[37] Worse yet for Griffey, the cumulative effects of the injuries lowered his bat speed,[38] resulting in less power and fewer home runs (he slugged only .426 before succumbing to injury in 2002, his lowest output in seven years). Ken Griffey Jr. before a game against the Yankees in 2009. Having just turned 30 years old three weeks earlier, Griffey was two home runs shy of 400 for his career, with a swing so aesthetically pleasing that its beauty is considered unmatched in baseball lore. But here was the disconnect: the Mets had no intention of only giving Junior a few minutes. However, when TSN updated their list for a new book in 2005, despite having surpassed 400 and 500 home runs, Griffey remained at Number 93. Goldberg was excited about the prospect of seeing Griffey honored in Seattle and brought the development to his client. Twins third baseman Brendan Harris flied out softly to Griffey in center field, who threw a strike to White Sox catcher A. J. Pierzynski who tagged out Cuddyer at home in a home plate collision to complete the double play and end the threat. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyper-extended his right leg, tearing the hamstring completely off the bone. [118], The Mariners also honored Griffey in a unique fashion in the 2016 MLB draft, selecting his son Trey in the 24th round (matching his jersey number), even though Trey, at the time a wide receiver at the University of Arizona, had not played baseball since his preteen years. Griffey raced around the bases, slid into home with the winning run, and popped up into the waiting arms of the entire team. [24][25] In 1994, he led the league in voting for All-Star Game selection. When Mets pitcher Max Scherzer signed with Washington Nationals back in 2015, he deferred half of his $210 million contract to a seven-year timeframe that begins in 2022. Whether you were a Baby Boomer, a Gen-Xer or a Millennial, everybody knew who Griffey was and how undeniably cool he was. While the honor of having the sweetest swing in baseball may seem like it's a subjective one, few would disagree that Ken Griffey Jr. possessed the sweetest swing there ever was. Rodriguez was undoubtedly going to test the free agency waters. At the MLB Home Run Derby in 1993, which was held at Oriole Park in Baltimore, Griffey hit the warehouse beyond the right-field wall on the fly and he is still the only player ever to do so. The Queen City was, after all, Griffeys hometown and the place where he grew up running through the Reds clubhouse while his father, Ken Griffey Sr., helped the Big Red Machine win back-to-back World Series titles in 1975 and 76. It was a hard conversation. The homer was also Griffeys 417th as a Mariner, and it came 20 years, five months and, fittingly, 24 days after his first, which he hit on April 10, 1989.
Ken Griffey Jr. deferred payments, explained: Why the Reds are still "It's a different Reds team than the older, beer-bellied softball teams of recent years. The discussions were that advanced. When Ken Griffey Jr. stepped into the batter's box, even opposing pitchers were left in awe by his sweet swing.
Ken Griffey Jr. - Baseball-Reference.com He finished with 210 home runs, fourth all-time for Cincinnati, and hit .266/.360/.509. USA TODAY 0:00 0:44 When it comes to baseball players with style and grace, few can come close to the bar set by Ken Griffey Jr. That's one of the major themes hammered home like one of. The 2000 team finished 85-77, but with Griffeys injuries and other factors, Cincinnati never finished above .500 in any of the remaining seasons Griffey was on the roster. Joins Seattle's ownership group", "Space Needle flies No. Manny Ramirez is being paid until 2026, Matt Holiday until 2029, and Todd Helton gets his last payment from the Rockies this season. [56] Griffey tied Harmon Killebrew for eighth on the all-time list hitting his 573rd career home run on May 22. MVP in 1997, and maintained a .297 career batting average. While on holiday in the Bahamas with his family, he broke his wrist. [90] This was Griffey's 619th career home run.
ZiPS Time Warp: Ken Griffey Jr. | FanGraphs Baseball The Mariners had just called up Alex Rodriguez and there was some disagreement back and forth in the front office about whether to bring him up or not. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2016. Even though Duquette, general manager Steve Phillips and the Mets werent able to land Griffey, the episode remains one of Duquettes favorites.
Home Run Derby hero Ken Griffey Jr. is still the only player to ever However, superstar Ken Griffey Jr. never had a desire to play for the Yankees -- even though his dad played for them. Whether it was a clutch hit, a game-saving catch, or a burst of speed to score from first on a double down the left-field line, every night we came to the ballpark wondering, What will Ken Griffey do next?, If Griffey needed any confirmation about how they felt about him in the Pacific Northwest, he got it that night. All rights reserved. I got permission from the commissioners office to give you a call, and the reason is that with the Reds coming here for a weekend during Interleague play, we want to have a night to honor Junior.'. Bowden was justifiably confident. It was a franchise for which he was the cornerstone for more than a decade, a superstar of the highest order. And, crucially, it was much closer to Florida.
