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Ken Griffey Jr. Way update

September 7, 2010 @ 2:50 am (Updated: 3:46 pm - 3/28/11 )

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A little over three months ago Ken Griffey Jr. retired from baseball in Seattle, with a simple statement: "I've come to a decision today to retire from Major League Baseball as an active player...My hope is that my teammates can focus on baseball and win a championship for themselves and for the great fans of Seattle, who so very much deserve one."

Griffey retired on June 2nd, 23 years to the day after he was drafted. As soon as Griffey announced he was done with baseball as a player, he was gone, on the road home to Florida. That same day, Seattle Mariner fan Glen Garnett started a campaign to rename a Seattle street after the baseball legend. Are we any closer to having it happen?

"I've loved this guy so much because he has a natural swing. He is amazing in baseball," says Garnett.

Garnett has never met Griffey, but he has been relentless in trying to get a part of 1st Avenue in front of Safeco Field renamed in honor of Junior - someone who was an inspiration to a generation of boys who were just starting to play baseball, he says.

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"When kids played baseball in their back yard or out on the diamond they'd think 'I wanna be Ken Griffey Jr.' because he was so polite. He was so unique. He was so powerful," Garnett says. "People wanted to be like him."

Before there can be a Ken Griffey Jr. Way, about 10 businesses on a block along 1st Avenue would have to change their addresses. In hopes of convincing them to give in, Garnett launched a new website this week - KenGriffeyJrWay.com - where people can sign a petition supporting the name change.

And he's not stopping there. Garnett wants to start a non-profit foundation to raise money for a statue in Griffey's likeness, and later raise money to help children in Griffey's name.

A couple of Seattle City Council members support the idea of a name change, but they're waiting for businesses on that stretch of 1st to get behind the effort. In the meantime, they've suggested giving the Kid an "honorary" street name.

"People are saying they don't want that," says Garnett. "Edgar Martinez has his own street, why can't Griffey have his own street?"

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In this photo from the AP's Elaine Thompson was taken one day before Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on June 2nd of this year. Thompson also took the classic photo below on October 8, 1995 with Griffey smiling from beneath a pile of teammates after he scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning against the New York Yankees in Seattle.

ClassicGriffey

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Comments (20)


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  • DickeyDoo wrote...
    its a good idea, what you need to do is....
    September 7, 2010 5:43 am
    Hype up KG's new road as one of the best ever in Seattle - then make it one of South Seattle's roads that is always under constant repair. Because as far back as I remember that exactly who Ken Griffey aways was. Hyped up and then under constant repair.
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  • wonderfullone wrote...
    Much better idea than 'renaming' an entire county
    September 7, 2010 6:05 am
    for someone who did nothing here.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Ken Griffey Jr. Way should be a roundabout, with Cleveland on the far side
    September 7, 2010 7:13 am
    Build a giant roundabout. When a driver gets on in Seattle, the surface is not as well paved as might be- but the design and engineering are promising. The closer one gets to Cleveland, diametrically opposite Seattle, the smoother and more refined the pavement becomes.

    After a long arc of pleasant driving near Cleveland, the pavement will progressively deteriorate as the roundabout returns to Seattle. By the time the route finally terminates where it began, Seattle baseball fans will be thrilled to drive on any sort of road that once upon a time transcended medicority. Few will notice the formerly grand thoroughfare has become a muddy, rutted cow path. Few will care that the team bus sacrificed an axle to motor down that final mile.

    Doesn't Griffey live in Florida? Put his boulevard there- or Cleveland. The Pacfic NW loved Griffey; but he never really loved us back. Ichiro? There's a class act. He could sign with any team in the major leagues, and probably for more money. Ichiro remains in Seattle where our last spectacular season was about 15 years ago. Ichiro is loyal to Seattle- I would support naming a street for him.

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  • CG58 wrote...
    DickeyDoo ain't got a clue
    September 7, 2010 7:39 am
    Obviously Mr. DickeyDoo is new to baseball and maybe the Seattle area. The reason Griffey Jr. is considered one of the greatest players of all times, by not only fans but former teammates and managers, is because his play on the field warranted election to the All Star team virtually every year he was in Seattle. Off the field, as Shannon Drayer has reported on several occasions, he gave generously of his time and resources to help the less fortunate of our community. So Mr. Dickedoo, how about growing up and stop acting like a spoiled child who doesn't want anyone else to get acclamation and recognition because he hasn't gotten any first.
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  • Burdie wrote...
    Why Cleveland?
    September 7, 2010 7:45 am
    Wouldn't your new roundabout go through Cincinnati? Cincinnati is where Griffey was born, raised and played at? I totally disagree that he never loved Seattle.....he could have left Seattle for more money but he didn't....he left to go home to Cinci. He deserves a street!
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  • awbitf wrote...
    What a terrible, terrible idea
    September 7, 2010 7:47 am
    Why honor a guy that demanded a trade out of your town and only came back because no one else was calling?

    Welcome to Seattle, where we're stuck in the early 90's and don't care if you're loyal!

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  • kents wrote...
    WHY DO ANYTHING!
    September 7, 2010 9:07 am
    HE WANTED TO LEAVE ONCE AND HE RAN AWAY AT THE END. THE GUY IS A SPOILED WHINING LITTLE INSIGNIFICANT GUY. DESERVES NOTHING FROM SEATTLE. EXCEPT MAYBE A STATUE BY THE STADIUM HOLDING SUITCASE.
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  • artimus wrote...
    wonderfullone
    September 7, 2010 10:36 am
    Your ability to burp up a negative, boarish (lame attempt at a) political statement, totally out of context with the story at hand, astounds. Are you familiar with the term 'non sequitur'?
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  • marcelsees wrote...
    Ken Griffey's Way: Selfishness ...
    September 7, 2010 10:38 am
    Jesus, how myopic and blind the citizens of Seattle are to consider naming a street after the narcissistic Ken Griffey Jr. It's not once, but twice this guy's screwed the city and M's franchise. In 1999, when Junior threw a tantrum and demanded a trade, He forced to the M's into a situation that ultimately lead to relatively little value in return. Junior never looked back. Then there was this year's fiasco. When Wakamatsu took his meager batting average out of the lineup, the narcissistic one took his bats-n-balls and went home, like the pouting child he is. Left in the dark of night without a word to anyone. Edgar Martinez is a fully actualized adult who's dedication to the community is unquestioned. Ken Griffey Jr. is a self-centered child, who's contribution to the community was merely incidental to his own self interest. Come on Seattle ... are we that hero starved?!
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  • Chuck Gould wrote...
    Burdie......yer right, Cinci
    September 7, 2010 10:45 am
    I get those C cities in Ohio mixed up sometimes. :-)

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