Welcome back, Junior

PEORIA, Ariz. — And 10 years later, the story continued with Ken Griffey Jr. rubbing his eyes as he was reintroduced. He looked tired at first, bored even, reluctant to contribute too much to the fairytale.

Instead of a theatrical return, he opted for his normal low-key, soft-spoken, why-the-fuss approach. If nothing else, this was a good way to verify that the man sitting on stage — a little heavier, a little older than before — was indeed the Junior who used to make you swoon.

"They remember a young, 19-year-old, no facial, a little high-top fade, running around, smiling," he said. "I'm a little different now. I've got a little gray. Don't know where that came from."

Cue the "Welcome Back, Kotter" theme song.

You can't be too hokey right now. You can't be too overjoyed. You can't be too warm and fuzzy.

The dream became real Saturday. No. 24 is back.

"I thought about wearing No. 45 like Mike [Jordan]," Griffey jokingly said, "but that didn't work."

Between bouts of shyness and disinterest, Griffey amused the media crowd with his quick wit. He slipped in jokes about his injury history, his children, his former teammate Jay Buhner and Ichiro's style.

"He can't wear skinny ties," Griffey said of Ichiro. "Those went out with Duran Duran."

As everyone in the room chuckled, the importance of this reunion became clear.

This is the feel-good story of baseball, the feel-good story of the young sports year, period. And this is a sign that the city of Seattle, a sports market still wobbly from the rock-bottom absurdity of 2008, can heal.

Into a baseball news cycle in which Alex Rodriguez is all the 'roid rage comes Griffey, returning to the scene of his greatness, an actual human baseball star who's never been accused of trying to make his body invincible.

If not for Griffey, how might baseball distract us from the bad news? With the Manny Ramirez Weepstakes?

And into a sports town with no NBA team and losing franchises scrambling to rediscover their footing comes Griffey, a hero from yesteryear, reminding us that the amazing is possible.

For certain, it'll take much more than the mere presence of a 39-year-old legend to turn this nostalgia into something incredible. But if you're into symbolism, there's nothing better to whet your hope.

Did you fear Seattle had drifted too far into irrelevance? Well, here's Griffey to signify the past, provide as many thrills as he can muster in the present and spur the future with his iconic example.

Here's Griffey, saying just what downtrodden fans need to hear: There's no place like Seattle.

"No team is going to treat you like your first," Griffey said.

That's what his father, Ken Griffey Sr., told him. Now he realizes it's true. Now he gets to finish what he started in Seattle.

"I've got an opportunity to do something that is important to me," Griffey said.

He's relished the chance ever since he left, really. In 2000, after Griffey joined the Cincinnati Reds, team president Chuck Armstrong told Griffey he wanted him to retire a Mariner. Since then, Junior has always kept that idea in mind.

There's no chance Griffey 2.0 can match the original version. It just can't. He's too old, and his past accomplishments are too lofty. But as Griffey says, that's no reason to fear a letdown during this comeback. It can be special nonetheless. He has enough savvy and lingering talent to be an impact player, and he's grown enough to embrace his role as a clubhouse leader.

Ichiro, who's in Japan preparing for the World Baseball Classic, sent a comment to Mariners officials to express his excitement about playing with his idol.

"In 1993, 16 years ago, I bought a Ken Griffey Jr. jersey," Ichiro said in the statement. "This is one of my treasures to this day. He has always been a hero to me, and being able to play with him is like a dream come true. Now we share a dream. And that dream is to work hard together and win the World Series."

Can somebody make up a "Welcome Back, Ichiro" theme song? Finally, after a tumultuous 2008 season and reports of a chasm between the star and his Mariners teammates, there's reason to believe Ichiro will be fully engaged this season.

Regardless of his offensive numbers, Griffey will leave a fresh mark. Don't resign yourself to believing this is merely a sideshow, either. Only Junior can determine how this story ends.

"There are special people, special athletes in our society, the Walter Paytons and the Michael Jordans. And Ken is in that category," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "You just don't deny a guy who's a superstar. They rise to the occasion."

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com