The Man who would be King – Matt Waters

It shouldn’t be that easy. A leap over the top of a flat outfield fence is not meant to look like poetry in motion. Home run swings aren’t supposed to have a natural rhythm. Speed should not have equality with instincts. One is supposed to cover for the other. No one is supposed to be perfect. But yet, the images of a player who was more like a masterpiece still flow through the minds of Baseball fans everywhere.   You can still see it, can’t you? The bat waggles behind his head, his eyes are focused with graceful intensity, and his ability speaks for itself. A fastball zooms toward the outside corner, and like a flash, it evaporates deep into the night sky. Ken Griffey Jr. has just hit a game tying homer off John Wetteland in game two of the 1995 A.L.D.S. Before the game, Griffey reportedly told his teammates to ” climb on his back.” The Kid was going to take the Mariners straight into the Promised Land. As he circled the bases that chilly October night, it seemed apparent that the future of Major League Baseball was riding on the flexible shoulders that belonged to the game’s brightest young star. Anything was possible.

  The seasons passed you by, as they often do, like an errant fly on a hot summer day. All the while, many things were certain. Death, taxes, and a Ken Griffey Jr. highlight on Sports Center. It became almost routine, all of it. That sweet swing, the amazing vertical leaps, and the unfathomable diving plays. In 1997 he won the MVP, in 1998 he ” failed” to break Roger Maris’ hallowed single season home run record. While Big Mac and the Gladiator shone in the light of Baseball history, Griffey illuminated the dreary King Dome as best as he could. There was the rise of A-Rod, the wallowed descent that defined the Expos, and the dominance of the Yankees. All the while, the Kid was turning into a man faster than our memories allowed. No longer preening in as many commercials, or displaying the same endless charisma, Griffey was morphing into just another high paid MLB superstar. His dragging talks with the Mariners over a new contract only solidified this new Junior. In his final King Dome at-bat, The King of Baseball swatted a home run deep into the right field grand stands. He would patrol Center for a half of season at Safeco Field, a park that he had helped to build with the rest of his Mariners brethren. After that however, he was gone. Traded to his hometown team, the Cincinnati Reds.

       How high were the expectations? ” When he came up for his first at-bat, I thought Jesus Christ might have come down from his cross.” This remark, made by Johnny Bench in jest, proved to be an ominous portent of thing to come for Griffey with the Reds. It would be a slow start that season, his batting average sank from normal levels and the homers only started to come with the warming of the weather. As the fan’s expectations and patience began rising and falling symmetrically, Junior felt the crunch. No longer was the hat worn backwards for batting practice. The Old Junior had not returned with the Reds. An older Ken Griffey had. Despite the failure of the team to make the play offs, its main star still had 40 homers and over 100 RBI’s. Many argued that Griffey needed a year to adjust to the National League, and the he would be back to his old MVP self in due time.

  A member of the All Century Team. A 10-time Gold Glove winner. The man pegged by Hank Aaron himself to break his sacred record. Much was expected of Griffey, and for over a decade, more was delivered. After 2000 however, the injuries came. Leg injuries. Some argued it was because of poor conditioning. Others suggested going full tilt on the King Dome’s Astroturf had come back to haunt him. Either way, the man who was King rapidly became nothing more than a battered prodigal son. From 2001 through 2004, Junior has not had one complete healthy season. Injuries to his knees, feet, and legs have conspired to place him from the status of a legend to a mere first ballot Hall of Famer. Others have taken his place. A-Rod’s lightning quick bat and savvy media driven personality. Albert Pujols’ raw ability. Manny Ramirez is an enigma wrapped in a batting title. All the while, Junior was booed after leaving the field once again with injury after injury. As easy as he made the climb look, the demise became exceedingly hard to watch. When it looked like he had finally returned for good in 2004, he ripped his hamstring completely off the bone. When he hit his 500 Th homer just games prior, the sentiments were mad sad than celebratory. What if? We might be asking that question about Ken Griffey Jr. the same way we wonder about Mickey Mantle. A comparison that may not be entirely fair, since all of Griffey’s injuries have taken place on the field, and can’t be traced through empty glasses of alcohool.

  But did we ever fully appreciate him? The strike of 94 cancelled a possible date with Maris, among other things. The anabolic but still admirable blasts of Big Mac took precedence over Griffey’s best season. And all the while you, a baseball fan for your entire life, can still see it. The swing. The effortless talent. The look in his eyes, a glint that speaks volumes. Through it represents a future that never unfolded like we all planned. In it we can see hope that the Man who would be King rises to his throne again. You can’t write legends off this quickly.

It shouldn’t be that easy.