Ken Griffey Jr. Provides a Turn Back the Clock Moment

As a man in his 30s, I view Ken Griffey Jr. as my generation’s player.

His mixture of grace and hustle combined with never before seen talent made us proud to call him our own. The iconic smile, swing, and, of all things, his baseball card made us all instantly love him regardless of team affiliation.

Back in his Seattle Mariners jersey for the first time, Griffey gives us a blast from the past as he parked one in the right field stands.

Twins' starter Fransisco Liriano made the make of hanging a slider over the plate, and Griffey managed to turn on it and pelt it out of the ball park.

It wasn’t a towering shot, and the swing didn’t look quite as good as it used to, but the image of him circling the bases was the same as it ever was.

His eighth opening day home run was a true gift for the people of my generation. I am sure you guys that came up in Griffey’s era will join me in sitting back, cracking open a beer and remembering baseball the way it was.

Not to say that today’s game isn’t great, clearly we all enjoy it. However, there is something special about seeing the stars of your youth get it done.

Mariners win opener at Minnesota, 6-1 (Geoff Baker/Seattle Times)