Dee Gordon pays tribute to Ken Griffey Jr. during his first Mariners home run
New Seattle Mariners centerfielder Dee Gordon doesn’t often draw comparisons to Ken Griffey Jr. at the plate. But during Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians, Gordon looked just like the Seattle legend.
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With the game tied in the seventh inning, Gordon belted a 2-2 pitch to right for the go-ahead home run. Notice anything nostalgic about Gordon after that swing? Anyone who watched Griffey in the ’90s knows Gordon’s bat drop and strut out of the batter’s box was an imitation of Griffey.
As you might expect, the Mariners took note of that.
He *was* working out with Junior, we heard. pic.twitter.com/bORFmleZmx
— Mariners (@Mariners) April 1, 2018
During the offseason, Gordon got together with Griffey to learn some of the finer points involved in playing center in Seattle. Based on that spot-on imitation, they may have discussed hitting as well.
The Mariners picked up two more runs in the inning, winning the contest 5-4.
We’re not predicting Gordon is going to hit nearly as many home runs as Griffey during his prime, but as long as he continues this homage every time he goes yard, we’re guessing the Seattle fans are going to enjoy their new centerfielder just fine.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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