Emotional Griffey takes his place in Mariners history

[Chuck]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130810&content_id=56578320&vkey=news_sea&c_id=sea

 

Good stuff. 

[gotbeer]

Real cool.  Not hard to see why he was a well liked player.

[Make Angels Great Again]

Love this guy so much. One of my favorite players of all time.

[Kenny]

Did they play the funky music from "Little Big League" when he came out?

 

[sneaky_flute]

it's kind of funny that he's never in the steroid discussion

[Guest]

it's kind of funny that he's never in the steroid discussion

smh.

[rageous]

it's kind of funny that he's never in the steroid discussion

It's because he went through typical regression of aging and injuries as he got older unlike Bonds who actually got better as he got older.

[sneaky_flute]

It's because he went through typical regression of aging and injuries as he got older unlike Bonds who actually got better as he got older.

griffey didn't exhibit typical regression. around 2000 he started having lots of injuries that suggested long-term steroid use. he was also on a team with several known steroid users (like a-rod).

[rageous]

griffey didn't exhibit typical regression. around 2000 he started having lots of injuries that suggested long-term steroid use. he was also on a team with several known steroid users (like a-rod).

Arod didn't use ped until he went to the rangers and joined the team notorious for having cheaters and a front office that actually encourages it.

[SoWhat]

Awesome. My favorite player growing up

[sneaky_flute]

all front offices should encourage PED use. anyway, griffey was on a team with roid users like jay buhner, a-rod, todd williams, and more

[Guest]

griffey didn't exhibit typical regression. around 2000 he started having lots of injuries that suggested long-term steroid use. he was also on a team with several known steroid users (like a-rod).

Really? Like what? Do tell.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

Always a class act. One of the true ambassadors of the game, as well as one of its greatest players.

[Caralho]

I love the stupid steroid argument above. If an old guy gets hurt and regresses, he's on roids. If he kills the ball he's on roids. No matter what he does a player is on roids. 

[Kenny]

Would I be surprised if he juiced? No. He played in a time where it was everywhere. Is there any proof that he did? No. So why even bring it up?

[The God of Runs]

I remember trying to get his upper Deck rookie card, skipping out on breakfast or lunch to save the $5 for a pack in the hopes of scoring the $100 pay day

[disarcina]

We can only wish that MLB will get back to the time when Ken Griffey Junior and his obvious joy of the game of baseball was the face of MLB.

 

MLB and baseball in general today is a different game. And not for the better.

 

I trace the start of the decline of MLB to where it is today to the day Ken Griffey Jr. got traded from Seattle to Cincinnati.

 

For whatever reason, what was supposed to be sort of a homecoming type career move for Junior (playing for the same team where his father starred and where he literally grew up in the clubhouse and dugout) turned sour real quick (he got off to a bad start and things went downhill from there). I don't think he ever really enjoyed any of his time in Cincinnati and that was sad.

 

What was even sadder from a baseball fan perspective was to see his once Happy Go Lucky ("Let's Play Two" attitude of Ernie Banks for the next generation of players) turn to something else.....he almost looked, at times, as if he'd rather not be on the field -- this was such a dramatic turnabout, it actually was hurtful to watch it and see it happening......the Cincy fans contributed to it by getting on Junior. It was unwarranted and I thought unfair.  The most joyous player in years to put on the uniform was reduced to being just another player........

 

When I think of the trade of Junior from Seattle to Cincinnati, I want to cue up Don McLean's "Bye, Bye Ms. American Pie" and apply the lyrics to MLB and baseball.

 

Thanks for posting the video -- it was nice to see that happy, joyous Junior out there again, one last time.

 

Some folks here probably remember when Ken Griffey Jr. was the face of MLB and MLB was better for it.  My kids were little leaguers then -- everyone wanted to be Junior. He was a positive influence.........we desperately need that in the game of baseball today.........

 

Congrats, Junior.

 

I will always remember that the first guy to contact the late Dave Niehaus on his enshrinement in the HOF (Ford Frick award) was Ken Griffey Jr........that's kind of guy he is.

[Vegas Halo Fan]

I remember trying to get his upper Deck rookie card, skipping out on breakfast or lunch to save the $5 for a pack in the hopes of scoring the $100 pay day

 

I have a set of minor league cards that I bought years ago. One of the cards is Griffey, Jr. with the San Bernardino Spirit. That same set has Derek Jeter with the Gulf Coast Yankees and Mike Piazza with the San Antonio Missions.

[ScottT]

Awesome.  I was looking for video of this last night.  Still haven't found any of his son's video message.  I was a big fan of Griffey, especially early in his career. He played locally in the minors. The Angels weren't a good team in those days and completely lacked star power.  I only went to a handful of games per season, but a couple were always when the Mariners came to town.  Had some bad luck... he didn't play a few times because of injury or just because he got a day off. Henry Cotto usually filled in for him.  I hated Henry Cotto.

 

In December of 1990, he did an autograph signing, with his father, at the Orange Show in San Bernardino.  I had recently broken my wrist playing soccer.  When I walked up to get his autograph, he struck up a brief, but memorable, conversation.  He asked if I'd done it slam dunking a basketball.  I probably couldn't dunk on a 6 1/2 foot basket at the time.  I have no idea what I said.  Didn't matter.  I was still fairly impressionable and he made a great impression on me.  

[Amazing Larry]

griffey didn't exhibit typical regression. around 2000 he started having lots of injuries that suggested long-term steroid use. he was also on a team with several known steroid users (like a-rod).

Something else happened to Griffey that year... What could it have been? Oh yes he started playing for a team that had one of the hardest known synthetic surfaces in the history of baseball. But don't let the that get in the way of your story.

[Bashbrothers]

Steroids favor upper body muscle strength.  Griffey wasn't exactly beefy.

[sneaky_flute]

Something else happened to Griffey that year... What could it have been? Oh yes he started playing for a team that had one of the hardest known synthetic surfaces in the history of baseball. But don't let the that get in the way of your story.

riverfront stadium converted to grass a year after he joined the team. i'm not saying he used steroids and i don't care one way or the other. i just think it's interesting that he's always exempt from steroid accusations due to his seemingly humble public persona.

[Bashbrothers]

riverfront stadium converted to grass a year after he joined the team. i'm not saying he used steroids and i don't care one way or the other. i just think it's interesting that he's always exempt from steroid accusations due to his seemingly humble public persona.

 

 

That's not why.  He wasn't talked about because he didn't do it.

[Amazing Larry]

riverfront stadium converted to grass a year after he joined the team. i'm not saying he used steroids and i don't care one way or the other. i just think it's interesting that he's always exempt from steroid accusations due to his seemingly humble public persona.

Ok I'll give you that, but all those years the Kingdome probably didn't help either.

[Taylor]

Griffey actually had a very solid first season with the Reds. .271/.387/.556 with 40 HR and 118 RBI. Then he had several injury-riddled seasons, but when he was 35 he hit .301/.369/.576 with 35 HR.