Ken Griffey Jr. changed the game. The backwards hat. The smooth lefty swing. The center field robberies. He didn’t just play baseball — he made it cool.
On July 24, 2016, Griffey was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame, after a career that included over 600 home runs, 10 Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star nods, and an MVP season that still feels unreal. He received the highest Hall of Fame voting percentage ever at the time — because of course he did.
But it was never just about the stats. It was the way he made fans feel. He made baseball electric — like anything could happen when he stepped to the plate. He brought kids to the ballpark and kept them glued to the screen.
Whether it was Seattle, Cincinnati, or just your backyard, Griffey was the reason a generation picked up a glove.
Nine years later, we’re still celebrating. We always will.