Still a chance? Griffey denies report he picked Braves
Ken Griffey Jr. said Tuesday that a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he signed with the braves is not accurate.
"We are still kicking things around with my family and have not made a decision," Griffey told MLB.com. "This is the first time in my career that I have been a free agent, and it's nerve-wracking."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a source close to the veteran star and familiar with the on-going negotiations said Griffey decided to sign with the Braves over an offer to return to Seattle, where he played his first 11 seasons with the Mariners and was the American League MVP in 1997.
Griffey told MLB.com that he heard about the story and sent a text message to Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and CEO Howard Lincoln, telling them that the report was not accurate.
The 39-year-old slugger is credited with helping save baseball in Seattle with majestic home runs, wall-scaling catches and magnetic charisma while playing his first 11 seasons there through 1999. He amassed 398 home runs and 1,152 RBIs during that period, and those 398 home runs still rank as the most ever for a Seattle Mariner.
Expressing a desire to be closer to his family in Florida, he then asked for, and received a trade to his hometown Cincinnati Reds before the 2000 season for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer.
In June 2007, Griffey returned to Seattle to a hero's welcome when the Reds faced the Mariners in an interleague series. At the time, Griffey expressed a desire to perhaps retire a Mariner.
"You always want to retire with the team you started with," Griffey said on June 24, 2007. "I mean, you look at Emmitt Smith and everybody else."
In 2008, he was traded at the baseball trading deadline in late July to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Masset and Danny Richar.
After the White Sox declined the $16.5 million option on Griffey's contract at the end of the season, a return to Seattle for a fraction of the price seemed possible.
In December, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said he had preliminary talks with Goldberg about possibly bringing back Griffey, who is fifth all-time with 611 home runs in 20 seasons.
"We are still kicking things around with my family and have not made a decision," Griffey told MLB.com. "This is the first time in my career that I have been a free agent, and it's nerve-wracking."
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that a source close to the veteran star and familiar with the on-going negotiations said Griffey decided to sign with the Braves over an offer to return to Seattle, where he played his first 11 seasons with the Mariners and was the American League MVP in 1997.
Griffey told MLB.com that he heard about the story and sent a text message to Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and CEO Howard Lincoln, telling them that the report was not accurate.
The 39-year-old slugger is credited with helping save baseball in Seattle with majestic home runs, wall-scaling catches and magnetic charisma while playing his first 11 seasons there through 1999. He amassed 398 home runs and 1,152 RBIs during that period, and those 398 home runs still rank as the most ever for a Seattle Mariner.
Expressing a desire to be closer to his family in Florida, he then asked for, and received a trade to his hometown Cincinnati Reds before the 2000 season for Mike Cameron, Brett Tomko, Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer.
In June 2007, Griffey returned to Seattle to a hero's welcome when the Reds faced the Mariners in an interleague series. At the time, Griffey expressed a desire to perhaps retire a Mariner.
"You always want to retire with the team you started with," Griffey said on June 24, 2007. "I mean, you look at Emmitt Smith and everybody else."
In 2008, he was traded at the baseball trading deadline in late July to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Masset and Danny Richar.
After the White Sox declined the $16.5 million option on Griffey's contract at the end of the season, a return to Seattle for a fraction of the price seemed possible.
In December, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said he had preliminary talks with Goldberg about possibly bringing back Griffey, who is fifth all-time with 611 home runs in 20 seasons.