"I was always taught, 'worry about yourself'" - When Ken Griffey Jr. explained how he stayed away from PEDs during 'Steroid Era'

Making his big league debut in April 1989, outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. went on to establish himself as one of the greatest hitters of all time. Spending 22 seasons at the highest level of the sport, Griffey Jr. hit a total of 630 home runs.

Along with his outstanding performance on the field, Ken Griffey Jr. was also a person of strong character, as shown by his dedication to avoiding PEDs during an era heavily affected by steroid abuse.

Speaking to NFL legend Shannon Sharpe on an episode of "Club Shay Shay" from October 2020, Griffey Jr. explained why he stayed true to his principles and never touched a needle in his career. The values Ken was raised with, which encouraged him to focus solely on himself and his game, played a key role in ensuring he never paid attention to things that could cause trouble.

"I was always taught 'worry about yourself'. You know, you keep yourself right, that's the only thing you can control. When you look in that mirror, that's who you can control, I can't control what everybody else does," Griffey Jr. said [1:28]

Apart from the peace of mind it gave him never to have done anything illegal, Ken Griffey Jr.'s adherence to his principles also paid dividends many years later, as the 55-year-old was deservedly inducted into the Hall of Fame. Many of his colleagues from his playing days, on the other hand, have been denied that honor due to their links with PED use.

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Mariners star reflects on what Ken Griffey Jr. means for the Seattle Mariners

Spending 13 out of his 22 big league seasons in Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. is well and truly a Mariners legend. Reflecting on what Ken means for the franchise and fans, Cal Raleigh shared his thoughts in early July.

"He's pretty much, like, the face of the franchise. (You can throw) Ken Griffey (Jr.), Ichiro (Suzuki), Felix (Hernandez), Randy (Johnson), Alvin Davis and Edgar (Martinez) up there on the Mount Rushmore of Mariners. (Griffey) is not just (for the) team, but all of baseball. How many injuries did the guy have? If he was healthy, I think he would have smashed the home run record, so, it's even more impressive," Cal Raleigh said (2:00)

Recognizing his invaluable contributions to the team's success, the Mariners retired Ken Griffey Jr.'s #24 jersey in 2016, five years after he called time on his professional baseball career.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer