We all love the Mariners. Who could forget the day that they won their 116th game, tying the all time major league record, or of that time when Mike Cameron homered four times in one game. It sent a collective set of shivers down the spines of Seattlites everywhere. In fact, I am fairly certain that my first crush was on Joey Cora at the age of four. I swear to god I would have married him if he had only asked.

But of all of those “My Oh My” moments and “grand salami times,” Ken Griffey Junior still stands out as easily the best player to ever grace the dugout of the Seattle Mariners. He was essential in victories over the malevolent New York Yankees and kept up fan morale even when wins were hard to come by for the struggling squad.

And that is why we celebrate, because a little piece of heaven has returned to the Mariners this year, a glimpse of hope in the form of Ken Griffey Junior. Recently out of free agency from the Chicago White Sox, Griffey had a big decision to make: Sign with the Braves, close to his family in Atlanta, or, return to the team with which he found his first success as a major leaguer.

On the historic date of February 18, 2009, Ken Griffey Jr. rejoined the lineup of the Seattle Mariners (WOOHOOOOOO). Apparently, after a long phone call with hall of famer Willie Mays, Griffey decided that his legacy in Seattle more important.

However, diehard Mariners fans, let us not get too excited. We must remember that baseball is a team sport and one player cannot bring the worst team in the history of baseball to the World Series in one year. The Kingdome was not built in a day, although it was destroyed in seconds.