn't an official spring-training game, they won't even be recorded in the stats. Still, the sight of him in a Mariners uniform - meaningless exhibition or not - was cause enough for a certain level of excitement. Cameras flashed throughout his two plate appearances and he received a hearty ovation when his name ..."

Griffey makes Mariners debut

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March 5

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"There was, Ken Griffey Jr. suggested, way too much being made of his first game back in a Seattle uniform after 10 years away. The focus, from Griffey's point of view, needs to be on the other players in spring training camp as much as about himself. That's all fine, but when the ovations came from the crowd of 3,760, the applause for Griffey was off the charts compared to the noise accorded the other Mariners and the members of Wednesday's opposition, the Australian team that will compete in the World Baseball Classic. When the mass flash of digital cameras went off in the stands, it was for Griffey and for no one else. Oh, yeah -- did we mention the game was being televised back to ..."

Junior gets his spring swings

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March 3

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The names Travis Mortimore and Jake Wild mean nothing to the average Mariners fan, but Monday morning they got their 15 minutes of spring training fame. Mortimore, a lefty, and Wild, who is right-handed, were brought over from the Mariners minor league camp to pitch in a simulated game. Their opposition? Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Sweeney, Yuniesky Betancourt and Russell Branyan -- four members of the Mariners starting lineup who needed at-bats and weren't going to get them in the game against the White Sox in Glendale in the afternoon. So Griffey, Sweeney and Bentancourt -- none of whom has played in a game this spring -- and Branyan got their hacks in against the kids. It was a big moment for ..."

Why Griffey's return brings out the kid in this fan

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March 2

Seattle Times

"If a single image sums up my childhood, it would be a beaming Ken Griffey Jr. at the bottom of a pile of elated teammates. That's what I saw from the Kingdome bleachers when the Mariners beat the Yankees in the 1995 playoffs, and that's what I remember most about being a kid. For a 9-year-old, witnessing that was like winning the lottery. For days it was all I talked about. I made sure everyone knew I was there and that my favorite player, Ken Griffey Jr., had scored the winning run. Griffey was always more than a baseball player to me; he was my hero. With his backward hat and perpetual swagger, he was the definition of cool. He was an idol to a generation of young fans. We all wanted to ..."

Harold Reynolds glad to help Griffey with Seattle decision

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March 1

Seattle Times

columnist Larry Stone

"These are frenetic days for Harold Reynolds as he dives into the launching of the new MLB Network, the first channel devoted 24 hours a day to baseball. As one of the lead analysts, Reynolds is loving the eclectic nature of the network, which reached 50 million households - the largest launch in cable history - when it was unveiled on Jan. 1. The former Mariner might be analyzing the chances of, say, the Pittsburgh Pirates one day, discussing the World Baseball Classic another, and debating fellow analysts like Al Leiter, Dan Plesac, Mitch Williams and Joe Magrane - "our crazy four horsemen," as he describes the quartet of lefty ex-pitchers - on Alex Rodriguez's steroids allegations in ..."

Homecomings for Ken Griffey Jr. and Jason Giambi

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February 23

New York Times

"At baseball's heart lies one simple goal: to leave home and then return. Straying's perils are instantly dispelled on contact with the place once left. Ken Griffey Jr. and Jason Giambi, having squared that circle more than 2,700 times, are rounding into more terra firma this spring. Nine years after leaving for his home of Cincinnati, Griffey is rejoining the Seattle Mariners - a franchise he breathed life into throughout the 1990s. Giambi, meanwhile, is returning to his old Oakland sandbox after seven turbulent years in New York. Their greener pastures had been more like minefields. So Griffey and Giambi exhaled a bit last week when slipping on not just their old uniforms, but a sense of ..."

Some Griffey incentives tied to attendance

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February 22

Seattle Times

"More fans in the seats will mean extra dollars for Ken Griffey Jr. if he's as popular as some believe he will be. On a day Griffey returned to the Mariners after a nine-year absence, both his agent and team president Chuck Armstrong confirmed that a portion of Griffey's $2.5 million in incentive clauses is tied to attendance. Both sides agreed on a figure they felt the Mariners could have achieved without Griffey and he'll be paid extra if attendance surpasses that by season's end. Griffey or not, selling tickets will be tough in 2009. "Our season tickets ... we're down," Armstrong said Saturday. "We're down substantially." Armstrong said team studies have shown that, for the first time ..."

