After 22 seasons of playing professional baseball, MLB star Ken Griffey Jr. retires from the game. At the young age of 19, Griffey made his official debut with the Seattle Mariners and spent some time with the Cincinnatti Reds . His astounding career left him ranked fifth overall for most career home runs. Ken Griffey Jr. was by far one of the greatest MLB players of the 90’s until injuries began to stifle his playing abilities. This decision was not based on the fact that Griffey did not think he was up to the challenge of continuing to play. He more so wanted to give others on his team a chance to shine:
“While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field and nobody has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them prior to the 2009 season and was invited back that I will never allow myself to become a distraction.”
“I feel that without enough occasional starts to be sharper coming off the bench, my continued presence as a player would be an unfair distraction to my team-mates.”
Retiring at the age of 40 was a smart thing for Ken Griffey Jr. to do. Often times, professional athletes try to stay around as long as possible but end up over staying their welcome.