When I think of Ken Griffey, Jr., I’m immediately reminded of my childhood watching the the kid with the wide eyed grin and enthusiasm come up with the Seattle Mariners and play the game of baseball the way it was meant to be.

Just watching the way he played his position in center field was always a treat because you knew he’d do everything possible to track a deep drive down sacrificing his body which a few instances led to injuries and is the biggest reason he’s not our home run king instead of Barry Bonds. Cause as great a fielder as Griffey was, he was even more priceless at the plate where at any given moment, you could witness that sweet stroke which has now produced 600 career home runs after last night.

Finally, the 38 year-old veteran Red took his place among the all-time greats joining Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Sammy Sosa as only the sixth MLB player to reach 600 for a career. The magical moment occurred when he waited on a Mark Hendrickson hanging curve on a 3-1 count in the first and connected for a two-run shot to right field in Florida.

“I don’t think I touched any of the bases. I sort of floated around,” Griffey said to reporters afterwards while receiving plenty of congrats from Red teammates and Hall of Famers Aaron and Mays.

“My father hit 152 home runs, and that’s who I wanted to be like,” he added of the man he started his career with back in Seattle even becoming the first father/son combo to hit homers in the same game.

Like his 400th and 500th dingers, the special moment came on the road.

“Pretty much everybody knows my track record,” he pointed out of the trend.

So, will there be 700 for a popular player who’s in the final year of his contract?

“I enjoy baseball and as long as I can go out there and help a team win I’ll do it.”

Congrats to one of the finest players this generation’s ever seen. He’s not only been the kid with the smile who played the game the right way but an even better role model off the field.

Even when you broke my heart during Game Five of the 1995 ALDS series rounding third like your life depended on it to beat the Yankees in extras, I knew and always appreciated how special a player you really were.

Thanks for being who you are! :D