It took Griffey all of one swing to live up to the hype in front of his hometown crowd. He sent the very first pitch he saw at the Kingdome over the left field wall for his first MLB home run.

Griffey assembled a highlight reel of sensational catches during his first. None showcase the way he played the game better than when he robbed Jesse Barfield of a home run. An incredible play and an ear-to-ear smile. That was Junior.

Early in his career, Griffey Jr. played alongside his father, Ken Griffey Sr. The duo made quite the family memory when the elder Griffey homered then watched his son do the same right after.

Junior didn't just rob home runs. No ball was safe when he was in the outfield. Ruben Sierra learned that the hard way. Griffey made a similar catch in 1995 and fractured his wrist.

Griffey Jr. won the Home Run Derby three times, but his most memorable moment came when he crushed a ball out of Camden Yards and off the warehouse across the street.

Junior was part of plenty of history during his career. That includes trying the record for most consecutive games with a home run at eight. Fittingly, he nearly crushed the record-tying shot into the third deck.

After fracturing his wrist, Griffey returned from a lengthy DL stint to help spark Seattle's "Refuse to Lose" surge to the AL West title. His walk-off home run against John Wetteland and the Yankees may have been the turning point that triggered the run.

The most famous play in Mariners history. Of course Griffey had to be at the center of it. Edgar Martinez hit the double and Griffey came racing home at speeds that don't even seem human. Him smiling at the bottom of the dogpile might be the image of his career. Oh, he hit .391 with five HRs in that series too.

Few could make an entire stadium buzz quite like Junior did. His swing was so smooth, yet so powerful. When he crushed this ball, he became just the fourth player ever to put a ball in the upper deck at the SkyDome.

Robbing a home run is an incredibly difficult task. Junior made it look so easy. This may have been his most casual amazing catch. No big deal.

Arguably the greatest catch of his illustrious career. The distance he covered to even attempt a play on this ball at Old Tigers Stadium is staggering. Then of course there is the catch itself. When opposing fans celebrate a player robbing their team of a home run, you know it's an all-timer.

There was little question Griffey would join the 500 HR Club. He still managed to do it in style, crushing a home run at home and sharing a great moment with his dad and family.

Injuries derailed the later years of Griffey’s career and robbed him of a chance to chase the all-time home run mark. But even with continual injury issues after turning 30, Junior still managed to become the sixth player to join the 600 home run club. [8:54]