Ken Griffey Jr., Former Seattle Mariner, Elected Into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

Ken Griffey Jr., former Seattle Mariner and one of baseball's most popular figures, is now enshrined in one of baseball's most prestigious places--the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame officially announced its 2016 class. Unsurprisingly, at least to most, the slugger could't believe his luck. Griffey Jr. led the way.

"It's one of those things where I can't control it," Griffey told The Seattle Times about his induction into the Hall of Fame."I can control how I play, how I do things, but I can't control what other people do for you. The waiting game was tough. To get the call is unbelievable."

To be honest, the call was inevitable. His stats say so--630 home runs, a .284 lifetime average, 10 Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star selections, and a unanimous MVP selection in 1997. And yet, those ridiculous numbers don't do the smooth swinging lefty the justice he deserves. Perhaps the real testament to Griffey's importance to the game was the manner in which he was elected. Griffey received a staggering 99.3 percent of the votes (437 of 440 voters), the highest percentage in Hall of Fame history.

"It's truly an honor to be elected, and to have the highest percentage is definitely a shock because I didn't think that way," Griffey continued. "I was just hoping--the big thing is to get into the Hall of Fame--it's not what you got, just as long as you get in. I was really surprised to be the highest."

The 2016 Hall of Fame class is comprised of just 2 members--Griffey Jr. and former New York Mets' catcher, Mike Piazza. With the election, Piazza will join Tom Seaver as the only players to go into the Hall as Mets.