Griffey's idea for a tribute was a swing and a miss

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February 22

Seattle Times

columnist Ron Judd

"As much as we've always liked to kid The Kid, we're sort of glad he's back. Tough to make baseball any more stifling than it's been around here for the past few years. And if Ken Griffey Jr. can briefly light up the place a bit, more power to him. One thing, though, that we hope Junior has gotten over. Right before he left, in a phone conversation in which he listed supposed transgressions against him by the Mariners front office, Griffey told me he was ticked off that management didn't embrace one of his best ideas: He wanted the M's, always nautically attired in blue and teal, to come out on opening day at Safeco Field in red and white - to honor the stadium sponsor, Safeco Insurance. I ..."

Welcome back, Junior

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February 22

Seattle Times

columnist Jerry Brewer

"And 10 years later, the story continued with Ken Griffey Jr. rubbing his eyes as he was reintroduced. He looked tired at first, bored even, reluctant to contribute too much to the fairytale. Instead of a theatrical return, he opted for his normal low-key, soft-spoken, why-the-fuss approach. If nothing else, this was a good way to verify that the man sitting on stage - a little heavier, a little older than before - was indeed the Junior who used to make you swoon. "They remember a young, 19-year-old, no facial, a little high-top fade, running around, smiling," he said. "I'm a little different now. I've got a little gray. Don't know where that came from." Cue the "Welcome Back, Kotter" theme ..."

Junior will air out stuffy clubhouse

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February 20

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

columnist Art Thiel

"SUCH WAS THE hubbub in the Mariners offices created by the return of Ken Griffey Jr. that the staff insisted on a meeting Thursday afternoon with Chuck Armstrong to be regaled with the story of how the club president helped pull it off. Armstrong wasn't sure what was decisive in keeping Griffey away from Atlanta, but it didn't hurt that Griffey's 15-year-old son, the 6-foot--2 Trey, can be a batboy this summer and fly occasionally on the team plane. "That was the only thing he asked for," Armstrong said. Well, there was one other item. "He said, 'What kind of recliner do I get?' " Armstrong was stunned. In Mariners lore, no piece of furniture looms larger than Griffey's Barcalounger that ..."

Griffey a Mariner shocks Braves

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February 19

Toronto Sun

"Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to return to the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners announced the move last night. The 39-year-old star's contract is for one year and believed to be worth $2 million US in base salary, plus incentives. Earlier in the day, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press that an apparent agreement with the Atlanta Braves had fallen through. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Mariners had yet to announce the deal. Griffey is fifth on baseball's career home run list with 611. The Mariners have a job as designated hitter and perhaps in left field waiting for him for 2009. NATS VICTIM OF HOAX VIERA, Fla. -- A top baseball ..."

He's not the Griffey of old; he's an older Griffey

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February 18

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

columnist Mark Bradley

"Just so nobody accuses me of a hidden agenda - and we'll deal in depth with agendas shortly - let me say I'm pessimistic. I understand why it makes sense for the Braves to want Ken Griffey Jr., and I understand why he'd want to be a Brave. But not every marriage ends happily. The best intentions can, and often do, go wrong. I worry that we in Atlanta will want Griffey to be the ebullient Junior of 1990s, and the cold truth is that he hasn't been that guy for nearly a decade. He has been hurt and his bat has slowed and he's no longer an All-Star center fielder or a center fielder at all. As of Valentine's Day, this Griffey was a 600-homer man who didn't have a job, and of his 611 home runs ..."

Mariners' hopes fade as Ken Griffey Jr. nears deal with Braves

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February 18

Seattle Times

"Top Mariners executives walked out of team headquarters here Tuesday with empty hands and fading hopes. Roughly 2,000 miles away, in Orlando, Fla., onetime Mariners star Ken Griffey Jr. was said to be finalizing a contract with the Atlanta Braves that would end all talk of his return to the Emerald City. A source close to the talks told The Seattle Times on Tuesday that Griffey had chosen the Braves and would receive a base salary of about $2 million and total compensation, including incentives, of between $2 million and $3 million. The Braves were said to have finalized details of the contract throughout the afternoon and were to meet in the evening with Griffey and his agent. In Arizona, ..."

Today's the day for Griffey decision

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February 17

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"The Mariners and the Atlanta Braves have extended contract offers to former Mariners All-Star outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. for the 2009 season. Griffey, a free agent, spent Monday night at his home in Orlando, Fla., thinking things over. Sources suggest he could announce a decision Tuesday. After playing in the AT"

Braves await word on Griffey, Glavine

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February 17

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"While the Braves await a decision from free agent Ken Griffey Jr., Chipper Jones wondered for a moment Monday if the outfielder had already signed and reported. Jones arrived at the Braves clubhouse to find a Seattle Mariners equipment bag at the empty locker next to his. Griffey played 11 seasons for Seattle, where he was the 1997 American League MVP. Turned out the bag belonged to utility player Greg Norton, who was with Seattle before being traded to Atlanta. Jones saw the bag and instinctively looked toward both ends of the clubhouse for Griffey, who has talked a few times with Jones in the past week about playing for the Braves. Jones insisted his heart didn't skip a beat when he saw ..."

