When the 2016 Hall of Fame class gets announced by the Baseball Hall of Fame, former Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. deserves a place on every ballot. Griffey is the type of stand-alone player that stands out from the dust-cloud that the steroid era has caused; embodying what is good about the game. He lost a lot of time due to injury over his ill ustrious career, but still has statistics that rank among the best of all time.

Over his 22-year career, Griffey spent 13 seasons with the Mariners, nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and past of one with the Chicago White Sox. He was a 13-time All-Star, the 1997 American League MVP and a 10-time Gold Glove winner. Griffey also won seven Silver Slugger Awards and got named the 1992 All-Star Game MVP.

Griffey finished his career with a .284 batting average, 630 home runs, 1,836 RBIs, 184 stolen bases, 524 doubles and 2,781 hits. He finished with a .907 career OPS and was also intentionally walked 246 times. He led the league in home runs four times, posting his best numbers in 1997 when he had 56 home runs, 147 RBI, 393 total bases and 125 runs scored. All of those stats led the A.L. for the season.

During his time with the Mariners and White Sox, Griffey played in 18 postseason games. Over that time he had a .290 combined batting average, but it was the 1995 ALDS against the New York Yankees where he really made his mark. In the five-game series, Griffey hit .391 with 5 home runs, 9 runs and an OPS of 1.488. Those numbers are some of the best that any player has put up in any ALDS .

On the career home run list, Griffey is behind only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714) and Willie Mays (660). Alex Rodriguez will pass him in the 2012 season, and it’s also possible that Jim Thome (he has 604) could catch him as well. Still, his place on that list is extremely remarkable for how he did it without the steroids that probably helped Bonds and Rodriguez.

Just watching Griffey play in The Kingdome was a treat that every baseball fan should have had and the way he majestically covered center field was something to marvel about. Outside of all the numbers though, was how he carried himself and simply had fun playing the game. He always kept a smile on his face, even while dealing with a series of injuries, and it was always infectious to teammates and fans alike.

When the Baseball Writers of America get a chance to vote on Griffey, there is no excuse why he should get left off the first ballot. He deserves immediate entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame and a place forever in bronze at Cooperstown.

More From YCN :

Should_Mariners_Sign_Beltran

Mariners_Sign_George_Sherrill

Send_Edgar_To_Hall_Of_Fame

Ichiro_Out_Of_Leadoff

Mariners Trade For Catcher

References:

Mariners_Pitching_Stats

Mariners_Hitting_Stats

Best_Mariners_Of_All_Time

Seattle_Mariners_Team_Page

*Ryan is a lifelong Seattle Mariners fan who never misses an opportunity to attend a game at Safeco Field. He has been attending games since 1985, and has fond memories of The Kingdome, Edgar Martinez, and the historic 1995 team. Sodo Mojo!

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Ken Griffey Jr. was honored with the commissioner of baseball’s Historic Achievement Award prior to Game Four of the World Series on Sunday for a superb career that began and ended with the Seattle Mariners.

“Ken Griffey Jr. was a gifted all-around player with a perfect swing, a brilliant glove and a childlike joy for the game,” commissioner Bud Selig said. “From the time he was just 19, Ken represented Major League Baseball with excellence and grace, and he was one of our sport’s greatest ambassadors not only in Seattle and Cincinnati, but also around the world.”

This will mark only the 12th time that Major League Baseball has bestowed the award, which was created in 1998 to recognize achievements and contributions of historical significance. Griffey is the first recipient of the Award since 2007, when Rachel Robinson was honored for continuing the legacy of her late husband, Jackie Robinson, and for her service to the league.

Griffey was a 13-time All-Star in his 22-year Major League career, playing for the Seattle Mariners (1989-1999, 2009-2010), the Cincinnati Reds (2000-2008) and the Chicago White Sox (2008).

“The Kid” guided the Mariners to the first two postseason berths in franchise history in 1995 and 1997.

With 630 career home runs, the unanimous 1997 American League Most Valuable Player (.304, 56 HR, 147 RBI, 125 runs) currently ranks fifth on the all-time list.

JUST A BIT OUTSIDE

When former President George W. Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 4, he was a bit wide of home plate.

The ball flicked off the catcher’s glove and hit a photogrher who was behind the plate.

