SEATTLE - Ken Griffey Junior dropped some hints Sunday that he could see himself in a Seattle Mariners uniform again before his career ends.

The former Mariners star says it would be nice to retire with the team he started with - the Mariners.

"You always want to retire with the team you started with. I mean, you look at Emmitt Smith and everybody else," Griffey said.

Emmitt Smith - the former star running back for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys. Smith came back from a stint with the Arizona Cardinals to sign again with Dallas and then retire.

Griffey cautions, though, that he still has a few years of baseball left in him, so nothing is imminent.

But I've still got a few more years," 37-year-old Griffey said. "So I don't think it's anytime soon."

When asked to clarify whether he'd like to play for Seattle again, Griffey said, "I don't know. That depends on a lot of things, health and everything else."

KING

Cincinnati Reds' Ken Griffey, Jr. smiles while talking about a possible return to the Seattle Mariners sometime in the future.

Griffey didn't specify whether he'd like to return as an active player or simply for a ceremonial contract before retiring, the way Smith did in the NFL. The 37-year-old former Seattle icon is signed with his hometown Reds through 2008. They hold a $16.5 million option in 2009 with a $4 million buyout.

Griffey made his comments on a day when he once again wowed the Seattle fans, as the Reds played the Mariners. He hit two home runs at Safeco Field, although his Reds lost to the M's, 3-to-2.