RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 6, 2016)

Born in the same town and on the same day in November as Stan Musial, Ken Griffey Jr. entered this world with a powerful Cardinals connection. He strengthened that special bond by joining Musial as an outfielder in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Griffey, on the ballot for the first time, was elected to the Cooperstown, N.Y., shrine on Jan. 6, 2016. He got 99.3 percent of the votes from members of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Like Musial, Griffey was born in Donora, Pa., on Nov. 21. Musial’s birth year was 1920 and Griffey’s was 1969 _ the same year Musial was elected to the Hall of Fame with 93.2 percent of the vote in his first year of eligibility.

Musial and Griffey each batted left-handed and each played 22 years in the majors. Musial spent his entire career with the Cardinals from 1941 through 1963, with a year off in 1945 for military service. Griffey played for the Mariners, Reds and White Sox from 1989-2010.

Key career statistics for each:

Musial: 3,630 hits, 475 home runs, 1,951 RBI, 725 doubles, 6,134 total bases, .331 batting average and .417 on-base percentage.

Griffey: 2,781 hits, 630 home runs, 1,836 RBI, 524 doubles, 5,271 total bases, .284 batting average and .370 on-base percentage.

In 74 career games versus the Cardinals, all with the Reds, Griffey produced 74 hits, 22 home runs and 51 RBI.

He batted .289 with a .382 on-base percentage against St. Louis.

In chronological order, here are four of Griffey’s most memorable performances versus the Cardinals:

What a walkoff

On Aug. 20, 2001, Griffey hit an 11th-inning walkoff inside-the-park home run against reliever Andy Benes, breaking a 4-4 tie and carrying the Reds to a 5-4 victory at Cincinnati. The Cardinals had an 11-game winning streak snapped and the Reds ended an eight-game losing skid.

With one out and no one on in the 11th, Griffey hit a drive to left-center field. Outfielders Jim Edmonds and Kerry Robinson raced toward the ball. Edmonds leaped against the wall, but the ball eluded him, caromed off his foot and rolled along the warning track toward the left-field corner. Robinson gave chase.

Griffey circled the bases and scored. “It probably was one of the most bizarre games I’ve ever been in,” Griffey said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Boxscore and Video

Four-hit game

Three nights later, Griffey came close to hitting for the cycle against the Cardinals on Aug. 23, 2001, at Cincinnati.

Griffey was 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in a 12-2 Reds victory. He had two doubles and a single versus Bud Smith and a home run against Benes.

In the fourth inning, Griffey nearly turned his second double into a triple.

According to The Cincinnati Post, Griffey’s drive “hit off the base of the wall in center and Griffey, gimpy hamstring and all, never hesitated coming around second.”

Edmonds threw to the relay man, second baseman Fernando Vina, who fired the ball to third baseman Albert Pujols.

“The relay throw to third got him by no more than a few inches, keeping Griffey from his cycle,” The Post reported.

In his postgame remarks to the Post-Dispatch, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said of Griffey, “We sure didn’t pitch him very tough.” Boxscore

Milestone home run

After a visit from Musial, Griffey hit his 500th career home run on June 20, 2004, Father’s Day, in St. Louis.

Musial, who played on the same high school baseball team in Donora with Buddy Griffey, grandfather of Ken Griffey Jr., met with the Reds outfielder near the clubhouse before the game.

Musial then went home to watch the game on television. Attending the game at the stadium were Griffey’s mother, Birdie, and father, Ken Griffey Sr., who was the right fielder for the Reds’ World Series championship clubs in 1975 and 1976.

Birdie had told her son this would be the day he would hit his milestone home run.

Leading off the sixth inning, Griffey launched a 2-and-2 pitch from Matt Morris over the right field wall, becoming the 20th player to achieve 500 home runs.

“I started smiling when I rounded second base,” Griffey told the Dayton Daily News. “I saw my dad sitting behind third base … He’s the person I wanted to be. He was my hero and he taught me everything.”

Recalling his mother’s prediction, Griffey said, “When I hit it, the first reaction was, ‘My mom is always right.’ ”

A delighted Musial told the Post-Dispatch, “I was rooting for him. It was great. The Griffeys are a nice family.” Boxscore and Video

The ball was caught by Mark Crummley, 19, a student at Southern Illinois University. Wearing a Pujols jersey, Crummley offered to give the ball to Griffey without compensation. He was taken to the Reds clubhouse, met Griffey and was given souvenirs, including the jersey Griffey wore at the end of the game.

Griffey was the second player to hit his 500th home run at Busch Memorial Stadium since the ballpark opened in 1966. The other was the Cardinals’ Mark McGwire off Andy Ashby of the Padres on Aug. 5, 1999.

New park, familiar result

On June 5, 2006, in his first game at the new Busch Stadium, Griffey lifted the Reds to an 8-7 comeback victory over the Cardinals.

Griffey was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. He had a solo home run and a double off starter Jeff Suppan, but the most damaging hit came against closer Jason Isringhausen in the ninth.

With one out and the Cardinals ahead, 7-5, the Reds had runners on second and third. Though first base was open, Isringhausen worked to Griffey, with Adam Dunn on deck.

“It was a pretty good position to hit, knowing that I couldn’t hit into a double play,” Griffey said.

With the count full, Isringhausen grooved a fastball that Griffey hit for a three-run home run.

“I just settled down and got a pitch not in the zone he wanted,” Griffey said.

Said Isringhausen: “Bad night, bad location … I’ve never had this bad of command in my career.” Boxscore