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Indeed, a lot has changed since April 1989. An adult Wayne is now the hottest artist in the land, Brooks is a mostly-retired gazillionaire, and Madonna is an old British lady. One thing that hasn't changed though is that Griffey is still hitting home runs.
He might not be "The Kid" anymore, but Junior's still got that sweet swing, and at 38 years old is coming off a solid, 30-homer campaign for the Reds. So to celebrate his memorable climb to the 600 club, we're going year-by-year to create the (un)official mixtape of his career.
Each one of these 20 songs came out during the year it accompanies, and in most cases represents where Griffey was during that stage in his career. Of course, sometimes the song fits just because it has a "G" in the title. Either way, let's start at the beginning:
1989: A 19-year-old Griffey arrives in Seattle and instantly takes the baseball world by storm. Kids are drawn to his youthful swagger, and older fans dig his perfect swing and already start comparing him to the all-time greats.
Track 1: I am the Resurrection -- The Stone Roses
1990: Griffey hits .300, has his first 20-homer season, and makes his first All-Star team.
Track 2: Mama Said Knock You Out -- LL Cool J
1991: 21-year-old Griffey has his first top 10 MVP finish, and along with 27-year-old fireballer Randy Johnson, propels the Mariners to their first winning record in the team's 15-year history. Seattle starts becoming cool for other, grungier reasons as well.
Track 3: In Bloom -- Nirvana
1992: Griffey sets new career highs in homers and RBI, but the Mariners win just 64 games. He also suffers from gigantism in the classic Simpsons episode "Homer at the Bat."
Track 4: Nuthin' But a G Thang -- Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
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| As in Griffey Jr.'s career, there were so many great things we never got to see Kurt Cobain do. (Getty Images) |
Track 5: Glorified G -- Pearl Jam
1994: Griffey blasts 40 home runs in just 111 games. He was on pace to hit 58 -- three short of Roger Maris' then-record 61 -- before the strike cut the season short.
Track 6: Say it Ain't So -- Weezer
1995: An injured Griffey plays in just 72 games, but the Mariners finish in first place and make the playoffs for the first time in team history. In his first postseason action, Griffey hit .391 with five homers and scores the winning run in a thrilling ALDS vs. the Yankees. The Mariners lost the ALCS to the Indians, but the victory over the Yankees was the most exciting moment in team history, and helped keep the Mariners from leaving Seattle.
Track 7: Champagne Supernova -- Oasis
1996: The Mariners finish in second place and miss the playoffs. But in a lineup featuring a 20-year-old MVP runner-up named Alex Rodriguez, Griffey posts the best numbers of his career.
Track 8: I Gave You Power -- Nas
1997: The good: Griffey hits 56 homers, wins his first (and only) MVP award and the Mariners return to the playoffs. The bad: Griffey goes 2-for-15 and the Mariners lose the ALDS to the Orioles. He hasn't been back to the postseason since.
Track 9: Bittersweet Symphony -- The Verve
1998: Griffey joins Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth as the only players to hit 50 home runs in back-to-back seasons.
Track 10: Return of the G -- Outkast
1999: Despite a 48-homer season and the opening of Safeco Field (nicknamed "The House that Griffey Built"), Junior decides Seattle is no longer the place for him.
Track 11: Why does it always rain on me? -- Travis
2000: In his first season with the Reds, Griffey hits 40 homers and the team finishes in a respectable second place.
Track 12: Optimistic -- Radiohead
2001: A 31-year-old Griffey misses 51 games and doesn't make the All-Star team for the first time since he was a teenager. The Reds finish 66-96.
Track 13: Is This It -- The Strokes
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| Jay-Z's compilation of hits has him only a few behind Pete Rose's record pace. (Getty Images) |
Track 14: Losing My Edge -- LCD Soundsystem
2003: 53 games. .247 average. 13 homers.
Track 15: 99 Problems -- Jay Z
2004: On the bright side, Griffey makes the All-Star team for first time since 2000. Unfortunately, his season ends early for the third straight year, and Reds fans are stuck with a fourth-place finish.
Track 16: Can't Stand Me Now -- The Libertines
2005: Griffey stays healthy (for him, anyway), appearing in 128 games. He goes on to hit 35 homers and win the Comeback Player of the Year award. During the season, Griffey makes a significant dent in the all-time homer list, passing Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Willie McCovey, Ernie Banks, Eddie Matthews, Mel Ott, and Eddie Murray.
Track 17: Feel Good, Inc. -- Gorillaz
2006: 36-year-old Junior misses the first month of the season, then finishes with 27 homers. The Reds win 80 games for the first time since 2000.
Track 18: Back Like That -- Ghostface Killah feat. Ne-Yo
2007: Griffey finally makes the move from center field to right, hits 30 homers, and plays in more than 140 games for the first time since 2000. He also returns to the All-Star Game, garnering more votes than any other National Leaguer. He ends the season just seven homers shy of 600.
Track 19: Stronger -- Kanye West
2008: After hitting his 597th homer on April 23, Griffey goes homerless for a month. Last Monday he took Florida's Mark Hendrickson deep, becoming just the sixth player in history to hit 600 home runs. At 32-36 through Thursday, the Reds are in last place in the NL Central.
Track 20: I Got Mine -- The Black Keys