Reports were rampant on Tuesday that Ken Griffey Jr. was on the verge of signing with the Braves. It's possible that he was leaning in that direction, but after mulling his options one more time overnight, he accepted a one-year contract Wednesday to return to the Mariners. Griffey's change of heart must leave the Braves feeling jilted at the altar -- not to mention a little deja vu -- but it's hard to fault a guy for wanting to end his career in the same spot it began two decades ago.
What's even better is that won't simply be a prop used to sell tickets to nostalgic fans: he was quite productive at the plate last year should be able to anchor the DH position, which was a black hole for the Mariners in 2008.
That said, even if he's not just a nostalgic prop to sell tickets, he knows he'll be a draw at the gate. He'll make a base salary of $2 million but could earn up to $4 million more through incentives based on at-bats and attendance.
That's a smart move on Junior's part. The Mariners ranked 20th among MLB teams in attendance last year, but as recent as 2004 the team ranked inside the league's top 10. When you combine the fact that the product on the field will be better with all the fans Griffey should draw, the Mariners should climb at least a handful of rungs in MLB's attendance rankings.
