BASEBALL
Griffey heading back to Mariners
Around the majors
PEORIA, Ariz. — Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to return to the Seattle Mariners.
“He’s coming home. . . . I can’t begin to tell you how ecstatic we are. He is, too,” Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said in confirming the deal Wednesday night.
Zduriencik called Griffey “arguably one of the greatest athletes to ever play in the Seattle area.”
The 39-year-old star’s contract is for one year and believed to be worth $2 million in base salary, plus incentives.
“Ken is extremely excited to be coming back to Seattle,” Zduriencik said.
Atlanta appeared to be Griffey’s choice on Tuesday for the same reason the former Mariners star left Seattle in 2000: geography. The Braves’ spring training camp is about a 20-minute drive from the Griffey family home in Orlando, Fla., and Atlanta is about an hour away by plane.
But after conflicting reports about where the aging star would settle, Griffey ultimately chose to follow through on his proclamation two years ago when he came to Seattle while playing with the Reds — that he wanted to finish his career as a Mariner.
“We were informed tonight that Ken Griffey Jr. has decided to return to Seattle,” Braves general manager Frank Wren said. “We will continue to be open to other possibilities to improve our outfield offense and, at the same time, give our young players an opportunity to show us they can win that job.”
Zduriencik said the Mariners were the beneficiaries of Griffey wanting to cement his legacy in Seattle.
“Oh, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that,” he said. “Everyone knows Ken Griffey is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he’s returning to his roots. That doesn’t happen too often.”
The Mariners have a job as designated hitter and perhaps in left field waiting for him for 2009. The Braves were offering a spot in the outfield—plus that cherished proximity to home.
Griffey has been hampered by injuries since he left and had arthroscopic knee surgery following the 2008 season, the last half of which he spent with the White Sox.
Griffey is fifth on baseball’s career home run list with 611. He is the Mariners’ career leader in home runs (398) and slugging percentage (.569). •••
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