At long last, Junior makes his comeback
I'm guessing that for Ken Griffey Jr. no news has got to be good news.
After so many tragically short injury-plagued seasons, he's having a typical Griffey year. Yet nobody seems to care.
How this guy - who suddenly looks like the Junior of old - is not getting more attention is beyond me.
We know there are some things (and I sincerely hope that disco is at the top of the list) that will never be coming back. But this is a joyous comeback. A comeback bigger than Lazarus.
We all remember what this man used to be. Throughout the '90s, before we had ever even heard of some dude called Alex Rodriguez - and before the sudden home run explosions of Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds - Junior was the face of the game. He was its brightest star.
When I was about 12 years old, after his first few years in the league, someone gave me a poster of Junior. In big bold letters across the top, it sad "Kid Dynamite." There was a picture of Griffey, decked out in Mariners garb and obviously finishing a swing - Junior definitely had the sweetest swing I've still ever seen. He was standing in front of a huge explosion. It was a cool poster, believe me.
But as cool as this poster seemed, his play was even better. This kid could do it all. He could hit. He could run. He was a brilliant defensive center fielder.
As he was coming up, he was baseball's golden child. He reached the majors before his 20th birthday, and everyone was wondering what this wunderkind - who oozed talent of which even his own Major League veteran father could only dream - could do.
He didn't disappoint. In 11 seasons with the Mariners, he hit 398 home runs. He reached 400 before his 31st birthday. He's appeared in 12 All-Star games -11 in a row from from 1990-2000. Only Cal Ripken Jr. (17) and Rod Carew (15) have played in more Mid-Summer Classics. He won Seven Silver Sluggers and 10 Gold Gloves.
His finest years, by far, were 1997 and 1998, hitting 56 home runs in both seasons. Everyone was sure he, and not Sammy Sosa, would be the guy to push Mark McGwire to break the single-season home run record. Everyone was so sure he-and not Barry Bonds - would challenge Hank Aaron for the all-time home run lead.
Griffey in his prime was the greatest player I've ever seen. He was a class guy with a grin so big and bright it could light up the stadium, and a man who gave so much to the game and to the community. On top of that, the guy's face was on everything. My favorite Super Nintendo game was "Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball."
And then it all came crashing down.
Unhappy in Seattle, he forced the Mariners' hand in a trade that may have gone down as one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history if not for Griffey's injury-fueled fall from grace.
But at first it seemed meant to be. Griffey was headed home to Cincinnati. Where his father played. Where he dominated in high school. Yeah, Junior was headed to the Reds, which was once one of baseball's storied franchises and was now trying to find its way back to baseball glory.
It was a match made in baseball heaven. Griffey even deferred some of his salary to allow the Reds to build a solid team. In his first year he hit 40 home runs ...
Then the injuries started. Griffey's fall happened so quickly, it would have been funny if it hadn't been so tragic. The luck of "Kid Dynamite" was so pathetic he should have been called "Napoleon Dynamite."
Injuries to his hamstring and shoulder limited him to just 206 games over the next three years. His pains dominated the headlines. Fantasy baseball owners everywhere avoided what was once their dream cornerstone player because they knew it was only a matter of time before he got hurt.
The Reds, who once hailed him as their franchise's savior, tried to unceremoniously dump him off to San Diego for Phil Nevin.
Griffey even showed us the promise of breaking out of the injury cycle last year, even making the All-Star team ... before going down in August. I was horrified to see the most talented player in the majors sitting out half the season while A-Rod and Bonds vaulted past him as the new faces of Major League Baseball.
But Junior's back, baseball fans. And he's as good as he ever was. Through Sunday, he was hitting .301 with 35 homers and 92 RBIs. His OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) is a whopping .945, just .008 below his career mark. And he's been on a tear in his past 10 games, batting .381 with six home runs.
His most telling number is 128 - the number of games in which he has played this year. Considering he played in 136 in the past two years combined, I'd say that's the most encouraging thing I've seen this season.
And yet all the attention seems to be given to the likes of Derrek Lee, Albert Pujols and Andruw Jones. Their numbers are outstanding, yes, but with the resurrection of one the greatest position players of this generation, you would think all eyes would be on him.
But who knows? After three years of dominating headlines with his myriad injuries, maybe Junior's content to "quietly" hit 40 home runs. I know I would be.
And here's an interesting thought. Griffey has 536 home runs, good for a tie with Mickey Mantle at 12th on the career list. He doesn't turn 36 until November. If he can stay healthy (a tall order with his recent history), and Bonds' injury prevents him from returning to form, maybe Ken Griffey Jr., after all, will be the one shaking Henry Aaron's hand after No. 756, and not Barry Bonds.
I, for one, have my fingers (and my toes) crossed.
Source: http://www.thespectrum.com/
After so many tragically short injury-plagued seasons, he's having a typical Griffey year. Yet nobody seems to care.
How this guy - who suddenly looks like the Junior of old - is not getting more attention is beyond me.
We know there are some things (and I sincerely hope that disco is at the top of the list) that will never be coming back. But this is a joyous comeback. A comeback bigger than Lazarus.
We all remember what this man used to be. Throughout the '90s, before we had ever even heard of some dude called Alex Rodriguez - and before the sudden home run explosions of Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds - Junior was the face of the game. He was its brightest star.
When I was about 12 years old, after his first few years in the league, someone gave me a poster of Junior. In big bold letters across the top, it sad "Kid Dynamite." There was a picture of Griffey, decked out in Mariners garb and obviously finishing a swing - Junior definitely had the sweetest swing I've still ever seen. He was standing in front of a huge explosion. It was a cool poster, believe me.
But as cool as this poster seemed, his play was even better. This kid could do it all. He could hit. He could run. He was a brilliant defensive center fielder.
As he was coming up, he was baseball's golden child. He reached the majors before his 20th birthday, and everyone was wondering what this wunderkind - who oozed talent of which even his own Major League veteran father could only dream - could do.
He didn't disappoint. In 11 seasons with the Mariners, he hit 398 home runs. He reached 400 before his 31st birthday. He's appeared in 12 All-Star games -11 in a row from from 1990-2000. Only Cal Ripken Jr. (17) and Rod Carew (15) have played in more Mid-Summer Classics. He won Seven Silver Sluggers and 10 Gold Gloves.
His finest years, by far, were 1997 and 1998, hitting 56 home runs in both seasons. Everyone was sure he, and not Sammy Sosa, would be the guy to push Mark McGwire to break the single-season home run record. Everyone was so sure he-and not Barry Bonds - would challenge Hank Aaron for the all-time home run lead.
Griffey in his prime was the greatest player I've ever seen. He was a class guy with a grin so big and bright it could light up the stadium, and a man who gave so much to the game and to the community. On top of that, the guy's face was on everything. My favorite Super Nintendo game was "Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball."
And then it all came crashing down.
Unhappy in Seattle, he forced the Mariners' hand in a trade that may have gone down as one of the most lopsided trades in baseball history if not for Griffey's injury-fueled fall from grace.
But at first it seemed meant to be. Griffey was headed home to Cincinnati. Where his father played. Where he dominated in high school. Yeah, Junior was headed to the Reds, which was once one of baseball's storied franchises and was now trying to find its way back to baseball glory.
It was a match made in baseball heaven. Griffey even deferred some of his salary to allow the Reds to build a solid team. In his first year he hit 40 home runs ...
Then the injuries started. Griffey's fall happened so quickly, it would have been funny if it hadn't been so tragic. The luck of "Kid Dynamite" was so pathetic he should have been called "Napoleon Dynamite."
Injuries to his hamstring and shoulder limited him to just 206 games over the next three years. His pains dominated the headlines. Fantasy baseball owners everywhere avoided what was once their dream cornerstone player because they knew it was only a matter of time before he got hurt.
The Reds, who once hailed him as their franchise's savior, tried to unceremoniously dump him off to San Diego for Phil Nevin.
Griffey even showed us the promise of breaking out of the injury cycle last year, even making the All-Star team ... before going down in August. I was horrified to see the most talented player in the majors sitting out half the season while A-Rod and Bonds vaulted past him as the new faces of Major League Baseball.
But Junior's back, baseball fans. And he's as good as he ever was. Through Sunday, he was hitting .301 with 35 homers and 92 RBIs. His OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) is a whopping .945, just .008 below his career mark. And he's been on a tear in his past 10 games, batting .381 with six home runs.
His most telling number is 128 - the number of games in which he has played this year. Considering he played in 136 in the past two years combined, I'd say that's the most encouraging thing I've seen this season.
And yet all the attention seems to be given to the likes of Derrek Lee, Albert Pujols and Andruw Jones. Their numbers are outstanding, yes, but with the resurrection of one the greatest position players of this generation, you would think all eyes would be on him.
But who knows? After three years of dominating headlines with his myriad injuries, maybe Junior's content to "quietly" hit 40 home runs. I know I would be.
And here's an interesting thought. Griffey has 536 home runs, good for a tie with Mickey Mantle at 12th on the career list. He doesn't turn 36 until November. If he can stay healthy (a tall order with his recent history), and Bonds' injury prevents him from returning to form, maybe Ken Griffey Jr., after all, will be the one shaking Henry Aaron's hand after No. 756, and not Barry Bonds.
I, for one, have my fingers (and my toes) crossed.
Source: http://www.thespectrum.com/
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