HOUSTON -- Cal Raleigh broke Ken Griffey Jr.'s single-season franchise record for home runs with his 57th on Saturday night as the Seattle Mariners catcher moves within range of 60 -- a milestone few players have ever reached.
Griffey Jr. hit 56 homers during the 1997 season, and again in 1998, part of a resume that earned him a near-unanimous election into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1996. Because of his historical stature and the general difficulty for hitters to generate home runs in the Mariners' home park, it was uncertain whether anyone would approach Griffey Jr.