Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Randy Johnson, and Ken Griffey Jr. teamed up to shoot a commercial together for DirecTV. The theme of the commercial is a "Ghostbusters" spin-off where the four are dressed in ghostbusting gear.
The commercial featuring Alex Rodriguez and other baseball legends is in reference to the film "Ghostbusters," featuring actors Bill Murray and Dan Akroyd. The four legends discussed what it meant to all be back together after their long and prestigious playing careers.
"'Who is this guy?' Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz and Randy Johnson, all together for the first time since #Mariners days, reminisce and share laughs" - @ Bob Nightengale
All four MLB legends were at one point playing in the same organization, the Seattle Mariners. Randy Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, and Ken Griffey Jr. all played together for the major league team during the mid-1990s, but Ortiz, who was once in the Seattle organization, was traded to the Minnesota Twins before making it up to the major league level.
Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and David Ortiz compete in Home Run Derby
Before being traded in 1996, the young David Ortiz was still in Single-A Wisconsin when he went head-to-head in a home run derby with Griffey Jr. and A-Rod.
Originally, there was supposed to be a game played between the Seattle Mariners and the minor league club. This was an effort by the Seattle Mariners to promote their minor league ball clubs. The game did not go as expected, and there was a considerable amount of rain on the field.
The game was called off, and the Mariners had to think of a way to do something in front of all the fans who had paid for a ticket to watch them play. The Mariners decided to do a home run derby featuring Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. against three Wisconsin Timberrattler players. One of those players stole the show, and that was future Hall of Famer David Ortiz.
1995: The Mariners save baseball in Seattle
Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson were a part of some of the most significant teams in Seattle Mariners franchise history. In 1995, the Mariners made the playoffs after many rumors that the team was going to be moved out of Seattle after the season's end.
The Mariners played the New York Yankees in the Wild Card round, and the series proved to be an instant classic. The series went to a fifth and final game to decide who moved on to the American League Championshp Series. The Mariners had come all the way back from a 0-2 deficit.
The game was tied after nine innings and was forced into extra-innings when the greatest moment in Seattle Mariners history took place. The game was tied 5-5 when Edgar Martinez stepped up to the plate. The rest, as they say, is history. Watch below.
After this series, the Mariners ownership decided to stay in Seattle and the team has been in the same city ever since. It is nice to see, after all of these years, the four legends back together discussing the game they love and reminiscing on the unforgettable moments of their illustrious careers.