An ode to Griffey

A player seemingly blessed with unlimited potential has struggled and persevered through his entire career. Battling the injury bug he climbed his way to the top list of baseball’s elite smacking his 500th home run of his lustrous career with the Cincinnati Reds. A journey through pain, suffering, losing, and winning has brought him this far, and he thought it was finally over. Not yet.In Seattle Ken Griffey Jr. played alongside Alex Rodriguez, before both were traded away to their respective teams. While with the Mariners some considered Jr. the best player with the most potential they have ever seen. Griffey was living the high life, until he was moved to Cincinnati. His career would be put on the line more times than one.

From 2000 to 2003, Jr. was on the disabled list more times each year. In 03, he spent over 100 days on the DL. Griffey was the fastest player to get to 400 homers and still, despite his injuries, was one of the quickest to reach the 500 plateau and baseball immortality. Think about what this man could have been if injuries hadn’t have held him back.

Griffey has been injured yet again, this time a strained right hamstring. Griffey left the fourth inning of a game against the Brewers after he injured his hamstring lunging out for a ball in center field. Just as we have seen before, running around third and injuring his knee, or diving in center and hurting his shoulder, Griffey’s campaign with the Reds has been anything but lustrous.

From 1996 to 2000 playing with the Mariners, Griffey’s homerun totals ranged from 48 to 56 homeruns. He had a career high 147 RBI’s in 1997, and followed the next season with 146. Griffey hit a career best .327 in 1991 with the Mariners, and .323 in 1994 with 40 homers to compliment. Griffey played amazing baseball with Seattle, offensively and defensively.

Playing in Cincinnati was a whole different script. From 2000 to 2004 Griffey had no more than 365 at bats, a homerun high of only 20 and a homer low of 8 in 2002. The most games Jr. played with the Reds was 145, his first year with the team. He played fewer games in 2002 and 2003 combined then in his first year with the Reds. His highest average with Cincinnati was .286; Griffey topped that mark 7 times in 11 years with the Mariners. Jr. has hit 57 homers with the Reds in four years; in 1997 and 98 Griffey hit one less homerun, 56 blasts each of those years.

Right now Griffey is hitting .251 with 20 homeruns and 60 RBI’s at the break. Just when we all thought Jr. might be out of his hitting woes, he goes and gets injured before the all-star break. This injury may not be as serious as the last but the effects of the injury could be devastating. Griffey has been having a solid year with the Reds; this injury may stall his success and leave him permanently trapped from his A game. We can only hope and pray that Griffey will heal soon and be back on the field, he doesn’t have much time left.

In 2004, Griffey came back with a vengeance. He played extremely well the first half of the season, enough to earn him a trip to Houston in the all-star game. Now Griffey sits in a familiar spot, the DL. How long he will be out for is undetermined but he will reportedly be unable to attend the all-star game. Carlos Beltran replaced him in center field. It just wasn’t the same without Griffey, no one can replace his smile and swagger he presents himself with every time he steps on the playing field.  

His spot in baseball’s record books should be secure: Hall of Fame player, 500 homers, perennial gold glove winner, all-star game nominations, and one hell of a swing. But what will his legacy hold? Will Griffey be remembered as the guy who had a chance to be the greatest ever but was held up by injuries? I certainly hope not. He should be remembered for his stellar dives in center, his fluid swing, and his never give up attitude towards the game of baseball and life. Ken Griffey Jr. was and still is an amazing player despite his unlucky turn of events.