Seattle Mariners retire Ken Griffey Jr.'s number

The Seattle Mariners retired the jersey number of Ken Griffey Jr. on Saturday night and also announced they will unveil a statue of the recently inducted Hall of Famer outside Safeco Field before the start of the 2017 season.

Griffey's No. 24 was retired in a nearly hourlong ceremony before the game between the Mariners and Los Angeles Angels. The honor occurred 13 days after he was enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

"I can't really explain what the last two weeks have been like. It's been unforgettable," Griffey said during the ceremony. "The fans, the people, I walk down the street and I'm getting high-fives like I just scored again. That's a tribute to you guys here, the way that you treat baseball players, basketball players, football players like people. You make us feel like part of the community, and I want to thank you guys."

Griffey played 13 of his 22 major-league seasons with Seattle. He was with the Mariners from 1989 to 1999 -- winning American League MVP honors in 1997 -- and returned to play his final two campaigns (2009-10).