Griffey decision is imminent

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February 16

MLB.com

"Ken Griffey Jr. will choose whether to sign with the Mariners or Braves today or by early Tuesday at the latest, the Seattle Times, citing multiple sources, reported on Monday. Atlanta, seeking an outfielder, recently joined in bidding for the services of Griffey, the active home run leader with 611 and a free agent. The Braves are believed to be able to offer no more than $2.5 million in total compensation to Griffey, according to the Times, but can also offer the 39-year-old the opportunity to play closer to his home in Orlando, Fla. Griffey's daughter plays basketball in Atlanta and his son will be playing high school football later this year in Orlando. The Mariners have been talking ..."

Atlanta makes late push to sign Griffey

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February 15

Seattle Times

"A late push by the Atlanta Braves has given the Mariners some serious competition in their pursuit of outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. Sources close to the situation say the Braves did not pursue Griffey until last week. But the 39-year-old, who has a daughter playing AAU basketball in Atlanta and lives a short flight away in Orlando, Fla., has expressed a serious desire to Braves officials about playing there. The hang-up is money. Despite reports the Braves are considering several outfielders, sources say Atlanta's choice comes down to Griffey or former Angels slugger Garret Anderson. Both are left-handed hitters, and whoever is chosen would platoon in left field. But the Braves are apparently ..."

Braves interested in signing Griffey Jr.

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February 15

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"The Braves are interested in free agent Ken Griffey Jr., and the interest is mutual. "We have interest in several available outfielders, including Griffey," Braves general manager Frank Wren said Saturday. Griffey is "extremely" interested in joining the Braves, according to someone close to Griffey. It was believed that he was leaning toward returning to Seattle, where he spent the first 11 of his 20 years in the major leagues with the Mariners, but the Braves are Griffey's first choice, according to the person. The Braves have searched for a proven run-producer to bolster an outfield that hit a major league-low 27 homers last season. The free-agent pool got smaller last week after Bobby ..."

Sources: Braves in mix for Griffey

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February 14

ESPN.com

"That Ken Griffey Jr.-to-Seattle reunion isn't a foregone conclusion just yet. Two baseball sources told ESPN.com on Saturday that the Atlanta Braves are making a late play for Griffey and have begun discussing money with his agent. Atlanta, which has been looking for a reasonably priced, veteran outfield bat, lost out to the Los Angeles Angels this week in a bid to sign Bobby Abreu. If the Braves don't sign Griffey, they could turn to veteran Garret Anderson as a fallback. But sources said that Griffey is Atlanta's prime target, and the Braves are "in the mix'' for his services. The interest is apparently mutual. Griffey lives in Orlando, Fla., where Atlanta's spring training site is ..."

Griffey back to Seattle?

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February 12

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Ken Griffey Jr. could be returning soon to the city where his major league career started.

Two baseball sources have told ESPN that the Mariners have made "significant progress" in negotiations to bring the former Reds outfielder back to Seattle. Griffey, whom the Mariners traded to the Reds in 2000 for pitcher Brett Tomko, outfielder Mike Cameron and two other players, is reportedly seeking a one-year deal with a base salary of around $5 million. Last summer, the Reds traded Griffey to the White Sox in a deadline deal. After hitting his 600th career home run in Florida on June 9, Griffey hit just 11 homers the rest of the season, finishing with 18 homers and 71 RBI in 490 ..."

Griffey, M's deal appears imminent

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February 12

Seattle Times

"The return of Ken Griffey Jr. to Seattle, nine years after he departed for Cincinnati, appears to be imminent. Baseball sources confirmed that talks between the club and Griffey, a free agent, have heated up in recent days. The parties appear to be on course for a one-year contract that could be announced next week, provided Griffey passes a physical examination. Griffey had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in October to repair partially torn cartilage and meniscus. The Reds' team physician, Timothy Kremchek, has said that he expects Griffey to be fully recovered for the 2009 season. Griffey is currently in California playing in the AT"

Griffey near return to Mariners

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February 12

MLB.com

"Ken Griffey Jr. could be coming home in a few days. A little more than nine years after being traded to the Reds for four players, Griffey and the Mariners are nearing agreement on a one-year contract. Griffey, who is playing in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am golf tournament this week, could join the Mariners in Spring Training as early as Wednesday -- the day of the first full-squad workout. Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik would neither confirm or deny that a deal is imminent, saying, "I do not comment on free agents." The deal would not be finalized until Griffey passes a physical, which is expected to occur in the Phoenix area. Griffey had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in ..."

