Mariners welcome back Griffey, retiring No. 24 on all levels

Ken Griffey Jr. speaks at a news conference Friday, Jan. 8, 2016, in Seattle. Griffey's Hall of Fame whirlwind came back to where it all started, when he spoke at Safeco Field, the stadium built in part because of him. Photo: Elaine Thompson, AP / AP

SEATTLE (AP) — Ken Griffey Jr. paused and for a moment the joking stopped. Junior became thoughtful and reflective about the idea of his No. 24 hanging next to Jackie Robinson's No. 42 as the only numbers retired at Safeco Field.

"Having my number next to him, I don't think I did half of what he did," Griffey said. "Baseball-wise, yeah you're going to look at numbers and things like that, but the way he went about his life and the things he did…