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Junior ready to mint his Hall of Fame status
- Updated: July 21, 2016
SEATTLE — He’s not “The Kid” anymore. He’s 46, the father of three and the owner of 630 career home runs, not to mention the highest voting percentage into the National Baseball Hall of Fame of any player in Major League history.
But if there’s one thing that can still make Ken Griffey Jr. feel like he’s still the little guy running around the Cincinnati Reds clubhouse as he did growing up when his dad played for the Big Red Machine, it’s about to happen in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday, when he becomes the first Mariners player inducted into the Hall of Fame. Coverage begins on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8 a.m. PT Sunday, with the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies getting underway live at 10:30 a.m.
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.
• Complete Hall of Fame coverageHall of Fame video • Shop for Hall of Fame gear
• Complete Hall of Fame coverageHall of Fame video • Shop for Hall of Fame gear
Put Griffey in a room with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Sandy Koufax and the like and, well, he’s ready to feel like a rookie all over again as he and Mike Piazza become the 311th and 312th members of baseball’s most exclusive club.
“Most of these guys played with my dad, so he’ll be able to slide in there and maybe I’ll just stand behind him,” Griffey said with a laugh. “I’ve got Willie’s phone number, but still, you’re thinking, ‘OK, do I put ‘Mr. Mays’ on my [contacts list]? ‘Say Hey Kid’? ‘No. 24’? What do you want me to call you?
“I still remember the last time I walked through the doors in San Francisco and [Willie] McCovey and Willie were sitting in the room, and they said, ‘Hey, come here.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Can I go in there?’ They said, ‘Yeah, you’ve got enough home runs to sit in this room.’ But you still tiptoe. So I probably won’t say much the first year, other than when they talk to me. I’ll shake a few hands, maybe take a couple pictures.”
Of course, everyone knows Griffey belongs smack in the middle of the Hall of Fame group, and he’ll quickly add his large personality and …
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