Deadspin
Ken Griffey Jr. is three homers away from his 600th, which would make him only the sixth man to reach the lofty plateau. The other five are Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and ... Sammy Sosa. Sportaphile wonders: Why isn't everybody talking about how amazing a milestone it is?
After all, considering the considerable steroid haze surrounding Bonds and (to a somewhat lesser extent) Sosa, one could make the argument that Griffey is the first "legitimate" player to reach the mark since Mays. And when you consider how much time Griffey has missed because of injury — injuries that, theoretically, could have been avoided a bit if he had bothered to use steroids — he probably should have reached this mark years ago.
But there's not much rigmarole or pomp for Griffey, and it's likely he'll be traded not long after he hits 600 anyway. People can say all they want about the "horrors" of steroids. We still focus more on users' accomplishments than of those who never touched the stuff, and paid the price.
Where's All The Hoopla For Ken Griffey Jr.'s 600th Homer? [Sportaphile]
Comments
He had the best Super Nintendo game ever. And he did that without the juice, too. Bravo, Junior.
Seriously, am I the only one that still thinks of him as being like 22?
He probably also could have avoided all those injuries if he believed in a little thing called "stretching".
Who says Griffey didn't juice? All those injuries....He is protected from up on high in MLB.
When he hits 600, It'll like a party in his mouth, and everyone's invited.
@OchentaYcinco:
He had the best Super Nintendo sports game ever
Fixed.
I'm gonna reserve judgment until Canseco's third book comes out.
Essentially, it is never iffy with Griffy.
@OchentaYcinco: I saw him hit #500 and he seemed so young and excited. Every time I see his age, I am surprised.
How'd they get all those fans to wear the same clothes?
@OchentaYcinco: Can O' Corn, Nick Noheart, and Barny Tater are all very impressed.
Best player of the 90s by far.
He played with such joy before the injuries, now he does his job quietly and no one notices this huge accomplishment.
Let us all get a collection for a fruit basket or something...
Well, it's tough to get excited when his best moment was the cameo in "Little Big League"
Muscles McGee and Frank Liberty were definitely on the juice though.
Theory 1: Griffey ceased to be relevant from a fantasy perspective years ago, too many injuries + so-called small market team = collective yawn.
Theory 2: People prefer porn to Reader's Digest.
How will this affect the value of his Upper Deck rookie card we all have?
600 home runs? Please. Call us when you win 10,000 games, Mr. Griffey.
@OchentaYcinco: Not only do I still think of him as 22, I always think of him as a Mariner.
@SteveJeltzFan: I have that one too! Is it still stuck at $8?
I think people are generally just desensitized to the long ball accomplishments after Bonds. Everyone feels a little cheated about the steroids and besides, there was approximately 8000 too many hours devoted to beating Aaron's record, Mitchell, etc... (and now Tejada).
I'm about ready to watch playoff hockey. That's going on for the next 4 months, right?
Griffey isnt 'now' enough for tWWL
I'll always remember how he robbed Lou Collins' homer in Little Big League.
@twoeightnine: Tickets were 1/2 off if you came disguised as an empty seat.
No one is talking about it? You mean the media who constantly bombards us with steroid stories that no one gives a shit about anymore? Or the media that discovers a guy is 2 years older than he says and sandbags him?
Griffey plays the game right, and the biggest controversy around him was some old fuck was pissed because he wore his hat backwards. He's the Tim Duncan of baseball, minus the championships of course.
/End rant
//goes to rinse out underwear.
@OchentaYcinco: [bp3.blogger.com]
Awesome
Yeah, that time he broke his wrist crashing into the Kingdome centerfield wall was totally because he didn't stretch and was on steroids.
Only assholes hate on Griffey.
If he wasn't on the juice, how do you explain his grotesquely swollen jaw?
I've always loved Griffey. I wore 24 and played CF in little league. My mom would always yell at me for wearing my hat backwards "like a thug" and I'd whine "But Ken Griffey wears his like this" After my father, Ken Griffey has had the biggest influence in making me a baseball fan.
I honestly thought he retired when I hadn't heard anything coming from his corner about 2-3 years ago. Growing up in the 90's, he and Frank Thomas were all I heard about. I mean, the guy started playing in the majors when I was two. I guess you tend to forget about people when the pinnacle of their career was more than 10 years ago.
You're still assuming he'll hit #600 without his arm falling off and shattering into pieces.
Barry Bonds, Quiet, Slugging Non-Steroid User.
Well, one outta three ain't bad.
Also, no one seems to care that Craig Griffey just sold his 600th used car.
All of Griffey Junior's injuries stem from his frightful nerve tonic overdose.
@Trenton Makes The World Takes: That blows.
Also, no seems to care Ken Giraffey Jr just entertained his 600th minor league ball park.
@the earl of weaver: I'll always remember how he robbed Don Mattingly of a home run in a nike commercial. And for that, I will never forgive him.
Why am I supposed to get excited about the brilliant student that never applied himself and only showed up to class when he had to? Just because he scored well on his ACTs? We knew he was wicked smart already.
Note: this is different than Grant Hill because he had mono. Can't hold that against him.
Alright, Donora, PA!
You don't get gigantism from nothing.
Griffey's Mariners practice jersey (circa 1995) is the only sports jersey I've ever bought.
Enough said.
@crazyjoedavola: +24...well said. Griffey is under the radar because he bailed on Seattle for the Reds...and the chemically enhanced blew past him. A first ballot HOFer and one of the true gentlemen of the game. Will wind up the Musial or Robinson of this generation.
Griffey Jr as a Mariner = Relevant
Griffey Jr as a Red = Irrelevant
Let's not forget that Griffey Jr hasn't won jack shit since he slid home and beat the Yankees in the 95 Division Series.
@Captain Caveman: I hate all Seattle sports teams, but I always liked Griffey, Jr.
@Andrew: Ken Griffey Jr. agrees.
@OchentaYcinco: We made one hell of a drinking game out of that video game. Projectile vomitting was a guarantee.
My absolute favorite player growing up was Ken Griffey, Jr. One of my favorite childhood sports memories was going to a Royals-Mariners game and watching Griffey hit a towering home run in person. It was awesome. Then I threw up because I had the flu so we had to go home early. But at least I got to see one of the sweetest swings in the game at its peak.
Damn those injuries. Shoulda been you, Barry Bonds.
Griffey has been a huge dick in every single interview that I have ever seen.
Steroid user? No. Brain and nerve tonic user? Yes.
@Pittsburgh Sports and Mini Ponies: IT's too bad they couldn't make his lips bigger....
You mean he hasn't retired yet?
Some people are talking about this, Will.
From Doc's blog earlier today:
[frontier.cincinnati.com]
Also, my favorite Griffey moment of all time was when my buddy and I saw him leaving the same showing of Spider-Man in NKY. He was behind us on the escelator and he was talking on and on with his son about the movie. It was kind of crazy to here an All-Star talking about webbing.
@TomahawkFlop:
If we're wondering why Griffey is overlooked, I'd go with small-market team and injuries over his lack of winning.
I forgot he still plays baseball.
I used to love him when he played for the Mariners. I quit watching baseball when Alex Rodriguez sold out to Texas for 252 million.
@Farneyismycopilot: escalator* hear*
Damnit, back to the hole for me.
@Charles:
Just sayin', thirteen (and counting) seasons without being in the playoffs will render you irrelevant. But you are right about the injuries too; without the injuries, Jr would have ended up playing back in a major market or on a perrenial winner.