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Langston recalls prank on 19-year-old Griffey
- Updated: August 7, 2016
SEATTLE — On the day 46-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. had his number retired by the Mariners, Mark Langston recalled how he made a 19-year-old Ken Griffey Jr. cry on April Fools’ Day.
The foundation was laid in 1984. Langston, then 23 and hoping to crack the big leagues, was told he would make the Opening Day roster. But then his teammates began a rumor about Darnell Coles starting the season on the disabled list, and how it would probably be Langston going down to the Minor Leagues because of it.
The Mariners’ manager, Del Crandall, called him into his office, talked longwindedly about sending him down, then told him to open the door. Langston saw some his teammates, then he heard a roar:
Welcome to the big leagues you rookie punk!
“I was like, ‘Somebody else is going to pay for this,'” Langston said. “At some point, somebody’s going to pay.'”
The moment came five years later, in 1989, when Griffey, the No. 1 overall pick out of high school, tore up Spring Training and seemed like a no-brainer to make the team, even though he was still only a teenager.
“OK,” Langston thought, “he’s my target.”
Langston started a rumor that the Mariners were trading …
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