Griffey Deserves All-Time Best Billing

Here is a spattering of comments from The Sporting News.com forum, which I find typical, concerning Ken Griffey Jr. and the "What Could Have Been" scenario:

...Ken Griffey Jr. has the most beautiful swing in baseball. He has used it with tremendous power over the past decade and a half but he had a potential for much, much more. wvthundr

..Still one of the greatest outfielders though. Will unfortunately go down as one of the "how good would he have REALLY been" stories... hotlanta25

...If it weren't for Griffey's injury problems I could easily have seen him on pace to either break Aaron's record this year or next. It's a shame that he had to go through all the problems he has had because when he is healthy he is still as deadly as ever. tbeals7

It's sad to think about the talent being wasted by injuries with Junior Griffey... MFazio23

You get the idea, and I know you have heard it all before. I think this is the wrong way to evaluate Griffey. Unfortunately for him, he has had the bad luck to have his misfortunes at the end of his career instead of the beginning. I rarely hear anyone saying, "Well, Sandy Koufax would have been one of the best ever if it weren't for those first six years of his career." (In which he averaged six wins and a 4.04 ERA.)

Sure, Griffey might be pushing his way further up all-time lists if injuries had not come calling. But is anyone claiming Jim Brown is not one of the best, if not the best, football players ever because he only played nine years? Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the best baseball players ever. Period.

As a Reds fan I regret not getting Griffey's best years here in Cincinnati. That said, he had enough "best years" in Seattle (and has been nowhere near a "bad" player, when healthy, in Cincinnati) to easily be considered with Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ted Williams on the short list of greatest outfielders of all-time. In fact, when the All-Century team was announced in 1999 Griffey was the only active position player who made the starting lineup. (Griffey finished 8th. Barry Bonds? 18th. And remember, Griffey is five years younger than Bonds.)

Has Griffey become a worse player since 1999? Much less so than Willie Mays was with the Mets. Stop the, "Well, he could have had 700 HR by now" talk. Ted Williams could have had some insane numbers had the Japanese not bombed Pearl Harbor. Babe Ruth might not have had the numbers he put up had baseball been integrated. (That topic is for another day...)

I understand discussions such as this - comparing eras, who's the best and who's a bum, etc. - are why sports talk radio exists and are near-and-dear topics of sports fans everywhere, including myself. The four letter network appears to revel in this inanery lately with their Who's Now and top 50 future football Hall of Famer shenanigans.

Stop evaluating Griffey on what coulda-shoulda-woulda been. At age 30 Ken Griffey Jr. was one of the greatest players of all-time. Today, at age 38, he is still one of the greatest players of all-time. And my oh my, what a swing....

Smoke?

While sitting back and taking a look at the landscape that is the Michael Vick show, it seems that the other shoe which could drop may be Shaq-sized. With one of the original defendants [Tony Taylor] in the dog fighting case copping a plea, rolling over, and getting ready to drop a dime on the elusive QB, it makes sense to me to think this thing is going to mushroom into a three ring circus.

I would like to say that I have been torn about weighing in on the Vick issue because in the United States, "You're innocent until proven guilty." I hope that justice is served and the truth comes out. It looks bleak in the Vick camp, but what about the other two defendants without a few million to lawyer up? The pressure got to one defendant already, which leads to the smoke.

The fact that the original warrant for the property was for a marijuana charge...and the person [Devon Boddie] for whom the drug warrant was issued is not named in the dog fighting indictment...I would say the chances that he is singing are pretty good. He is the cousin of Vick, was living in the house, and proclaimed Vick had no idea. If Tony Taylor is truly honest and spills the beans on what went on in that house, things could go from bad to worse. Shortly after Vick signed his rookie contract, Taylor was living at the house after finding the property and having it built.He apparently left the kennel over a money dispute in 2004. Go figure?

From the way people are backing away from Vick you would think he was radioactive; and if Federal Drug charges come down in the superseding indictment, he will be. People think the government is going after him due to his celebrity status, but that $100 million contract he signed gave him Steinbrenner style backing for whatever enterprise he chose. The chances drugs were not a part of the house that "Bad News Kennels" occupied seems a long shot, since the original problem was drug related. All of these actions seem to be linked by the culture of 'the hood.' Money is power - backing a book for breeding dogs and dog fighting allowed the defendants to be automatic players in that subculture.

Feeling Bud's Pain

No better reason to snap out of a brief hiatus than to check in on the fine commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig. Seems Bud is having a bit of an issue attending baseball games. In this article from The New York Times we get a brief glimpse into the horror that is the life of a baseball commissioner:

Commissioner Bud Selig was at Dodger Stadium to watch Barry Bonds pursue Hank Aaron’s record again on Wednesday night, but Selig did not sound like someone who was thrilled to be in Los Angeles.

“This has been a tough experience, I don’t mind telling you,” Selig said.

Selig did not elaborate, but he seemed to be referring to something more than the flights and the hotel beds. Counting Wednesday’s contest against the Dodgers, Selig has attended eight of the Giants’ last 12 games. After delaying his decision for months, Selig is shadowing Bonds. For now, anyway.

“I don’t think anybody can say I haven’t made a Herculean effort,” Selig said. “In fact, I have a lot of people who are stunned I’m still at it.”

“I’ll do this as long as it’s practical,” Selig said.

Man, I'm feeling you brother. No one hates tripping across the country in my G-4, staying in 5-Star Hotels, and having to attend freakin' baseball games like I do. Bud, let me add my name to the lengthy list of those who are stunned, absolutely floored, that you are still at it.

"Herculean effort?" Some may scoff at this use of Roman mythological hyperbole. But they are not the ones who have to eat room service at the Four Seasons (Quail? Again!!?), sit in those ergonomically incorrect seats in the owner's box, and actually have to watch Barry Bonds every game. The correct answers to the questions are: (1) "No, I will not sign your baseball."; (2) "No, I will not wave to the fans." and; (3) "Pete Rose? Never heard of him." (Feel free to print that out for a handy pocket reference card). I know you don't want to be a part of this - Hank Aaron is your buddy. And we all know you were only the interim commissioner during the whole (alleged) steroid craze.

"Practical?" I think the days of practical are long past Bud. Go home, get some rest (1020-thread count Egyptian cotton sheets? Like cardboard!), and prepare for what portends to be an arduous journey to that hell hole known as San Diego this weekend. We (or at least, I) feel your pain Bud. In fact, why don't you just resign. That'll show 'em.