Two weeks ago, I’m spending the afternoon at Safeco Field with Ryan, my 5 year old godson. In the bottom of the 9th, the offensively-challenged Seattle Mariners – losers of five in a row – rally from two down to tie the game. Cheers swell from the remaining fans as a pinch hitter comes to the plate.
"Why is everybody standing?" asks Ryan.
"Because that's Ken Griffey Junior, the best Mariner player ever," I explain, holding him up on his folding seat to see. Griffey strokes a ball down the right field line, the crowd explodes, and teammates rush from the dugout to mob a beaming Griffey.
Ryan turns to me: "Did we win?"
In the 1990’s, we Seattleites had the privilege of watching Junior emerge as the best player in the game. By now, the game has moved past him. And Griffey’s game-winning RBI two weeks ago turns out to be the last hit of his career.
"Yes we did," I tell Ryan. “We won.”
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2010_05_20_tormlb_seamlb_1&mode=wrap