Mariners' Cal Raleigh makes Ken Griffey Jr. admission amid historic season
Seattle Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh has had a season that Mariners fans won't soon forget. Raleigh is hitting home runs at a rapid pace, and causing fans to remember the last franchise player who hit with such power. Raleigh is paying tribute to Mariners great Ken Griffey Jr.
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'To be mentioned with that name, with somebody who's just iconic, is a legend, is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I'm just blessed,' Raleigh said, per MLB.com. 'I'm just trying to do the right thing and trying to keep it rolling. If I can try to be like that guy, it's a good guy to look up to.'
Raleigh hit two home runs on Friday, in a 6-0 Seattle win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The win snapped a six-game Pirates winning streak. In that victory, Raleigh tied Griffey for the most home runs by a franchise player before the All-Star break.
Griffey and Raleigh both had seasons of 35 homers before the break. Griffey accomplished that feat in 1998, while Raleigh has done it this season. Raleigh leads all of MLB in home runs this season.
Cal Raleigh is building a relationship with Ken Griffey Jr.
While Griffey hasn't played in Seattle for several years, he still shares a special relationship with the franchise. In fact, Raleigh and Griffey are connected. Raleigh admits that he speaks with the retired MLB star on the phone. Griffey gives advice to the Mariners slugger.
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'He's pretty much like the face of the franchise, right?' Raleigh said. 'Ken Griffey, Ichiro, Felix. You can throw Randy [Johnson], Alvin Davis, Edgar, Dan up there on the Mount Rushmore of Mariners. I mean, not just the Mariners, but all of baseball, right? That iconic swing. And I think, too, is how many injuries the guy had — so many injuries. If he was healthy, he would have smashed the [all-time] home run record, I think, so it's even more impressive.'
The Mariners and Pirates play again on Saturday. Seattle holds a 46-42 record after their win on Friday. Seattle is second in the American League West, behind the Houston Astros.
Related: Mariners' Cal Raleigh could challenge Aaron Judge for AL MVP, ex-player says
Related: Cal Raleigh's 35th home run puts him in very rare company
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