Mariners slugger Griffey retires after 22 seasons

Second generation Major League Baseball star Ken Griffey Jnr announced his retirement on Wednesday, leaving the sport at age 40 and ranked fifth on the all-time home run list with 630.

Griffey's announcement came just before the Mariners' American League home game against the Minnesota Twins and ended a career that began as a 19-year-old dynamo in 1989 and ended after 22 years that included stellar hits and catches.

A power hitter whose career has been untainted by the steroid controversy that has marred other modern-day sluggers, Griffey had seven seasons with 40 or more homers from 1993 through 2000.

Only major league homer record-holder Barry Bonds, haunted by links to admitted steroid dealers, and legends Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth and Willie Mays hit more career homers than Griffey, whose father was a Cincinnati Reds star.

This season, Griffey was batting only .184 and was benched for a week last month.