The inductees into the 2016 National Baseball Hall of Fame were recently announced today (January 6) and Seattle Mariners great Ken Griffey Jr. and ex-New York Met Mike Piazza were the only two players selected for enshrinement at Cooperstown, NY. Griffey Jr., will be the first player to dawn a Mariners cap in the Hall of Fame, while Piazza will presumably wear Mets gear on his bust, which would make him the second for the franchise.
Ken Griffey played 22 seasons in the league with the Mariners, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, where he was a 13-time All-Star and knocked in an amazing 630 career home runs, placing him 6th on the all-time list. Mike Piazza on the other hand, made the All-Star team 13 times playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets, Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics. He finished with 427 career homers and 1,335 RBIs in his 16-year career.
Noticeably absent form the list were Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire, all of whom were eligible for enshrinement but also famously linked to performance-enhancing drugs. The trio had monstrous numbers throughout their careers, Bonds even holds the current home run record with 762, but the steroid allegations have definitely tainted their careers and reputations.
Big congratulations are in order for Griffey and Piazza!