If you’ve ever walked past the corner of Edgar Martinez Drive and Dave Niehaus Way in Seattle, you’ve seen it. It’s hard to miss. There’s usually a small crowd gathered around a 7-foot-tall bronze figure frozen in the middle of the most beautiful swing in the history of baseball.
The Ken Griffey Jr. statue isn't just a piece of metal outside a stadium. For Mariners fans, it's basically a holy site. It captures the exact moment "The Kid" finished that iconic left-handed stroke—head down, eyes tracking the ball, body twisted in that perfect follow-through. It’s the swing that saved baseball in the Pacific Northwest.
Honestly, it’s kinda rare for a statue to actually look like the person it’s supposed to be. Usually, they look a bit stiff or just "off." But this one? It feels like Junior might just step off the pedestal and start jogging to first base.
The Day the Legend Was Cast in Bronze
Back in April 2017, the Mariners finally did what everyone knew they had to do. They unveiled the Ken Griffey Jr. statue right outside the Home Plate Entrance of what was then Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park).
It was a whole thing. Snoop Dogg even showed up to give his approval, which is about as cool as a dedication ceremony gets.
The sculptor, a guy named Lou Cella from Fine Art Studio of Rotblatt-Amrany in Chicago, was the mastermind behind the work. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Cella is the same artist who did the Dave Niehaus statue inside the park and the Edgar Martinez one that joined Junior a few years later. He’s basically the official historian of Mariners legends in bronze.
Every Little Detail Matters
Cella spent months obsessing over the details. He actually said the hands were the hardest part to get right. Think about it: how do you capture the grip and the tension of a Hall of Fame swing in static metal?
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The statue stands on a 4-foot granite base, making the whole thing about 11 feet tall. If you look closely at his jersey, you’ll see two specific patches:
- The Mariners 20th Anniversary patch.
- A patch for the 50th Anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier.
That second one is a big deal because Junior was the one who originally asked MLB if he could wear No. 42 to honor Jackie, which eventually turned into the league-wide tradition we see every April 15th.
What Really Happened with the Bat?
You can’t talk about the Ken Griffey Jr. statue without mentioning the "Great Bat Heist" of 2017.
Only a few months after it was unveiled, some guy decided he wanted a very heavy, very permanent souvenir. In the middle of the night, someone actually snapped the bronze bat right off the statue.
It sounds like a movie plot, but a bystander in a nearby office building saw the whole thing go down. They actually ran out, chased the guy, and managed to get the bat back. The Mariners had to call Lou Cella back to Seattle to weld the thing back on and reinforce it.
Now, the bat is basically indestructible. It’s a reminder that even in bronze, Junior’s swing is a hot commodity.
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Visiting the Statue: A Pro Tip or Two
If you’re planning to go see the Ken Griffey Jr. statue, don’t just walk by it on your way to the gate. Take a second to read the base.
The inscription mentions his Hall of Fame induction in 2016 (where he got a then-record 99.32% of the vote) and calls him the "face of the game for over two decades." It’s a heavy statement, but if you grew up in the 90s, you know it’s 100% true.
Where to find it: It's at the intersection of First Avenue South and Edgar Martinez Drive.
Best time for photos: Early morning or about two hours before first pitch. Once the gates open, the line to take a "swinging" photo next to it gets pretty long.
You’ll see kids with their hats on backward—the signature Griffey look—mimicking the pose. It’s sorta become a rite of passage for young fans in Seattle.
More Than Just a Decoration
Some people think statues are just for dead guys or people from 100 years ago. But the Ken Griffey Jr. statue is different because most of the people looking at it actually saw him play.
They remember the 1995 slide into home. They remember the leaping catches against the Kingdome wall. That statue represents the era when the Mariners went from a struggling expansion team to a cultural phenomenon.
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What to Look for Nearby
Once you've finished your photo op with Junior, walk around the corner. You'll find:
- Edgar Martinez: His statue is just a short walk away, capturing his own legendary hitting stance.
- The Dave Niehaus Statue: Located inside the 100-level concourse, you can actually sit in the seat next to the legendary broadcaster.
- The "Mitt" Sculpture: The giant glove across the street that has been a landmark since the park opened in 1999.
How to Get the Best Out of Your Visit
If you really want to appreciate the Ken Griffey Jr. statue, do yourself a favor and watch a few highlights of his swing on your phone while standing in front of it. The way the bronze captures that "loopy" follow-through is eerie when you see it side-by-side with the real thing.
Next time you're at T-Mobile Park:
- Check the patches: Look for the Jackie Robinson 50th Anniversary logo on the right sleeve.
- Look at the shoes: The detail on his cleats is surprisingly intricate for a bronze casting.
- Check the base: Read the stats listed on the granite; they are a stark reminder of just how dominant he was from 1989 to 2010.
Getting there early is the only way to beat the crowds. If it's a "Junior" giveaway night, forget about it—the area will be packed. But on a random Tuesday morning, it’s a quiet, cool place to just stand and remember why we fell in love with baseball in the first place.
Take the Light Rail to Stadium Station and walk the two blocks west. It’s the easiest way to get there without dealing with the nightmare that is SODO parking. Plus, you get to approach the stadium from the side where the statue looms largest against the brick of the home plate gate.