10:35 am ET. [77][78] In his first game with the White Sox, he went 2-for-3 with 2 runs batted in, a walk, and a run. [87] Griffey once again sported #24 with the Mariners; the team had not issued the number to any player or coach in the nine years between his two stints in Seattle. Home. Griffey won 1 MVP Award and was selected to play in 13 All-Star Games. The 2000 season began what has generally been seen by the media as a decline in Griffey's superstar status. Gregg Doyel had this to say of the years Griffey was with the Reds in comparison to the 2010 Reds team. Bowden estimates he called Woodward around 60 times over the course of Bowdens tenure as Reds GM regarding Griffey. Meanwhile, inside the Anaheim Marriott, another team on the fringe of the Griffey talks but considered a longshot with Cincinnati in the mix was now firmly in play. Growing up, most of the U.S. players likely watched highlight reels of Griffey's swing, but when the former centerfielder stepped up to the plate, they had the rare opportunity to see him hit pitches up close. All Rights Reserved. That task fell to his successor, Gillick, and Bowden vowed he would not leave California without getting a deal done to bring Griffey to Cincinnati. on It was a little different this time around, though. If you would like to customise your choices, click 'Manage privacy settings'. Ken Griffey Sr. was still playing in the league, and during his son's second season in 1990, he joined the Seattle Mariners, making the Griffeys the first father and son to play on the same team. But Juniors got to let us know.. Griffey's dad, Ken Griffey Sr., was a 29th-round pick who wound up playing 19 seasons. Where is home? While playing with Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time American League Gold Glove winner, the 1992 All-Star Game MVP, 1997 AL MVP, 1998 ESPY co-winner for Male Athlete of the Year, 1999 Players Choice Awards Player of the Decade (by the players), and was named to the All-Century team in 1999. [112], On August 9, 2014, Griffey was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. Davis retired in 2021, the penultimate year of that extension. Not only did Griffey want to live closer, but he wanted to be able to raise his kids, Trey and Taryn (Tevin was not born at the time).
How Ken Griffey Jr. saved a man's life - ESPN The former Mets outfielder receives a $1.19 million paycheck until 2035. 1", "Departing Sweeney sheds little light on M's woes", "Griffey, Goldberg and a story that won't die", "TNT's McGrath on Mariners boycott over Griffey's alleged nap", "Ken Griffey Junior Phoned-In Retirement to Mariners on Drive To Orlando", "Mariners' Griffey retires after 22 years", "Griffey returns to Mariners as special consultant", "Ken Griffey Jr. inducted into Reds' Hall of Fame", "Ranking the most-important athletes in Seattle sports history", "Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. Many baseball players have a strong desire to play for the Yankees during their MLB careers. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. At age 29 (going on 30), he was the youngest player on the list. For years, Bobby Bonilla has been the gold standard for a retired MLB star cashing a paycheck thanks to some shrewd contract negotiations. [13] Griffey also played football as a wide receiver and received scholarship offers to play college football for such programs as Oklahoma and Michigan. Two weeks later, on Feb. 18, 2009, Griffey signed a one-year contract to return to where his storied career began. He was a three-time All-Star with the Reds. And that wasnt Jims fault, it was more of a budget thing.. Scroll to read more Sports & Recreation articles. Fans of both teams gave him a standing ovation.
Team USA players watch in awe as MLB-great Ken Griffey Jr. takes [54], On May 10, 2007, Griffey hit his sixth home run of the season and the 569th of his career, tying Rafael Palmeiro for ninth place on the career home runs list. Armstrong is, to this day, like an uncle to Griffey, Goldberg said. My dad's like, 'What? In May 2010, Mariners' manager Don Wakamatsu made the decision to significantly limit Griffey's playing due to his ongoing poor performance. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Griffey Jr., just a kid at the time, was asked to leave the team dugout before a game. In the new MLB Network documentary "Junior," the Mariners legend.
A-Rod, Ken Griffey Jr. and the Greatest Home Run-Hitting Team in MLB They'll be paying Davis, who immediately crumbled at the plate, $3.5 million annually until 2032 and then $1.4 million a year through 2037, when he's finally off the books. [109] In an interview on March 17, 2011, Griffey stated he had retired to avoid being a distraction for the team. MLB parlay picks, best bets, predictions for June 30, Yankees vs. Cardinals odds, picks, computer sims, Padres vs. Reds odds, picks, computer sims, MLB unveils uniforms for 2023 All-Star Game, Coors Field hit with hail prior to game vs. Dodgers, MLB midseason grades: Braves dominate, 'F' for Mets, Dodgers' Mookie Betts joins 2023 Home Run Derby, 2023 MLB All-Star Game: Trout, Judge among starters, D-Backs' Carroll suffers right shoulder soreness, Blue Jays' Vlad Guerrero Jr. joins Home Run Derby, Pirates players call out MLB for playing through smoke.
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