The catcher was Nolan Ryan, a Hall of Famer and Rangers president who is more accustomed to throwing pitches than catching them. Manager Ron Washington and slugger Josh Hamilton were among those in the Rangers dugout who erupted in laughter when Ryan misplayed the ball.

While the photogrher was OK and able to laugh it off, he’s probably thankful that it was Bush and not Ryan who made the errant throw.

Ryan and Bush both had smiles on their faces after the ceremonial throw when they posed for a picture.

NEW YORK ()—The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open next season
in Jan with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29.

Seattle and Oakland had been scheduled to play there in March 2003, but the
series was scrped because of the threat of war in Iraq. The A’s will be the
home team in both games, the MLB commissioner’s office said Wednesday.

The series could feature a pair of Janese stars, the Mariners’ Ichiro
Suzuki(notes) and Oakland’s Hideki Matsui(notes), who is eligible for free agency.

This will be the fourth Jan opener, following the New York Mets and
Chicago Cubs (2000), the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), and Boston and
Oakland (2008).

Major League Baseball and the players’ association said the series will be
dedicated to assisting rebuilding in Jan following this year’s earthquake.

“I think the fans in Jan are really looking forward to it. There’s a lot
of Major League Baseball fans over there, and with what hpened in March with
the earthquake, it’s even more encouraging to be able to watch the games live in
person,” Matsui said through an interpreter. “Obviously I don’t know if I’m
going to be there.”

After Wednesday night’s major league season finale, Suzuki declined to go in
depth about the games in Jan.

“We just heard about that today. It’s hard to think about how to look
forward to that because we just finished our season now and we have a lot of
time till that day so you want to prepare,” Suzuki said through his
interpreter. “I’m not ready to say anything about Jan at this point.”

Asked if the games would potentially lead the A’s to make a stronger push to
re-sign him, Matsui was realistic about the possible reaction in Jan.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of fans who would look forward to that
kind of matchup—Ichiro vs. Matsui,” he said.

This will be the fourth Jan opener, following the New York Mets and
Chicago Cubs (2000), the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), and Boston and
Oakland (2008).

MLB and the players’ association said the series will be dedicated to
assisting rebuilding in Jan following this year’s earthquake.

The Mariners were first briefed about the trip a week ago. Seattle player
representative Chris Gimenez(notes) said there were a few concerns raised, but for the
most part everyone was supportive of the chance to visit Jan.

“I love it. Personally I think it’s a great opportunity,” Gimenez said.
“I don’t know how many other opportunities I’ll have to go to Jan and for us
to be doing it for a charitable cause is always another good thing.”

The one oddity with the trip is that both teams will return to Arizona for
more of spring training when they return on March 30. The Mariners and A’s play
on ril 6 in Oakland in the previously scheduled season opener.

The two games in Jan will come out of Oakland’s home schedule. The
Mariners and A’s will now have off days on ril 8 and July 5.

“That’ll be more travel than I’ve ever experienced in a short amount of
time,” Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley(notes) said. “Definitely trying to get
your rest after those plane flights and coming back will probably be harder with
the spring training games and the season about to start. It’ll be a challenge.”

For Bob Melvin, it brings him full circle. He was the Mariners’ manager back
in 2003 and was dispointed when the trip was scred at the last minute.

“I want them to look forward and enjoy the experience. You don’t often get
to do something like that,” Melvin said. “I hope some of what baseball, the
way it’s played in Jan, the attitude rubs off on our guys because I know that
Janese players take it very seriously and baseball fields are sacred ground
there and respect the game very much and I’d like our guys to be a part of that
and feel it first hand.”

NEW YORK ()—The Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics will open next
season in Jan with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on March 28 and 29.

Seattle and Oakland had been scheduled to play there in March 2003, but the
series was scrped because of the threat of war in Iraq. The A’s will be the
home team in both games, the commissioner’s office said Wednesday. The series
could feature a pair of Janese stars, the Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki(notes) and
Oakland’s Hideki Matsui(notes), who is eligible for free agency.

This will be the fourth Jan opener, following the New York Mets and
Chicago Cubs (2000), the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay (2004), and Boston and
Oakland (2008).

Major League Baseball and the players’ association said the series will be
dedicated to assisting rebuilding in Jan following this year’s earthquake.

The weather was dreadful.

