Griffey returns to Mariners

[Will E Worm]

Griffey returns to Mariners after 9-year absence.

Ken Griffey Jr.'s familiar blue cap was in its familiar, fun place - backward. The jokes, the huge gum bubbles and the boyish grin were back, too.

On his back, that blue No. 24, outlined in teal. It's the number with which he became a superstar in Seattle but hadn't worn in nine years.

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Back where he should have stayed. :hatsoff:

 

[24788]

That's very sexy, he's probably getting close to retiring.

Just wondering - Have you heard the rumors that the Mariners are moving to Oklahoma City?

 

[STDiva]

That's very sexy, he's probably getting close to retiring.

Just wondering - Have you heard the rumors that the Mariners are moving to Oklahoma City?

eh ohhhhhhhhhhh

 

[D-rock]

I always wondered if moving away from that place was one of the big reasons other than nagging injuries that he transformed from future inner circle hall of famer to just one that was middle of the road, if that. Remember when people used to debate about who was better between Bond and him? :1orglaugh

 

[villiageidiot]

So what's the big deal with him returning? The Seattle disabled list is the same as the Cincinnati disabled list, right?

 

[wrayven]

I always wondered if moving away from that place was one of the big reasons other than nagging injuries that he transformed from future inner circle hall of famer to just one that was middle of the road, if that. Remember when people used to debate about who was better between Bond and him? :1orglaugh

No, he apparently had a major affair going on, and had to leave town due to family pressures(at least that is the story I have heard from many Mariner fans). He would not have done very well in Safeco anyways. I think the injuries came from a lack of workout regimen and playing on artificial turf of the Kingdome for a better part of a decade. For his first ten years he was awesome, but the move to the NL and back home to Cincinnati did not serve his career very well. I would not call 611 HR and pretty stellar CF defense a middle of the road career. Maybe Griffey was not using roids. Kind of a pointless move for a team going nowhere, but who knows Jr could become a DH hitting .260-270 w/22 HR 80 RBI.

 

[Will E Worm]

That's very sexy, he's probably getting close to retiring.

Just wondering - Have you heard the rumors that the Mariners are moving to Oklahoma City?

I didn't hear that. Post the article.

 

[D-rock]

I would not call 611 HR and pretty stellar CF defense a middle of the road career.

That's true, but then again a lot of that is from all the mediocre years he stayed around and padded his stats following the years where he was on his way to being one of the top ten players ever to play the game. His peek years were pretty much done when he went to Cincinnati, and his time before that is what the vast part of what is going to get him in the Hall of Fame is going to be based on. Now he's probably top a top 50 all time person. That's nothing to sneeze at to be sure, and it's quite an accomplishment, but when compared to somebody like Bonds who is probably either the best or second best player ever you can see how he fell off from what he was, especially when those two were compared so often in the first half of their careers. (Of course all of that is ignoring the steroid issue. Then again we have no idea if Griffy did any either.)

 

[wrayven]

That's true, but then again a lot of that is from all the mediocre years he stayed around and padded his stats following the years where he was on his way to being one of the top ten players ever to play the game. His peek years were pretty much done when he went to Cincinnati, and his time before that is what the vast part of what is going to get him in the Hall of Fame is going to be based on. Now he's probably top a top 50 all time person. That's nothing to sneeze at to be sure, and it's quite an accomplishment, but when compared to somebody like Bonds who is probably either the best or second best player ever you can see how he fell off from what he was, especially when those two were compared so often in the first half of their careers. (Of course all of that is ignoring the steroid issue. Then again we have no idea if Griffy did any either.)

I am not even sure Griffey would be amongst the top 20 all time, but the HR total is so high and Jr is perceived as a nice guy. For ten years he was awesome. As a CF, I would place Mays, Dimaggio, Mantle and Cobb ahead of Griffey- maybe even Tris Speaker as well.

Check this list out: http://www.thebaseballpage.com/positions/rankings/Top100.php Kind of laughable as pitchers are woefully underrated in these lists. Tom Seaver is not the best pitcher of all time. Bonds is way behind Griffey which is incorrect with or without steroids.

 

[samwise34]

Jr is a class act ... one of the guys you can trust wasnt juicin'. (although maybe that wouldve kept him off the DL)

True he's at the end but I'd still pay to see him.