Griffey waits for right job

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February 10

Cincinnati Enquirer

"KEN GRIFFEY JR., 39, Orlando, Fla. OBJECTIVE: A run-producing lineup spot for a major-league baseball team. WORK EXPERIENCE: Twenty seasons; 13 All-Star Game selections; 611 career home runs, fourth all-time; only active member of MLB All-Century Team last season. SALARY REQUIREMENTS: Negotiable. Despite the accomplished resume, Griffey is still looking for work less than a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. The only other time in his major-league career he faced this kind of offseason uncertainly was in 2000, when, nine years ago today, after a winter of trade rumors, he was introduced as a Red. This year, of course, amid baseball's economic slowdown, Griffey is ..."

Griffey watches and waits

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February 10

Cincinnati Enquirer

"Despite the accomplished resume, less than a week before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, Griffey is still looking for work. The only other time in his 20-year major-league career he faced this kind of offseason uncertainly was in 2000, when, nine years ago Tuesday, after a winter of trade rumors, he was introduced as a Red. This year, of course, amid baseball's economic slowdown, Griffey is hardly alone in his job search. There are still nearly 100 free agents on the open market, including some of the premier sluggers of the past decade in Manny Ramirez, Bobby Abreu and Griffey's former teammate, Adam Dunn. "I think once somebody signs, you'll see something of a domino ..."

Mariners must make decision on Griffey soon

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February 4

Seattle Times

"With spring training opening in less than two weeks, the Mariners will very soon have to make the decision that has been looming over the team all offseason. Will they bring back the franchise's most storied player, Ken Griffey Jr.? Their ultimate call on Griffey seems closely linked to the outcome of other pursuits by general manager Jack Zduriencik. If the Mariners can fill their lingering need for an offensive boost with a free agent or a trade, then the likelihood of a Griffey reunion lessens. But if Zduriencik comes up empty in pursuit of free-agent outfielder Bobby Abreu or others, then he will have an agonizing choice. Does he bow to nostalgia and the prospect that Griffey, ..."

Griffey would like to play for Rays

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January 5

San Francisco Chronicle

"Five teams have shown interest in outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., agent Brian Goldberg told SI.com. According to Goldberg, three American League teams and two NL teams have expressed some level of interest. The Mariners and Rays are known to be two of the AL teams eyeing Griffey, who'd like to play at least one more season. A friend of Griffey's said that the power-hitter would love to play for Tampa Bay, which is less than two hours from his Orlando home. The Rays are looking for hitters, and though Griffey's on their list, other younger players, such as Bobby Abreu, Pat Burrell, and perhaps Jason Giambi or Garrett Anderson might be higher on it. Griffey had his left knee drained three times ..."

Rays have interest in signing Griffey Jr.

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January 5

Chicago Tribune

"Where will Ken Griffey Jr. land next after his short stint with the White Sox last season? The defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays are one team that has expressed an interest, Griffey's agent Brian Goldberg told SI.com. A friend of Griffey's said last year that the future Hall of Famer would love to play for Tampa Bay, which is less than two hours from his Orlando home. While Griffey is on the Rays' list, a couple of younger hitters, such as Bobby Abreu and Pat Burrell, may be higher on it. Another possible destination for Griffey could be Seattle, where he started his big-league career. While the Mariners are rebuilding, they could view Griffey as an aid to their young ..."

Time, price may be right for Griffey

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December 3

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

by columnist Art Thiel

"WOULD YOU, MARINERS fan, trade Raul Ibanez, 36, for an ambulatory Ken Griffey Jr., 39, and two high picks in the 2009 amateur draft? That choice may be upon new Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik, sorta. Since both eventually will be free agents this winter, no trade is involved, but in terms of relative replacement, that's at least one way to look at it. Despite the fact that there are several dozen variables at work this early in the offseason, not the least of which is Griffey's recovery from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, I like it (also, a Griffey-to-Seattle column is a local tradition that goes back almost as far as Fremont's naked bicyclists, only is much more ..."

Reds looking for talent; Griffey looking for work

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November 25

Cincinnati Enquirer

"The Reds' efforts in free agency so far haven't exactly been headline-filled, beyond reliever Jeremy Affeldt signing with San Francisco. General manager Walt Jocketty said Monday the Reds had brief contract talks with free agent shortstop Rafael Furcal. "But we've had no real discussions," Jocketty said. "A lot of big market clubs are looking at him." Brian Goldberg, the agent for former Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., said Monday he thinks things will to open up in early December. Dec. 1 is the last day for clubs to offer salary arbitration to their free agents. The players have until Dec. 7 to accept. If they refuse, teams get a draft pick or two for them - depending on their ..."