Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run
Encyclopedia
Ken Griffey, Jr.'s Winning Run is a baseball
video game developed by Rare for the Super NES
that is named after the baseball player Ken Griffey, Jr.
The game's title is derived from the final play of the 1995 American League Division Series
featuring the Seattle Mariners
and New York Yankees
. On a play that is sometimes credited with "saving baseball in Seattle," Griffey scored the game's winning run all the way from first base, on a close play in the bottom of the 11th inning:
Due to the lack of a Major League Baseball Players' Association license, Griffey is the only player in the game to use his actual name. However, one of the fun and largely unknown parts of this game is identifying other MLB players based on the phony and sometimes pun-laden names given to them by developers. For example, the prolific and temperamental Albert Belle
is transformed into "Frank Liberty" (Liberty Bell?), Frank Thomas
who is nicknamed the Big Hurt is named "Big Magoo", athletically talented and muscular slugger Barry Bonds
is named a similarly alliterate "Muscles McFee", Cal Ripken, Jr.
is named "Lou Junior", and hard throwing then-Mariners ace Randy Johnson
is called "Bolt Lightning" and the twirling Japanese import Hideo Nomo
, nicknamed the Tornado, is aptly changed to "Typhoon Kuroi."
The game was programmed by a British company, Rare, but was never released in the UK due to the non-existent interest in baseball in the UK. It was also one of the first video games to use computer generated, 3-D animation.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
video game developed by Rare for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
that is named after the baseball player Ken Griffey, Jr.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey, Jr. , nicknamed "Junior" and "The Kid", is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and during his final years, designated hitter...
Summary
The game features the 28 MLB teams in existence at the time. You can play in a franchise mode, MLB Challenge mode, exhibition (single-game) play, and All-Star Game mode which includes a home run derby mode.The game's title is derived from the final play of the 1995 American League Division Series
1995 American League Division Series
-Seattle Mariners vs. New York Yankees:-Game 1, Tuesday, October 3:Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OhioAfter a 39-minute rain delay, Game 1 got underway with two veterans, Roger Clemens and Dennis Martínez, starting the opener. The Red Sox jumped in front first in the third on John Valentin's two run...
featuring the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
and New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. On a play that is sometimes credited with "saving baseball in Seattle," Griffey scored the game's winning run all the way from first base, on a close play in the bottom of the 11th inning:
...It was the Game 5 of the 1995 American League Wild Card Playoffs. The Kingdome was packed and rockin. Down by one run in the bottom of the eleventh inning, the Seattle Mariners, with Ken Griffey Jr. up to bat, were setting the stage for the most exciting finish in a divisional series. Ken Griffey Jr. smacked a single to center field to advance Joey Cora to third base. Then the American League batting champ, Edgar Martinez, stepped into the batter's box and drove a Jack McDowellJack McDowellJack Burns McDowell is a former Major League Baseball player. A right-handed pitcher, McDowell won the American League Cy Young Award in 1993. He was nicknamed "Black Jack."...
pitch down the left-field line. Cora scored easily to tie the game as Bernie WilliamsBernie WilliamsBernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
raced over to field the ball out of the corner.
But Wait! Jr. was being waved around third. He's going to try the impossible, scoring from first base. The relay throw to the plate is on its way. Ken Griffey Jr. hits the dirt. The throw is not in time! The Seattle Mariners advance to the American League Championship Series, thanks in part to Ken Griffey Jr.'s winning run!
Due to the lack of a Major League Baseball Players' Association license, Griffey is the only player in the game to use his actual name. However, one of the fun and largely unknown parts of this game is identifying other MLB players based on the phony and sometimes pun-laden names given to them by developers. For example, the prolific and temperamental Albert Belle
Albert Belle
Albert Jojuan Belle is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles...
is transformed into "Frank Liberty" (Liberty Bell?), Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (AL baseball player)
Frank Edward Thomas, Jr. , nicknamed "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball designated hitter and first baseman....
who is nicknamed the Big Hurt is named "Big Magoo", athletically talented and muscular slugger Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
is named a similarly alliterate "Muscles McFee", Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. , nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles ....
is named "Lou Junior", and hard throwing then-Mariners ace Randy Johnson
Randy Johnson
Randall David Johnson , nicknamed "The Big Unit", is a former Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. During a 22-year career, he pitched for six different teams....
is called "Bolt Lightning" and the twirling Japanese import Hideo Nomo
Hideo Nomo
is a former right-handed pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball from Japan. He achieved early success in Japan, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to...
, nicknamed the Tornado, is aptly changed to "Typhoon Kuroi."
The game was programmed by a British company, Rare, but was never released in the UK due to the non-existent interest in baseball in the UK. It was also one of the first video games to use computer generated, 3-D animation.