Unfortunately for the Cleveland Indians, so was their
pitching.

“It was an ugly day,” manager Manny Acta said following the
Indians’ rain-shortened 12-6 loss to Seattle on Monday.

The Mariners came in for one day to make up a rainout from May
15, and played in a steady drizzle before the field was covered at
the start of the eighth. After waiting 44 minutes, it was
called.

The Indians entered with a three-game winning streak and got off
to a fast start. Asdrubal Cabrera and Carlos Santana homered in the
first, and Cabrera added a run-scoring double in the second that
gave Cleveland a 4-2 lead.

And just like that, the lead was gone.

Mike Carp hit a grand slam into the second deck in right field
and drove in five runs during Seattle’s nine-run third inning in
which the Mariners sent 13 batters to the plate.

David Huff (2-6) faced the first nine hitters and threw 80
pitches in 2 2-3 innings. Carp doubled home the first run in the
third, then connected against Chad Durbin for a 455-foot shot that
put Seattle ahead 11-4.

“It was deflating,” Acta said. “It kind of sucked the energy out
of us after we put up those runs in the first two innings and not
being able to hold the lead.”

The Tribe used three relievers with a day-night doubleheader
coming up against Chicago on Tuesday.

“We gave David some runs to work with,” Acta said.
“Unfortunately, he had a very rough day out there. He picked the
wrong day to have a bad day.”

Huff allowed seven hits and nine runs _ five earned. The
left-hander is 0-4 with a 7.11 ERA in four starts this month.

“I left some balls up over the middle and they got hit pretty
hard,” Huff said. “I was down (in the strike zone) and they got
some lucky hits in there, little bloop singles, down the third-base
line. All in all, it was really frustrating, I’m really
dispointed in myself.”

Carp learned a lesson from an earlier matchup against
Durbin.

“Last time I faced him in the same situation, bases loaded, he
struck me out,” Carp said. “This time, I looked for a fastball
inside. He threw a cutter and I put a good swing on it.”

Cleveland scored three times in the first against Charlie
Furbush (4-9). Cabrera has 23 homers, one shy of the Cleveland
record for shortstops set by Jhonny Peralta in 2005. Santana’s 26th
homer set an Indians record for switch hitters. Victor Martinez hit
25 in 2007.

“It’s a great accomplishment for him,” Acta said. “A lot of
switch hitters have come and gone with this franchise. For this kid
to come up and do it in his first (full) year says a lot about
him.”

Travis Hafner’s two-run single got Cleveland to 11-6 in the
fifth, but Wily Mo Pena, who had walked his first three times up,
singled home a run in the Mariners’ sixth to make it 12-6.

Furbush allowed six runs and 10 hits over five innings, but
managed to sn a personal five-game losing streak. The left-hander
struck out eight, including six in a row from the third through
fifth.

The Mariners’ third was their biggest inning of the season,
surpassing a six-run outburst ril 27 at Detroit.

NOTES: Cleveland recalled RHP Zach McAllister from Triple-A
Columbus to start the second game of a doubleheader Tuesday against
the Chicago White Sox. RHP Jason Rice cleared waivers and was sent
outright to Columbus. RHP Fausto Carmona (6-15) will start the
first game for Cleveland against RHP Gavin Floyd (12-11). Rookie
RHP Dylan Axelrod will pitch the second game for the White Sox. …
Alex Liddi’s homer for Seattle in the second inning was the majors’
first by a player born in Italy since Reno Bertoia did it in 1961
for Detroit.

CLEVELAND ()—Mike Carp(notes) and the Seattle Mariners made the most of their
cross country trip for a makeup game.

Carp hit a grand slam into the second deck in right field and drove in five
runs during Seattle’s nine-run third inning, leading the Mariners to a
rain-shortened 12-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday.

“It was worth it, to come back from a deficit, get a big inning and get a
nice win,” Carp said.

The Mariners came in to make up a rainout from May 15, and played in a
steady drizzle before the field was covered at the start of the eighth. After
waiting 44 minutes, it was called.

“It’s very unusual,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. “Everybody has to
do it from time to time. It’s a quick in and out. The geogrhy works OK for us
since we head to Minnesota from here, so it’s not horrible. It’s big league
baseball. They want everyone to play 162 (games). I respect that. I get that.”

