MVP's, CY-Young Winners, and Canon Connesieurs - Ken Griffey Jr. and that Randy Johnson. How did the 1997 Mariners breed two Hall-of-Famers and two professional photographers?

Imagine this: It’s the bottom of the 9th, lights are blaring, crowd is electric. The camera pans—except now, it’s not Ken Griffey Jr. stepping into the box or Randy Johnson toeing the rubber. It’s them behind the lens, not in front of it. Baseball legends turned professional photographers. Not a headline from The Onion, but the very real next chapter for two Seattle Mariners icons.

Yes, that Ken Griffey Jr. and that Randy Johnson.

The Kid and The Big Unit—two of the most electrifying players of the '90s—have swapped the pine tar and rosin bag for camera straps and shutter clicks. And honestly? It’s kind of perfect.MVP's, CY-Young Winners, and canon Connesieurs. How did the 1997 Mariners breed two Hall-of-Famers and two professional photographers?

---

Ken Griffey Jr., inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 with a then-record 99.3% of the vote, is now a full-blown professional sports photographer. Not just snapping pics at little league games, either Junior’s been on the sidelines of NFL games, using his access and eye to capture moments from a vantage point most can only dream about. We just saw him this past weekend in Augusta, snapping the final moments of Rory's victory.

He’s said in interviews that photography has always been a passion of his, even during his playing days. While the rest of us were fumbling with Kodak disposables, Griffey was studying angles and lighting like Ansel Adams with a batting title.

And then there's Randy. The Big Unit, famously remembered for obliterating a bird mid-pitch (RIP forever, feathered friend), is now crushing it behind the camera. His photography brand (Randy Johnson Photography) has been legit for over a decade. We're talking rock concerts, wildlife, motorsports, and yes, sports. The guy went from being one of the most intimidating pitchers of all time to capturing peaceful shots of giraffes in Africa. That’s a character arc Disney wouldn’t even attempt. Oh, and his logo? A dead bird. Chef’s kiss.

We’ve seen athletes try their hands at a lot of things post-retirement. Broadcasting. Coaching. Business. Hell, Shaq is basically a one-man conglomerate.

But what Griffey and Johnson are doing feels different. There’s no ego here. No “look at me” energy. It’s art. It’s passion. It’s proof that even when the spotlight dims on the diamond, a new kind of creativity can shine. They’re not trying to relive the glory days, they’re capturing new moments of greatness, just from the other side of the lens. And maybe there’s something poetic in that.