In Retrospect: Ken Griffey Jr.

I really can’t believe it’s over now. Although he’s 40 years old, Ken Griffey Jr. just retired and I feel so upset and melancholy, as if he was 25 and called it quits for no reason.

He really had it all. He was the #1 overall draft pick in the 1987. The son of a Cincinnati Reds legend. One of the most infectious smiles a professional athlete could ever have. He really was “The Kid.” Constantly wearing his hat backwards, Junior chased after fly balls with the energy of a 5-year old playing catch with his dad in the backyard. He truly loved the game.

He was arguably the best player of the 1990’s. He hit 56 homers in two consecutive seasons in Seattle’s Kingdome, an EXTREMELY spacious pitcher’s park (almost on CitiField’s level). He was a five-tool player, although he never really stole as many bases as he could have (career high of 24). He won 10 straight Gold Gloves. He scored the iconic winning run in the 1995 playoffs against the Yankees, racing home from first base on a hit from Edgar Martinez that traveled 200 feet at the most and sliding safely into a collective orgasm from the Seattle fans. He had 13 All-Star appearances, continually placing his name among the best in baseball (and among the best in history).

It’s truly a shame that Junior’s body broke down so horrifically. One injury after another… it was almost as if he was jinxed after leaving Seattle to take the hundred-plus million dollar contract to play for the “hometown” Reds. At that point, Seattle WAS his hometown. He had the hearts of every single person in that city and simply wanted to “test the waters.” The fact that he signed with the Reds in 2000 and just retired in the last 24 hours is also a testament to his mental strength, as he literally shook off injuries for more than nine seasons. Not just nicks and scrapes, but tendon tears, torn hamstrings, Achilles problems, and other assorted lower body injuries.

Anyone with a Super Nintendo or Nintendo 64 during the 90’s will tell you that Ken Griffey Jr.’s baseball games were the SHIT. Even though he played in Seattle, basically a sports graveyard, he was really a larger-than-life figure all across the nation. Some of my friends from suburban Long Island to this day still use Ken Griffey replica baseball gloves. I had one of my own as well. He had and will always have the sweetest swing in the history of baseball.

Compared to the juicing assholes like McGwire, Sosa, Palmiero, and Bonds, there was just a distinct aura around Griffey. His passion for the game was/is unparalleled. Unlike many of today’s players, he wasn’t just in it for the money or fame. He practically grew up with the Cincinnati Reds dynasty in the 1970’s, living in their clubhouse while his father played. He knew famous people from a young age; he drove a BMW in high school. He knew what these tangible things were. He just wanted to do what he loved: play baseball. Fortunately, he was absolutely incredible at the sport as well.

I understand Albert Pujols is the best player in baseball right now, by a LOT. But 30, 40, even 50 years from now, find me in a bar, and I will defend on my LIFE that if Ken Griffey Jr. never got injured, he would’ve been the greatest player of all time. There was nothing stopping him. I really don’t know a single baseball fan who has the slightest hint of disdain for Ken Griffey Jr. The man is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Without injuries, he just might have been the home run king. I never got to see him play, and it’s seriously looking like one of the bigger regrets in my life as a sports fan.