Carp drove Chad Durbin’s(notes) 1-1 pitch 455 feet to right to put Seattle ahead
11-4. He doubled home the first run in the inning off David Huff(notes) (2-6).

“Last time I faced him (Durbin) in the same situation, bases loaded, he
struck me out,” Carp said. “This time, I looked for a fastball inside. He
threw a cutter and I put a good swing on it.”

Cleveland took a 3-0 lead in the first against Charlie Furbush(notes) (4-9).
Asdrubal Cabrera(notes) hit a two-run homer and Carlos Santana(notes) followed with his fifth
homer in eight games.

“I thought I made some good pitches, but they came out swinging,” Furbush
said.

Furbush allowed six runs and 10 hits over five innings, but managed to sn
a personal five-game losing streak. The left-hander struck out a career-high
eight, including six in a row from the third through fifth.

“I just tried to throw my fastball in and out while keeping it in the
zone,” Furbush said of making an adjustment after falling behind. “I mixed in
some pretty good sliders. It helped to get the big lead.”

The Mariners’ third was their biggest inning of the season, surpassing a
six-run outburst ril 27 at Detroit.

Alex Liddi(notes) hit a two-run homer in the second for Seattle, which snped
Cleveland’s three-game winning streak with its sixth win in its last 18 games.
Liddi’s homer was the majors’ first by a player born in Italy since Detroit’s
Reno Bertoia on Aug. 31, 1961.

“It is the one I will always remember,” Liddi said.

Cabrera doubled home Jason Donald(notes) for a 4-2 lead in the bottom half.

The Mariners responded in a big way in the third, taking advantage when Luis
Rodriguez’s(notes) leadoff grounder glanced off third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall’s(notes) glove
for an error. Carp followed with an RBI double and scored on a one-out single by
Kyle Seager(notes) to tie it at 4. Trayvon Robinson(notes) delivered a two-run single and
Ichiro Suzuki’s(notes) RBI double to left made it 7-4 and finished Huff.

Huff made 80 pitches in just 2 2-3 innings, allowing seven hits and nine
runs—five earned. The left-hander has lost four straight starts, compiling a
7.11 ERA during the slide.

“I was down (in the strike zone) and they got some lucky hits in there,
little bloop singles,” Huff said. “All in all, it was really frustrating, I’m
really dispointed in myself.”

Manager Manny Acta was more upset.

“We gave David some runs to work with,” Acta said. “Unfortunately, he had
a very rough day. It was deflating. It kind of sucked the energy out of us after
we put up those runs in the first two innings and not being able to hold the
lead.”

Travis Hafner’s(notes) two-run single got Cleveland to 11-6 in the fifth, but Wily
Mo Pena(notes), who had walked his first three times up, singled home a run in the
Mariners’ sixth to make it 12-6.

NOTES: Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik announced former New York
Mets GM Joe McIlvaine has joined the Mariners as a special assistant. …
Santana’s 26th homer set an Indians record for switch hitters. Victor Martinez(notes)
hit 25 in 2007. … Cabrera has 23 homers, one shy of the Cleveland record for
shortstops set by Jhonny Peralta(notes) in 2005. … Carp’s career-high five RBIs tied
Seattle’s season high by INF Brendan Ryan(notes) and OF Justin Smoak(notes). … Ryan (neck)
and OF Casper Wells(notes) (undisclosed illness) stayed in Seattle, undergoing tests.
… Seattle INF Dustin Ackley(notes), in a 4-for-39 slump, did not play. … Furbush is
3-6 in 10 games since being acquired from Detroit on July 30. … Seattle 2B
Kyle Seager went 2 for 4 and hit .706 (12 of 17) with five doubles and six runs
in four games against Cleveland this year. … Cleveland recalled RHP Zach
McAllister(notes) from Triple-A Columbus to start the second game of a doubleheader
Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox. RHP Jason Rice(notes) cleared waivers and was
sent outright to Columbus. RHP Fausto Carmona(notes) (6-15) will start the first game
for Cleveland against RHP Gavin Floyd(notes) (12-11). Rookie RHP Dylan Axelrod(notes) will
pitch the second game for the White Sox. … The Mariners move on to Minnesota
for three games. Seattle LHP Jason Vargas(notes) (8-13) will face RHP Liam Hendriks(notes)
(0-2) in the opener Tuesday.