Bruce, Reds legends in awe of HOFer Griffey

CINCINNATI — Upon his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend, Ken Griffey Jr.’s plaque in Cooperstown will rightly feature him in a Mariners cap. But there should also be a sense of pride for people in Cincinnati and from the Reds.

Griffey grew up in the city and around the club. He returned to play in Cincinnati in the second half of his career. Although a bad run of injuries marred Griffey’s tenure with his hometown team, he still provided some thrilling moments in a Reds uniform.

Right fielder Jay Bruce grew up idolizing Griffey, and he was at Dolphin Stadium on June 9, 2008, when No. 600 was hit vs. the Marlins. Bruce, a rookie in ’08 who would replace Griffey in right after his trade to the White Sox that season, fondly recalled playing next to him.

“When I was able to be there for home run No. 600, that was super, super special,” Bruce said. “That’s some of the most rare history that you’ll ever be there for. I just remember a few plays he made in right field, too. Everybody knows his hitting prowess and his fielding prowess, too. I got to see some plays, even though it was in what some would consider the twilight of his career, you could really see where it came from. It was there. Even though it wasn’t there in youth, it was there in skill. It was really cool to watch.”

2016 Hall of Fame Inductions Watch live coverage of Sunday’s Hall of Fame inductions on MLB Network and MLB.com starting at 11 a.m. ET.

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• Complete Hall of Fame coverageHall of Fame video • Shop for Hall of Fame gear

Traded to the Reds from the Mariners at his request on Feb. 10, 2000, for Brett Tomko, Mike Cameron and Antonio Perez, Griffey asked for the deal so he could return home. He …

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