Classic Mariners Games: Ken Griffey Jr. Hits 56th Home Run in 1998
Tune in to 710 ESPN Seattle tonight at 7:00 PM for an encore broadcast of Junior’s historic home run in 1998
Tonight’s featured Mariners Classics game is the Mariners game against the Texas Rangers on September 25, 1998, with Ken Griffey Jr. hitting his 56th home run of the season. Follow the game tonight at 7:00 pm on 710 ESPN Seattle. A full schedule of classic broadcasts is available at Mariners.com/Classics.
In the Mariners third-to-last game of the 1998 season, Ken Griffey Jr. connected on a historic home run. After a pitching change in the 6th inning with the Mariners leading the Rangers, 8–0, Griffey deposited Eric Gunderson’s first pitch of the game into the upper deck in right field.
The three-run home run marked Griffey’s 56th home run of the season and the 350th of his career. Griffey became the youngest player in baseball history to hit 350 home runs. At 28 years, 308 days of age, he surpassed Jimmie Foxx, who was 29 years, 216 days old when he belted his 350th career homer.
For the second season in a row, Griffey led the American League with 56 home runs. Griffey remains the only left-handed batter in baseball history with at least 56 home runs in consecutive seasons. He joins Babe Ruth as the only lefties with multiple seasons of 56 homers at any point in their career.
“Well-hit ball. There it goes! Number 350 for Junior! Upper deck, goodbye baseball! Junior, the youngest player in Major League history to hit the 350 mark. Holy smokes! What a career at the age of 28. Ken Griffey Jr. hits a 3-run shot upper deck right field for his 350th career home run.” — Ken Griffey Jr.
Starting Lineup
- David Bell 2B
- Alex Rodriguez SS
- Ken Griffey Jr. (L) CF
- Edgar Martinez DH
- David Segui (S) 1B
- Russ Davis 3B
- Raúl Ibañez (L) RF
- Joe Oliver C
- Shane Monahan (L) LF
Paul Abbott RHP
