My favorite player in the history of the Major League Baseball retired and I have yet to talk about it in my blog--I'm sorry Grif'.
George Kenneth Griffey Jr. has the most beautiful stroke in the game--and it is a rarity to find anyone that would combat that claim. Griffey has hit 630 homeruns in his career, had a lifetime batting average of .284, 2,781 career hits, and 1,836 Runs Batted In.
Griffey made the All-Star team 13 times, including the entir 90's decade. He has won 10 Gold Glove Awards, again throughout the entire 90's decade. He won the Silver Slugger Award 7 times. He was the 1997 AL MVP. He was also the 1992 MLB All-Star Game MVP.
Unfortunately Ken went through a barrage of injuries during the new century after he asked to move to Cincinnati (to remain closer to his relatives). However, although he was injured and his career took a major drop-off, he revived himself enough to receive the 2005 NL Comeback Player of the Year Award. This award explains the real Ken Griffey Jr. to me. Griffey was a fighter--and although that might sound cliche, it's realistic for him. Griffey became a injury prone because of the effort he displayed on the field. After much energy exhausted and many robbing homerun moments, he inevitably harmed his body to a point where he ruptured his right hamstring. He was never truly able to recover from his injuries but he still showed his trademark step after hitting a bunch of other homeruns (accumulated over the second decade of his career). His 3-time winning Home Run Derby bat speed, simply was not there.
If Griffey did not get injured, he undoubtedly would have been the home run king (without any asterisks by his name). When he was asked about his career, Griffey mentioned his pride of playing well defensively. He said that he would rather make a great play in the outfield than hit a homerun--as far-fetched as that sounds, Griffey truly meant it. His glove-work was his trademark and his homerun strut was just a bonus for the fans.
Griffey played for three teams in his life; the Mariners, the Reds and the White Sox. He started as a Mariner and retired as a Mariner. And although he was not as dominant in the second decade of his career, his image will never be forgotten as a young kid slapping 56 homers in back to back season with a 147 and a 146 RBI's in 97' and 98'. In a span of 5 years, he hit 249 homeruns. He almost average 50 homeruns in a five-year span! He was the epitome of consistency and honor.
His contribution to the game never went acknowledge as he was recognized as a member of the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
Above his impact on the game, Griffey did a lot for children and the League with his presence and motivations. Nintendo abused his Griffey's name for baseball games as 4 games came out for Super Nintendo and the Backyard Baseball series began. Griffey performed in a Rap song titled "The Way I Swing." He participated in countless commercials with Pizza hut and Pepsi. I remember watching the commercial where he hit a foul ball to the dug-out because Sammy Sosa touched his drink.
By all of his greatness, he made an impact on the league in one aspect that no one has ever made. Ken Griffey Jr. was the first player to ask Bud Selig if he can wear the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day. Selig approved and asked all the players to promote Jackie Robinson Day by wearing the number 42. Griffey was the player who pushed for this occurrence. He was a star and a hero.
The greatest low point of his career was not his injuries; but I'd say it was his retirement. His retirement was in the shadow of the 28-out perfect game. He was not as acknowledged and spoke of in the media, and he left without a proper goodbye.
The greatest baseball player of the 90's and the most popular baseball player in our generation should have had a more fanciful ending. Regardless of his closure; it must be said, Ken Griffey Junior is one of the best players to ever play the game--and I would go as far to say he is the best player to the center-field as long as you attach the preface that he played in the Steroid and HGH era--and he played it clean. Thank you Griffey.
2 comments:
Nice man you had a lot of stuff in there I never knew, like the Jackie Robinson number. The only swing I've seen that I think rivals how pretty Griffey's was is A-rod's, but Griffey's I'd probably have to agree was better (and Griffey is cooler anyway).
The fact that you think he might be the best center fielder of all time interests me. Top 10? Yes. Top 5, yes, but I just can't see Griffey being better than Willie Mays or Ty Cobb (despite Cobb being a racist), who both have more rbi's, more runs scored, more hits, more stolen bases, and as for Mays, more home runs than Griffey. Mays was probably a better fielder too, who basically invented the over the shoulder catch Griffey so famously revived. DiMaggio is still a tough one too, because he made the position of center field legendary, even though the numbers aren't there. Despite this, I might have to concede that if Griffey didn't get injured...he'd be arguably one of the best players of all time, not just one of the best center fielders.
Thanks for the comment kid; I want more people leaving comments on my Blog. But I totally feel you, Mays and Cobb are the main rivals of who's the best Centerfielder of all time and although Grif's numbers cannot speak for themselves. But there is something about the competition level and the steroid era that adds more to Griffey's resume; at least in my eyes. It's not fair to say that he's the best Centerfield in the game in terms of pure statistics and we all know that baseball is a game of statistics. But when it comes to his impact on kids all over the U.S. during such a dark era; I have to put him on a higher platform. There were steroid and HGH abusers all over the league; pitching and batting. But still, none of the pitchers could contain him and none of the batters could out-play him. If he didn't get hurt, he would've been the best centerfielder to ever play; but I guess you're right and that it's unfair to give him that title.
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