SHANNON DRAYER

Ken Griffey Jr. was an idol to a generation of young baseball fans, including current Mariners

Jul 22, 2016, 11:34 AM | Updated: 11:43 am

Felix Hernandez called Ken Griffey Jr. "a hero for most of the players growing up." (AP)...

Felix Hernandez called Ken Griffey Jr. "a hero for most of the players growing up." (AP)

(AP)

LISTEN: Mariners players share their memories of Ken Griffey Jr.

Ask players in the Mariners’ clubhouse about soon-to-be Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and the conversations aren’t much different than what you’d hear from guys of a similar age anywhere else in this country.

“I loved watching him,” said Chris Iannetta, who grew up in Providence, R.I. “It was tough watching him on the West Coast. I’d wake up and check out “SportsCenter” at 6:30 in the morning when I woke up to go to school. I liked to see what he was doing. I loved the way he played, I loved the swing, and the whole persona was pretty special.

“When I was a fan, it was Griffey.”

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At about the same time, Griffey came across the radar of a young Adam Lind growing up in Anderson, Ind. Like so many other young teens at the time, Griffey’s play – and his shoes – caught Lind’s attention.

“I had more than enough Griffey stuff, but my favorite? The spikes,” Lind said. “He had interchangeable cleats where you could go from rubbers, and it came with a cool screwdriver, and you could take those off and put in spikes. There was a Velcro Nike strap and there was shiny chrome.”

Like Iannetta, Lind followed Junior on “SportsCenter” as well as “Baseball Tonight.” He believes the re-runs of the Home Run Derbies also helped increase his popularity.

“I remember when I went to the Rookie Development Program, I’m right in the prime of (Griffey) and I remember being there and half of the players, Ken Griffey Jr. was their favorite player,” Lind recalled. “It’s crazy how popular he was playing all the way out here.”

Said Kyle Seager: “I think everybody knew about him growing up. On the East Coast, I was as far away possible. He was so much bigger than baseball. I mean, oh my gosh, he did everything. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t do. That was basically the guy when you are a little kid, honest to God, that’s who everyone wants to be. When you are playing his video game, that’s who you want to be. It’s a larger-than-life thing.”

Shawn O’Malley grew up in the Tri-Cities and was able to see Griffey play in person.

“I loved his Spiderman catch,” O’Malley said. “That might be my favorite play. He always played hard, he always played with a smile on his face. I think that is one of the biggest things I remember about Ken is he was always having fun laughing. He really brought a lot to those teams. He played 20 years. Very few people can say they played that long. I think he had fun up until the last pitch he took.”

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Taijuan Walker admired Griffey’s athleticism. When faced with the opportunity to meet him, Walker was in awe.

“The first time I met him I was kind of star-struck, scared,” Walker remembered. “I was 18. I was just looking at him. He’s right next to me. I didn’t say anything. I just kind of walked away, but the next time I saw him we started talking and built a good relationship.”

According to Walker, it isn’t unusual to get a text from Junior before one of his starts.

“‘Go get ’em today.’ Stuff like that,” he said.

Walker isn’t the only Mariners pitcher with whom Griffey keeps in touch.

“My hero,” Felix Hernandez said. “A hero for most of the players growing up. He was unbelievable. A great teammate. We talked a lot about baseball. He helped me with a few things when I was pitching. He’s a great guy, a great guy.”

The two have a playful relationship with each other.

“I call him Swingman all the time and he calls me Pitchman,” Felix said with a laugh. “It was back and forth all the time. It was an honor.”

It was more than fun and games for the two. After a disastrous start in Minnesota in 2009, Griffey was there for Felix, not just with one of the hugs he was famous for but with his time and his hitter’s eye. He watched video with Felix and offered some advice.

“He told me, ‘You don’t pitch like that. Don’t let anyone tell you how to pitch. You pitch aggressive. Just go out there and do your best,'” Felix recalled. “It meant a lot to me.”

Though he never played with him, Seager has enjoyed the opportunity to get to know Griffey a bit in spring training.

“That’s pretty special,” he said. “From a guy who grows up putting him on such a different level, to actually be able to sit in a locker room and talk with him like a person? It’s pretty wild. And when you get to know him as a person, you understand how awesome he is and how incredible he is. It’s amazing. Probably the best I ever saw in person and not even that. Just getting to meet him, he’s just a great human in general. I am very happy for him and I am blessed that I even got to meet him.”

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The Mariners will be on the field in Toronto when the Hall of Fame ceremonies are taking place Sunday morning. But their thoughts will be with Griffey as he takes his place among the game’s greats.

“It’s crazy,” Walker said. “One of the best baseball players ever. The fact that he played for the Mariners, and I am able to play for the same team he did is really cool and exciting.”

Added Felix: “I’m going to be watching. I am going to listen to his speech. I know it is going to be fun. He deserves to be there. He is unbelievable.”

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Ken Griffey Jr. was an idol to a generation of young baseball fans, including current Mariners