MLB Hall Of Fame

Ken Griffey Jr. had 2,781 hits, 630 homers (sixth-most in MLB history), 1,662 runs and 1,836 RBIs in his 22-year career.

Ken Griffey Jr. is headed to the place for which he always seemed destined — the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced its 2016 class for induction on MLB Network. As expected, Griffey headed the list of two players to receive votes on at least 75 percent of the 440 Hall of Fame ballots submitted by eligible voters from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America required to gain induction.

Also joining Griffey, a part-time Tucson resident and the father of UA wide receiver Trey Griffey and Wildcats point guard Taryn Griffey, is catcher Mike Piazza. Both will be inducted into the Hall on July 24.

Though Griffey was on 437 of the ballots (99.3 percent), he was left off of three, meaning no player has been unanimously voted into the Hall of Fame. Pitcher Tom Seaver held the record with 98.84 percent in 1992.

Jeff Bagwell fell just short Wednesday with 71.6 percent of the vote, as did speedster Tim Raines (69.8 percent), UA product Trevor Hoffman (67.3 percent) and right-handed pitchers Curt Schilling (52.3 percent) and Roger Clemens (45.2 percent). Sluggers Barry Bonds (44.3 percent) and Edgar Martinez (43.4 percent) finished well short of the 75 percent needed for enshrinement.

“Happy and shocked,” Griffey said when asked about his election during an interview on MLB Network on Wednesday. “Happy that I get to be in such an elite club. I’m thankful to the writers.”

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred congratulated Griffey in a statement Wednesday:

“Ken Griffey Jr.’s swing, smile and immense talent in all facets of the game made him one of the most popular and respected players of all-time, a stature clearly evident in the results released (Wednesday). His election to Cooperstown surely marks a great occasion not only in the Pacific Northwest and his hometown of Cincinnati, but also for an entire generation of fans. Major League Baseball is proud to congratulate Ken and his family on this well-deserved honor.”

There was little doubt about Griffey’s induction. His baseball résumé and list of accomplishments made him a lock.

It’s all but certain that he will go in as a Mariner. He has indicated privately that he plans to wear a Mariners cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. He will be the first Mariners player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Griffey’s former teammate, Randy Johnson, went in as an Arizona Diamondback last year, and announcer Dave Niehaus was inducted via the Ford C. Frick award in 2008.

Griffey’s career spanned three decades and 22 big-league seasons with three organizations — Seattle, the Reds and the White Sox.

In 2,617 career games — the majority in a Seattle uniform — Griffey had 2,781 hits, 630 homers (sixth-most in MLB history), 1,662 runs and 1,836 RBIs.

From an honors standpoint, he appeared in 13 All-Star Games (voted a starter in all 13), earned 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Slugger awards and was voted to Major League Baseball’s All-Century team at age 29. He was the unanimous American League MVP in 1997 and led the AL in homers four times (1994, 1997-99).

It’s easy to reminisce how much better the numbers could have been if Griffey had avoided the injuries that came with his fearless style of play or the debilitating effects from years playing on artificial turf.

Beyond the numbers, Griffey left an indelible mark on baseball on Seattle. After internal debate between then-owner George Argyros and the rest of the front office, the Mariners selected Griffey with the No. 1 overall pick of the 1987 draft, eschewing Argyros’ preference of Mike Harkey.

Griffey quickly rose through the minor leagues and made his big-league debut in the 1989 season. From there, he became a phenomenon in the Northwest and in baseball, injecting a youthful energy and bringing a level of excitement that was needed for a moribund franchise.

With his megawatt smile, his cap turned backward and penchant for highlight-reel plays, Griffey made baseball cool. He had a rap song and a candy bar and video game on Nintendo.

It made him the hero for a generation of fans, who emulated his every move, including his trademark batting stance — upright, bat cocked and ready with a slight wiggle — while failing to replicate the flawless swing that followed and the record-setting results.

Said Mariners chairman and CEO Howard Lincoln in a statement Wednesday:

“On behalf of everyone associated with the Seattle Mariners, congratulations to Ken Griffey Jr. on his election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. This is a great day for Mariners fans and really all baseball fans to celebrate his outstanding career and love of the game.”