Ken Griffey Jr.: Aaron Judge Responded to Text with 'I'm Just Trying to Be Like You'

One of the former faces of baseball had nothing but praise for the home run king of the 2022 season.

Ken Griffey Jr. said I "tip my hat" to Aaron Judge when asked about his reaction to the New York Yankees slugger hitting 62 long balls this season during a discussion with Ryan Clark, Fred Taylor and Channing Crowder for Pivot Podcast.

"I actually sent him a note, 'Congratulations, keep going,'" Griffey said. "And he texts back, 'Thanks, I'm just trying to be like you.'"

There was a time when Griffey challenged the previous American League record of 61 home runs in a season, which was set by Roger Maris in 1961. He hit 56 homers in back-to-back seasons in 1997 and 1998 on the Seattle Mariners during a stretch of five straight years with at least 40 long balls.

While the Hall of Famer also played for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, No. 24 was an icon during the 1990s for those Mariners teams.

Known for his backward hat and sweet swing, Griffey quickly became a favorite even for baseball fans who didn't cheer for Seattle. The center fielder finished his career with a resume that included an MVP in '97, 13 All-Star nods, 10 Gold Gloves, seven Silver Sluggers and three Home Run Derby titles.

If Judge is trying to be like Griffey, there are far worse careers to emulate.

Griffey's take on the home run record is also notable because he played during what is considered baseball's steroid era but was never linked to steroids like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.

Bonds, McGwire and Sosa are the only players in MLB history with more home runs in a season than Judge, with Bonds holding the record he set in 2001 with 73.

The connection between the players ahead of him on the homer list and steroids makes Judge's 62 this season all the more notable, and Griffey is quite the fan. He even suggested that the 30-year-old Californian should come play for Seattle when he hits free agency this offseason.