Griffey Farewell Tour Back for an Encore in Seattle

The Kid isn't done yet.

After signing with the Seattle Mariners, the team he spent his first 11 seasona with, during the 2008 off season, many baseball fans thought that it would be their last chance to see Ken Griffey, Jr. on the ball field.

But on November 11th, Griffey astonished fans again (as he has done his entire pro career) by signing another one-year contract with the Mariners.

Griffey, who won 10 Gold Glove awards and the 1997 AL MVP during his first stint in Seattle, hit .214 with 19 homeruns and 57 RBI last season for a Mariners club that won 24 (hmmm...odd coincidence) more games during the 2009 campaign than it did the year before.

Griffey, who played all but 26 of his 117 games at DH, returns to a promising Seattle club that could make a run for the playoffs next season.

Griffey, who is second on list of games played (2638) without a World Series game behind Rafael Palmeiro (2831), returns to Seattle in hopes a young team making a run in the 2010 season.

Junior has made the postseason with the Mariners twice times (1995 and 1997) and once as a member of the Chicago White Sox (2008). The Mariners reached the ALCS in 1995 but lost to Cleveland in six games.

Griffey is ranked fifth in career homeruns (630), and is 30 home runs behind Hall of Famer Willie Mays (660). The closest active player to Griffey is Alex Rodriguez (583).