Legendary MLB scout Bob Harrison dies at 95

Bob Harrison, the legendary scout who signed Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., died peacefully Monday morning at the age of 95, according to his son, R.J. Harrison.

Harrison scouted for more than 50 years, beginning in 1967 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He joined the Seattle Mariners at its inception in 1976, and 11 years later, it was Harrison’s recommendation that changed the fate of the Mariners’ organization. He strongly recommended that they take Griffey, a high-school center fielder out of Cincinnati, as their No. 1 pick, instead of college pitcher Mike Harkey of Cal-State Fullerton. He signed Griffey for $150,000.

“It was the greatest signing of my career,’’ said Harrison, who signed 27 major-league players.

Griffey, a 13-time All-Star, wound up hitting 630 home runs, winning 10 Gold Gloves, and led the Mariners to their first playoff berth in 1995.

Harrison, who lived in the same home he bought in 1959 in Long Beach, scouted until he was 90 years old.

“This is my life, what else would I do?’’ Harrison told Paste BN Sports a few years ago. “I love this game.’’

And baseball loved him back.

Harrison didn’t live quite long enough to see Griffey inducted into Cooperstown, but long enough to see Trey Griffey, Griffey’s son, drafted in the 24th round last week by the Mariners.

“He had a great run,’’ said R.J. Harrison, senior adviser for scouting/baseball operations for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. July 2, at the Luyben Dilday Mortuary in Long Beach.