Griffey says he was a distraction

Future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. finally broke the silence and told a small group of reporters, including Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com that he retired in June 2010 because he felt it was in the best interest of himself and for the team. “Last year I felt that it was much better for me to remove myself from the team. I told [president] Chuck [Armstrong] and [chairman] Howard [Lincoln] if I felt I was going to become a distraction, then I [would] retire. One thing I didn't want to become is a distraction to the organization.” “A lot of people who are friends of mine tried to talk me out of it. I just thought that it was best for me and the organization to retire. There was no fault. Things happen. I'm not upset. People thought I was upset about certain things. That wasn't the case. I just felt it was more important to retire instead of becoming a distraction. It no longer became the Seattle Mariners. It became, ‘When is Ken doing this? When is Ke...