Ken Griffey Jr.

Roy · Jun 3, 2010

22 years in the bigs
2671 Games
9801 At Bats
1662 Runs
2781 Hits
524 Doubles
38 Triples
630 HR's
1836 RBI's
184 Stolen Bases
.985 Fielding Percentage
13 All Star Games
10 Gold Gloves
7 Silver Sluggers
3 Home Run Derbys
1997 League MVP
Some of the most spectacular catches ever and the sweetest, purest, swing I ever saw.

Thanks for the memories! You did it right!

No doubt he is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Will he make it before Bonds, McGwire and Sosa?

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

nickman · Jun 3, 2010

>22 years in the bigs
>2671 Games
>9801 At Bats
>1662 Runs
>2781 Hits
>524 Doubles
>38 Triples
>630 HR's
>1836 RBI's
>184 Stolen Bases
>.985 Fielding Percentage
>13 All Star Games
>10 Gold Gloves
>7 Silver Sluggers
>3 Home Run Derbys
>1997 League MVP
>Some of the most spectacular catches
>ever and the sweetest, purest,
>swing I ever saw.
>
>Thanks for the memories! You did
>it right!
>
>No doubt he is a first
>ballot Hall of Famer. Will
>he make it before Bonds,
>McGwire and Sosa?

.........and, by the way, the guy always had time for the fans and was at work everyday with an infectious smile.

We will always have to wonder what an injury free career would have produced.

onemoreridge · Jun 3, 2010

In baseball he was and still is my idol, as a kid we did everything to be like him. He is the best example and role model out of any professional athlete in any sport.

+1 on the smile, he is the one player that you could tell he played the game because he was having fun. He will be missed by all and a definite 1st ballot inductee.

The thing for me that I remember the most is his swing, it is picture perfect.

eelgrass · Jun 3, 2010

So I wonder who he will play for next year, and how much he will hold out for?

j/k (I think)

People like him made baseball Americas favorite past time.

Ozzman · Jun 3, 2010

Good to finally see a true superstar come and go without an * next to his name.

This guy is one professional athlete worthy of being called a hero by kids...

I'll miss watching him!

sageadvice · Jun 3, 2010

You guys crack me up that really believe that Griffey didn't use some from of performance enhancer during his career. There are hundreds of guys out there that weren't exposed and aren't going to come forward unless they have to.

Griffey was a superb ball player and a great guy. I take nothing away from him but to put him on a pedestal as doing it the right way or without "help" or use in recovering from his many and often injury's just plain naive.

PED's were in use by collegiate and professional athletes even back in my day. That's a long time, over 35 years. You'd be amaised at just how many and different kinds of athletes have juiced since then!!

Joey

Roy · Jun 3, 2010

Joey - that is the sad truth about that whole era in baseball. There is no way we will ever know, but the major consensus is that no he did not use any PED's. Also, he was so often injured and missed a lot of games due to those injuries, injuries that often times people used steroids to aid in the healing process to recover quickly. I think I might be a little more skeptical myself if it weren't for that single fact. His recovery was always long and delayed, even with pulled muscles and ligaments.

Also, there is no proof, he never failed one test, and no one has pointed a finger at him - EVER. He either hid it well, or never gave anyone any reason to cast aspersions on him.

What happened to the presumption of innocence? Guess that is probably a little too much to expect in this world of continually falling heroes, but it is certainly not too much to ask.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

sageadvice · Jun 3, 2010

You're right Roy, there is no proof that he used but that in itself, is little or no proof that he didn't. Too many hearts have already been broken and only the tip of the iceberg has been exposed.

Not so long ago, McGuire kept his stuff out on the top shelf of his locker... It's just been way to common and accepted.

This guy does a pretty good job of saying what if...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/123218-did-ken-griffey-jr-take-steroids

Joey

KBKILLER · Jun 3, 2010

Tiger woods
A-Rod
Lance Armstrong

all MAJOR role models who ended up not being what people thought.

i agree griffy is 1 of my top 3 favorite sports athletes, but i wouldn't be suprized 1 bit if tomorrow they came out with " he used steroids AND HGH for years" or/AND "40 women step up to say they've been having an affair with him" or who knows.

people want these guys to be more than they can be. dont ever forget, these guys are black athletes and they can only do so much. as with are president, they have "changed" sports

nickman · Jun 4, 2010

So Sage....using the logic that you yourself have provided, what is YOUR drug of choice?

