Ken Griffey Jr. is retiring

[Valadius]

Flashing across the wires now. Hell of a career, sure-fire Hall-of-Famer, possibly best of his generation, would have been one for the ages had he not been hurt so much in the '00s.

Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu says Ken Griffey Jr. is retiring. Wakamatsu made the announcement before Wednesday night's game against Minnesota. Griffey's retirement is effective immediately. The 40-year-old Griffey was one of baseball's greatest players before injuries began to take their toll. The perennial All-Star outfielder ranks fifth on the career home run list with 630. Griffey was hitting only .184 this season and recently went a week without playing.

[nymr83]

they just said this on the Mets' broadcast.

Griffey played 22 years and punched his hall of fame ticket in Seattle by age 29, after that he was just hurt alot.

my table-posting abilities suck but check out the first and second halves of his career on BR, its just shocking

[seawolf17]

Always thought he would have wound up at Shea at some point. What a great talent and ambassador for baseball. Congrats on a heck of a career, Junior.

[Valadius]

Here's a question: who becomes the first player inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner, Griffey or Edgar Martinez? Or does Randy Johnson make it in as a Mariner and not a Diamondback?

[seawolf17]

Griffey. Edgar's never going to get 75% of the vote. (But that's an argument for another thread.)

[nymr83]

griffey's already low-key retirement has been overshadowed on baseball tonight and sportscenter, sorry ken. you deserve better

[seawolf17]

Nymr83 wrote: griffey's already low-key retirement has been overshadowed on baseball tonight and sportscenter, sorry ken. you deserve better

Jim Joyce has always said he hated the Griffeys.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Cap tipped to Junior. 630 homers and never a hint of roid-dum.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

metsguyinmichigan wrote: Cap tipped to Junior. 630 homers and never a hint of roid-dum.

Don't be the Naiive Guy.

[Valadius]

Griffey's the one star I'm positive never touched the stuff.

[seawolf17]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: metsguyinmichigan wrote: Cap tipped to Junior. 630 homers and never a hint of roid-dum. Don't be the Naiive Guy.

Too bad they started all this "get rid of PEDs" stuff right when his body broke down for real, whereas Bonds got to keep going until he was in his mid-40s.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

You people and your trusting hearts. A journalist and a Washington guy no less.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Valadius wrote: Griffey's the one star I'm positive never touched the stuff.

I'm not sure I'm even 100% positive about Charlie Brown.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Griffey, Frank Thomas and every Met. Clean as the driven snow.

Jeter, meanwhile, I'm convinced, has the freaking things for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I live in a happy little world.

[metirish]

Michael Kay

" Griffey had a chance to come to the yankees and turned it down, in my eyes that makes him a loser"

[seawolf17]

metirish wrote: Michael Kay " Griffey had a chance to come to the yankees and turned it down, in my eyes that makes him a loser"

I would almost believe he said that.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Ken Griffey, Jr's name and face is recognised by baseball fans throughout America. Michael Kay is recognised by few outside of YLDB fans.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is a first ballot Hall of Famer. Michael Kay pays admission to get into the Hall of Fame.

Ken Griffey, Jr. will be immortalized as one of the greats of the game. Michael Kay is immortalized only in his own mind.

[Valadius]

Remember the trade? Benitez, Cedeno, and Dotel for Griffey. Knowing what we all know now, would you have made that trade?

[G-Fafif]

griffey's already low-key retirement has been overshadowed on baseball tonight and sportscenter, sorry ken. you deserve better

An inversion of a similar retirement vs. incredible feat episode:

Then there was June 3, 1932, when Gehrig gave his finest individual performance, becoming the first player this century to hit four home runs in a game. Again, he was overshadowed. The bigger story in New York that day was that the legendary John McGraw, in his 31st year as Giants manager, had resigned.

[Guest Vince Coleman Firecracker]

Just because, here's fangraph's WAR graph comparison between Griffey, Mantle, Mays and Dimaggio:
http://www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx?playerid2=327&playerid3=1008315&playerid4=1008082&playerid5=1003311

And here's one of Griffey with some contemporary centerfielders (Edmonds, Lofton & Andruw Jones):
http://www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx?playerid2=327&playerid3=96&playerid4=246&playerid5=1153

He was clearly the best centerfielder of his time, and, as late as age 29, he was the second best of the Mays/Dimaggio/Mantle/Griffey group. And then he was replacement-level for the better part of a decade. Crazy stuff.

[TransMonk]

Valadius wrote: Remember the trade? Benitez, Cedeno, and Dotel for Griffey. Knowing what we all know now, would you have made that trade?

Knowing what we know now, I'm not sure I know anyone who would have made that trade.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Did you hear about the one about the guy hit 56 homers in 1997 and 1998 and was Alex Rodriguez' teammate, and spent a decade nursing muscle/tendon injuries, and was never suspected of juicing?

Yeah, it's a good one.

[MFS62]

To NL fans on the East Coast, he was like world peace.
He was the ideal that we heard about, but never got to experience as much as we would have liked.

Later

[metirish]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Did you hear about the one about the guy hit 56 homers in 1997 and 1998 and was Alex Rodriguez' teammate, and spent a decade nursing muscle/tendon injuries, and was never suspected of juicing? Yeah, it's a good one.

But that nice smile makes at all OK.

[Centerfield]

Edgy DC wrote: Valadius wrote: Griffey's the one star I'm positive never touched the stuff. I'm not sure I'm even 100% positive about Charlie Brown.

Look at the size of that head. Guy is clearly juicing.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Centerfield wrote: Look at the size of that head. Guy is clearly juicing.

You can tell that's late Schulz; look how wobbly the outline is.

[Gwreck]

MFS62 wrote: To NL fans on the East Coast, he was like world peace. He was the ideal that we heard about, but never got to experience as much as we would have liked.

Griffey hit only six of his 630 homers against the Mets; the only teams against which he hit fewer were the Phillies (4) and the Mariners (3).

Can you name the Mets pitchers who gave them up?

April 27, 2000 at Shea:
September 4, 2000 at Riverfront:
September 6, 2000 at Riverfront:
July 28, 2002 at Shea:
May 18, 2005 at Shea:
June 19, 2006 at Shea:

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Gwreck wrote: To NL fans on the East Coast, he was like world peace. He was the ideal that we heard about, but never got to experience as much as we would have liked. Griffey hit only six of his 630 homers against the Mets; the only teams against which he hit fewer were the Phillies (4) and the Mariners (3). Can you name the Mets pitchers who gave them up? April 27, 2000 at Shea: September 4, 2000 at Riverfront: September 6, 2000 at Riverfront: July 28, 2002 at Shea: May 18, 2005 at Shea: June 19, 2006 at Shea:

My guesses (in oder)
Reed
Leiter
Jones
Astacio
Benson
Pedro

[Gwreck]

Leiter and Jones are right.

April 27, 2000 at Shea:
September 4, 2000 at Riverfront: Leiter
September 6, 2000 at Riverfront: Jones
July 28, 2002 at Shea:
May 18, 2005 at Shea:
June 19, 2006 at Shea:

[Guest Edgy DC]

D'Amico

Looper

El Duque