By Keith_Osso. Published Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

We all knew it was coming at some point this year. Some of us cringed every time he stepped to the plate this season. Some of us feel relief that he called it quits so we wouldn't have to watch it anymore. But all of us were lucky to have been alive and been able to watch Ken Griffey Jr. play the game of baseball.

I grew up watching Junior. I, like many that grew up in the northwest stopped what I was doing every time he stepped to the plate. I played centerfield because of Junior. I wore the number 24 because of Junior. And most importantly, I fell in love with the game of baseball because of Junior. I played baseball for 18 years of my life, and though I never really "made it" as a player, the game has been a large part of me. I've learned a lot of life lessons because of lessons I learned on the baseball field. I learned to deal with failure. I learned that I can deliver in a clutch situation. I learned how to depend on others and thrive in a team atmosphere. I learned how to be a leader. All of these lessons I use in my daily life. And the reason I played so long was because I loved the game of baseball. If you look at things that way, Junior had a large influence on my life.

I will never forget the memories that I have watching Griffey with my family. I will never forget the excitement he helped to bring all of us in the Mariners first playoff run of 1995. I will never forget the domination he displayed in the post season when the world was watching. I'll never forget the last game ever played in the Kingdome where he not only homered, but took a home run away. I'll never forget being on the field when he was introduced in 2009, his first game back with Seattle. I will never forget being in the media mob and interviewing him in front of his locker that day. I will never forget the home runs, the throws, the catches, or him scoring the biggest run in Mariners history.

I stop today and look back at his career, and I know a lot of people will play the "what if" game. If he hadn't gotten hurt would he be the all-time home run leader? I say, let's play the "even though" game. Even though he got hurt a lot, he still ends his careers as one of the greatest to ever play. Even though he got hurt a lot, he still finished 5th on the all-time home run list. Even though he played in an Era with players taking every shortcut imaginable, he thrived without being accused of cheating. Even though he got old and out of shape, he continued to love the game, and lead his team. Even though it was tough to watch this season, he's still the greatest sports athlete in Seattle history.

It's fun to compare Ken Griffey Jr. to other great baseball players and try to figure out where he ranks among them. Is he one of the top-5 players to ever play? Some say he would be if it weren't for the injuries. I think time will change people's outlook on that. People consider Mickey Mantle to be one of the best players to ever play, and he had his share of injuries as well. People consider Roberto Clemente as one of the greatest, and his career was cut short by his tragic death. I still put Griffey in the top-5, and I think over time, many others will as well. Junior is a first-ballot hall-of-famer without question. He did it at the plate, with his legs, and in the field. If Willie Mays is the popular answer for greatest all-around baseball player of all-time, then Griffey has to be up there with him. I understand that Mays played in an era of huge baseball fields where he had to cover a lot more ground, and in theory it was harder to hit home runs. I argue that because of those large fields, Mays didn't have to sacrifice his body as much slamming into the walls. The greatest highlight you see of Willie Mays is the great over the shoulder catch and throw. What is lost in that highlight, is that catch is impossible today, because there isn't a field in the league that would hold that blast. You could run a 5 minute highlight reel of Griffey catches where he climbed, or slammed into a wall, that you never saw Mays have to do. Would Griffey have less injuries in bigger ballparks? I don't know, but you would have to agree that it is certainly possible.

In his prime, Ken Griffey Jr. had the fastest hands and bat speed I have ever seen. His un-coil was lightning fast and the baseball left the park equally fast. He played this game with such ease and grace, it looked easy. But as all of us know from having played the game at some point in our lives, it is anything but easy. Watching the video's that have been running the last 24 hours showing highlights throughout his career still leave me speechless.

I didn't live in the time of Mantle, Ruth, Mays, Gehrig, or Williams. I don't get to tell my grandchildren that I saw DiMaggio hit one out. But I can say I was there and saw Ken Griffey Jr. play. The best baseball player I will probably ever have the opportunity to see. Thanks Junior for coming back to Seattle. Thanks for helping me love this great game.