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 Linda Thomas
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Ken Griffey Jr. Way hits a brick wall

June 29, 2010 @ 2:55 am (Updated: 3:46 pm - 3/28/11 )

The road between a great idea and accomplishing a task is a long one, as Glen Garnett is finding out.

Almost a month ago Garnett came up with the idea of renaming a part of 1st Avenue, in front of Safeco Field, in honor of retired Seattle Mariner Ken Griffey Jr.

With 630 home runs, 13 all star appearances, 1836 RBI’s and 10 gold gloves, if anyone deserves to have a street with their name on it, it's Griffey, he thought, "in front of the house that he built."

KenGriffeyWay

Garnett's slam dunk idea - or in this case, home run - took off. More than 3,400 people joined a Facebook group to further the cause.

About three weeks ago Garnett personally delivered letters to eight businesses along the block that would be effected by the name change. He's also heard from two Seattle City Council members - Sally Clark and Tom Rasmussen - who are both interested in working with him on a street name change.

Next, he took his campaign to a Mariners game, where more people encouraged him. He walked around with a bright yellow sign trying to rally support for Ken Griffey Jr. Way.

"Many fist bumps, cheers, and other supportive gestures where made as I walked around that night," he says. "I got a ton of support from the fans."

Now the effort has run into a brick wall.

A couple of the businesses along 1st Avenue say they won't support the name change. The problem is the expense they'd incur changing the addresses on their business cards, letter head and other marketing materials.

GlenGarnett2Garnett isn't giving up, but he does have another priority for the next few weeks.

He's getting married!

"After I get back I would like to hold a rally to get the fans involved," he says. He's hoping to pull that off in mid or late July.

The Mariners organization hasn't set a date for a fan celebration to honor Griffey because they haven't heard from Junior about what he wants to do to mark the end of his career as a player with the team.

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (19)


  • Add A Comment

  • MarinersFan116 wrote...
    Really!?
    June 29, 2010 7:02 am
    Too much to change you buisness cards! What a joke! I hope the names of these buisness that aren't supporting this get leaked out and I'll go out of my way to boycott them. Guy is a city hero and deserves this and a couple hole-in-the-wall establishments shouldn't get in the way of it!
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  • mo3484 wrote...
    Ken Griffey Jr Way
    June 29, 2010 7:18 am
    What a great business address from a marketing sense. I am all for it....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Country_Dog wrote...
    Hit a brick wall...
    June 29, 2010 7:50 am
    just like Griffey's career.

    Maybe it could be called Napping Avenue, or Trade Me Please Place.

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  • Lawdawgie wrote...
    And After "Napping Avenue"...
    June 29, 2010 8:05 am
    we could name the Sewer Department after A-Rod and the Sanitation Department after The Big Unit. All three of these pirates snubbed Seattle when they took the money and ran, and now we want to glorify them?
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  • ba2380 wrote...
    He deserves this?
    June 29, 2010 8:13 am
    really....? because he is the city's hero? hey, i grew up watching Griffey and am just as much a fan as the rest. but let us not forget he was paid very well for his services. He didn't volunteer his services. furthermore, we are talking baseball here, not life. you want to start naming heros, let's focus on the people who make a difference in the lives of others. police(for the most part) firefighters, teachers....etc. Griffey played baseball. yeah he gave us something to cheer about, but it is a sport, not life and death.
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  • anotherfencewalker wrote...
    Load o' crap..
    June 29, 2010 8:30 am
    Ken G. was not a hero. He was part of a "team". Especially in the feel good years, he didnt carry the load, he just hit a lot of home runs. Key? Yes. The whole story..no way.
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  • MK wrote...
    No Cost To Businesses
    June 29, 2010 8:52 am
    It won't cost the businesses anything. Just like Edgar Martinez Drive, it will most likely only be a block long. If someone addressed a letter to them for 1st Ave, it will still get delivered. The businesses won't have to change anything on business cards, letter head or flyers until they run out and replace them.
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  • HLC wrote...
    Actually the sewer dept. should be renamed.
    June 29, 2010 9:17 am
    COUNTRY DOG WAY.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • roomtemp wrote...
    Really? You're kidding right?
    June 29, 2010 10:10 am
    A baseball player is a city hero? Because he hits a ball sometimes? It's not like he pulls babies out of burning buildings on the way to the plate.

    Is it going to be called "Overpaid ball-chucker Blvd"? Sports fans are almost as annoying as politicians. Might as well name a street after Paris Hilton next...

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  • awbitf wrote...
    You really want to name a street after a guy
    June 29, 2010 11:05 am
    that demanded a trade out of this city? He didn't want to be here, and only came back because no one would give him a contract. Next up- Alex Rodriguez Bvld?

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