Do you prefer young boys or older men?

Did that little buck you put in the freezer last week have any antlers yet?

Is there a huge profit in using salvaged plumbing materials, versus the new materials you actually billed the customer for?

I have no reason to believe you do any of this stuff, but since no comments have been forthcomming, that in and of itself .......

onemoreridge · Jun 4, 2010

The thing that I don't understand any maybe someone can explain, during the steroid era we had Bonds, McGwire,Canseco, Sosa, A-Rod, Palmeiro and Griffey as the HR kings in the late 90s and early 00s, everyone on the list has been accused of using steroids or admitted to it, but Griffey's name has never been involved in any of those conversatons. Even Canseco was selling out and telling names of who had done steroids but he hasn't even mentioned Griffey's name. I won't start to assume that he did steroids until the people that are directly involved in baseball start mentioning his name as being involved.

Roy · Jun 4, 2010

Good points Joey - pretty good article. Which goes back to my original question - will he make the Hall before McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds? Or because of the cloud of suspiscion hanging over all their heads, do we deny them all the Hall or just put a big blanket over that whole era and call it "the steroids era" and let them all in? I think the latter is the only real recourse.

Oh and Pete Rose should be there too.

UTROY
Proverbs 21:19 (why I hunt!)

bayside · Jun 4, 2010

Heck Yeah Pete Rose should be in the Hall of Fame!!!!
You know what, whether or not he did or didn't take steroids, Ken Griffey Jr was always the perfect roll model in everything with baseball. Smiling with his hat on backwards is how most everyone will remember him. He had an awesome career, has many fans, and did much good for the sport. I will give him the benefit of the doubt for sure. He was at one time when I was younger, my favorite player. That lineup they had with Buener, Edgar Martinez, and Griffey was phenominal and I loved watching their games. Griffey should be put in before all those other names.

Lance Armstrong has never tested positive for anything has he? I didn't think he had.

sageadvice · Jun 4, 2010

My thoughts are that they should be judged as ball players and what they accomplished while they played the game. Most of those guys back then looked for an edge every day to make themselves better players and thus, make more money and get more fame. If you ask me, a good % of the guys that went in the hall in the last 30 years used something to help them stay on the field, get stronger, recover faster from injury, or play better.

I had coaches tell trainers to try an stick needles in me so i could play and that was just collage ball!!! Fact Jack!!!

I don't know that McGuire had the lifetime numbers to make the Hall, I've read it both ways so i'm saying he's gonna have to wait some. Sosa and Bonds IMO, should no question be shoo-ins to go in, Bonds in the first ballot with a unanimous vote. I realize the chances of that happening are -0-.

It may turn out that Griffey is eligible to go in before Bonds anyway. I'm not sure but i don't think Bonds has "officially" retired yet. In any event Griffey will go in first ballot and Bonds should be side by side with him in the hall as two of the very best 5 tool guys, with extra heavy power numbers, of our generation.

Pete Rose, Mixed feelings! I loved watching that guy play. He was an inspiration to me and set an example of how the game should be played...he should be in there.

Nickman, I worked twenty years at the same job. Not certain but good chance that at some point, i bought a candy bar from the machine in the break room.

Joey

BreederBuck · Jun 5, 2010

I will just tip my hat and give The Kid the credit he deserves. Great career even with the injuries.

+1 on the purest, smoothest swing you will ever see.

kingfish · Jun 5, 2010

Bonds is a drug addict and should never be considered for the hall of fame. Rose should have been a first ballet. Griffey will be a first ballet. If he could have stayed healthy he would be the greatest player ever. He would have broken the HR record easy. I watched Griffey when he started for Bellingham ( The Mariners farm club) He was simply the best that ever played the game.