The Sideline

Ken Griffey turns 40 years old Nov. 21. He also just re-signed with the Seattle Mariners, the team that drafted him way back in 1989, and who he played with for 11 seasons until he was traded at the peak of his career to the Cincinatti Reds in 2000.

Griffey is a modern baseball wonder, someone to admire, cheer for and yet feel equally as sorry for at the same time.

Remember when he was the Michael Jordan of major league baseball in the mid-90s? There seemed to be no ceiling for him, no record he couldn’t smash, either at the plate or in the field. From 1993 to 2000, he hit at least 40 homers every year except a 1995 injury-plagued season. He also had at least 100 RBI every year except that ’95 season and ’94, when he had a respectable 90.

Griffey made baseball cool for urban kids, he moved sneakers, his smile was electric and his energy propelled the Mariners.

But his smile faded, as his career did after the 2000 season. For the last nine years, he has faced a series of are-you-kidding-me injuries, mostly to his lower body.

The Reds stuck with him, as a respectable franchise should, and he delivered the absolute best results he could between stints on the injured list. He didn’t seem to be having fun anymore, and it seemed inevitable that he would just call it a career at any point. Each injury appeared to be the one that would pull the plug on his playing days. But damn if “The Kid” didn’t stick it out, and only now can we see why.

Griffey just loves the game of baseball. He loves his teammates, he loves suiting up and taking the jog to the outfield every day, and even though he won’t break the home run record he once seemed destined to reach, he will keep playing until he exits on his terms.

Back in Seattle, the only place he could really end his career, he has found his new old home, and is making the most of it.

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Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 13 2009. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry