Griffey: 'I didn't want to be the face of baseball'

Ken Griffey Jr. received plenty of attention throughout his Hall of Fame career while hitting 630 home runs, being named American League MVP, and making 13 All-Star Game appearances. But he never desired the spotlight.

Ahead of "Junior," an MLB Network documentary set to air on Father's Day that celebrates his career, Griffey reflected on his baseball journey that began with being the No. 1 pick in 1987, and it included playing with his dad.

"I didn't want to be the face of baseball," Griffey said, according to Nick Diunte of Forbes. "I understood what happens when you are, because of my talent level, but I didn't go into baseball thinking that was my goal to be that guy. My goal was to go out there and play as hard as I could, try to win as many games (as I could), and create friendships.

"... I was fortunate to play 22 years. Not a lot of people have been that fortunate, but our friendships last 50-to-60 years after our playing days are over."

Griffey mentioned that by age 14, the future superstar knew he'd be good enough to play in the majors, and he noted that playing on the Mariners with his father and seeing his dad's professionalism set him up for success.

The retired outfielder also discussed his pride in being a father himself, touching on the subject while talking about the greatest compliment he's ever received, which came from an ex-teammate and wasn't related to his on-field accomplishments.

"One of the greatest compliments I've ever got was from a catcher, Jason LaRue," Griffey said. "He said, 'I wish we had more kids like yours in this clubhouse.' Out of all the things that I've ever done on the baseball field, to have a guy say that to me, meant more to me than anything.

"It shows that how I raised my kids, (I) was doing it the right way and other people appreciated it. I will never forget that moment. We sat in the locker room, and when he came in and gave me a hug, I said, 'Man, I love you for that.'"