Ken Griffey Jr will always be known to myself and many others as “The Kid.” As of June 2, 2010, The Kid is retired until Cooperstown calls his number.

He gave a statement that read

 

“While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them prior to the 2009 season and was invited back that I will never allow myself to become a distraction.”

Griffey leaves the game with 630 long balls, good enough for fifth all time. He hit a solid .284 lifetime with over 1800 RBI’s.

 

Griffey won an MVP award and multiple Golden Glove Awards during his career. He played 22 seasons with the Mariners, Reds, and White Sox but never won a ring.

 

Griffey will undoubtedly be a first ballot Hall of Famer in 2015.

 

See ya there, Kid.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com