Ken Griffey Jr. on 2016 Baseball Hall-of-Fame ballot

The countdown to 2016 has been on ever since Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement from baseball back in 2010.

2016 is when, without a doubt, the doors to the Baseball Hall of Fame will open for one of the game’s greatest players.

So it came as no surprise that Griffey, who played 41 games with the White Sox in 2008, was included on the 2016 Hall of Fame ballot.

The Kid, as he was known when he took Major League Baseball by storm more than 25 years ago, will enter the Hall with 630 home runs, 2,781 hits and 10 Gold Gloves. Three of those home runs came as a member of the White Sox.

Towering long balls and jaw-dropping catches became the norm for Griffey during his 22-year career with Seattle, Cincinnati and Chicago.

During his prime, Griffey’s game was unrivaled by anyone else in baseball. And it’s hard not to wonder how many home runs he would have hit had the second half of his career not been riddled with injuries.

Joining Griffey on the 2016 ballot are newcomers Trevor Hoffman, Billy Wagner, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Garret Anderson, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Mike Lowell, Mark Grudzielanek, David Eckstein, Brad Ausmus and Mike Sweeney.

Players need to be selected on at least 75 percent of ballots in order to be inducted into the Hall. Results will be announced Jan. 6.

Watch the best of Ken Griffey Jr:

All stats via Baseball Reference.

[FBTW]