Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to the Seattle Mariners as a special consultant less than a year after abruptly retiring from baseball, the team said Tuesday. Griffey's role is still being defined, but he'll be involved with the Mariners at spring training and the regular season, along with visiting most of the Mariners minor-league affiliates. Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press that Griffey should be in Arizona next month. "The Mariners didn't have to do this," Goldberg said. "He and I are both appreciative of the opportunity." Griffey also is expected to be involved with marketing, broadcasting and community relations. "I'm looking forward to staying very involved with the Mariners, working with the players throughout the organization, staying involved with the community and assisting in other areas of the organization," Griffey said in a statement from the club. "It's an exciting time and I'm very appreciative of the opportunity." Read more: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/spring2011/news/story?id=6124516
