Griffey’s return could salvage hopes for Seattle fans

Being a fan of all sports Seattle these days can be a daunting task.

The Mariners became the first Major League Baseball team to crack 100/100 club. That’s right, it is the only team in baseball history to have a $100 million payroll and lose 100 games,

I’m all about accomplishments but not in this case.

The Seahawks, which many Seattle fans have relied on to wake from the annual hangover the Mariners leave us with, have gone from perennial division leaders to a team that was so depleted by injuries this season its backup quarterback was slated to start at wide receiver for a game. Of course, that was before he was also injured in warm-ups.

At least we can all take this in stride while sitting courtside at a Sonics game, right?

Yes, the team may have packed up and relocated to Oklahoma, but at least we’re not missing out on too many thrilling victories.

This is why it is time for Seattle to finally get something right. It’s time for the Mariners to bring back Ken Griffey Jr.

You may be thinking, “How would bringing back a 38-year-old injury-prone player who’s a whisper of his former self help the M’s win?”

Well here’s the deal.

The Mariners are going to be bad next year, regardless. I, for one, would much rather watch a team lose while watching a future Hall-of-Famer roam the outfield he once ruled than suffer while the team loses with a bunch of players I’ve never heard of.

Growing up in Seattle, Griffey was my favorite player. The first big league game I went to was when I was about 5. In that game, he hit a home run and made a spectacular catch, a common feat while Griffey was dominating the sport in the ’90s. I was instantly hooked.

While he might not be able to field or hit as well today, just seeing him out there in Safeco Field, the “House that Junior Built,” would at least bring back enough memories to put a true Seattle fan into a collective fog while the Mariners give up five runs in the first inning or blow another game in the ninth.

What do the Mariners have to lose? Their fans? Attendance has been in decline for years. The glory days of earlier in the decade when the team won a record-tying 116 games are long gone, and we need something to tide us over until we can again become a great regular season team that chokes in the playoffs.

Griffey asked to be traded from Seattle on Nov. 2, 1999. This also happened to be my 10th birthday, flat out the worst birthday of my life. But if Griffey signs back with the M’s, and he has expressed interest in doing so, it would go a long way to finally letting me enjoy a birthday again after about 10 years of living in fear every time November came around.

But if not, at least Seattle is getting a Major League Soccer team next year …

Contact Tyson Alger at sports@frontiersman.com or call 352-2273.