Griffey signed a one-year, $2 million contract with the Mariners this week, returning to the place he spent the first 11 seasons of his career. And causing a fit of glee from every 20-something Baseball fan who's still left.

Roger Clemens and Mark McGwire have crushed enough childhood memories. Thankfully, Griffey, the most popular name from the '90s, has stayed clear of steroid accusations.

The generation of Baseball fans who grew up in the '90s has had to endure the strike, steroids and the downfall of almost every player idolized during that time. Meanwhile, the NBA and NFL kept getting better.

Any Rangers fans growing up in that era rooted for Rafael Palmeiro. For Astros fans, a hero was Ken Caminiti. Every kid was a Griffey fan.

The allure of Griffey to the '90s child was that he lived the dream life. He grew up in ballparks while his dad played. He wasn't just allowed to wear a hat to work - he wore it backwards. He was in Seattle in the early '90s, when Seattle was the epicenter of cool.

The most coveted item in elementary school had nothing to do with clothes or video games. It was the 1989 Upper Deck Griffey rookie card, which every kid swore they had, but only the cool ones ever could produce the card.

In the mid-90s it was possible for a kid to go an entire day with Griffey's face around. Griffey preceded Barack Obama as a black presidential candidate when Nike launched a "Griffey in '96" campaign. Soon after, Griffey's face was on every textbook cover passed around at least one middle school. After school, it was a race home to play "Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run" video game. At night, Griffey's poster did the trick.

Griffey even made a memorable appearance on "The Simpsons." Then again, Clemens and Jose Canseco were also in the same episode.

Memories of Griffey in the '90s have maintained because he's consistently denied taking steroids, and he's almost never brought up in the conversation.

His stats were relatively consistent as he matured as a player, without any ridiculous breakout years thrown in.

Andy Pettitte's reasoning behind taking human growth hormone doesn't work with Griffey. Pettitte said he used HGH to help him recover from an injury faster. Griffey and "fast recovery" never coincided. Griffey missed at least half of four separate seasons because of injuries.

The injuries also speak to why his numbers seem pure. Griffey may have 611 career home runs - two more than Sammy Sosa - but all that gets lamented is how many more Griffey could have had if not for the injuries.

If it turns out Griffey did take steroids, that could be the end of any fond Baseball memories from the steroid decade. It would leave players like Frank Thomas and Greg Maddux as the clean superstars, and they couldn't match Griffey's appeal.

For now, enjoy this Baseball season as the Ken Griffey Jr. nostalgia tour. "Griffey in '09" is all this generation has left.

CHANTASY ISLAND

Six degrees

Connecting one figure to another in six not-so-easy steps.

* Nets forward Vince Carter , who was rumored to be involved in plenty of trades before Thursday's deadline,

* Who appeared in the 2002 movie "Like Mike," which starred Bow Wow

* Who is currently on the cast of the TV Series "Entourage" with Jeremy Piven

* Who starred in the 1996 movie "Larger than Life," with Bill Murray

* Who played a prominent role in "Space Jam," starring Michael Jordan

* Who appeared in some truly odd Hanes commercials with "six degrees" poster boy Kevin Bacon

* Who was one of those swindled by Ponzi-scheme manager Bernie Madoff , a man whose trades were too good to be true.

What the kids were up to

The kids were watching the HBO comedy "Eastbound & Down," starring Danny McBride.

McBride plays Kenny Powers, a former major league pitcher who had the career rise and fall of Dwight Gooden, the attitude of John Rocker, and the look of Rod Beck.

After Powers' career flames out, he goes back to his hometown and teaches phys-ed at a middle school.

By playing a foul-mouthed egomaniac who has a senseless fit of roid rage when asked about taking steroids, McBride perfectly satirizes the professional athlete.

Athletes themselves realize the public can see through them when they're making prepared statements with teammates by their side. When Astros outfielder Carlos Lee arrived at training camp two days late, he spent his first interview mocking Alex Rodriguez by having Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt stand by his side while he apologized.

In "Eastbound & Down," McBride finds an incredibly profane and humorous way to humanize athletes. It's a little trashy, but it works.