I found this article about two months ago, and I loved it. Today, I'm finally posting it, considering the disappointing news about my favorite player, Griffey.
What might have been.
Off the top of my head, I cannot think of another superstar ballplayer in recent memory who has suffered through so many injuries across so many seasons. Sure, guys like Jimmie Foxx had their share of injuries, but those were of the career-ending kind in their prime. Griffey, you have labored through 'em all.
Mend well, Junior!
Showing posts with label Griffey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Griffey. Show all posts
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Griffey Injured
This is terrible news.
For the past month, I have been like an addict, counting how many games Ken Griffey, Jr. plays for the Cincinnati Reds. Each night, I'd check ESPN to see if the Reds game was over and if Griffey played. He had a long stretch of games in early and mid-September, and he made it in all of those games. The closer he got to big numbers, the more I anticipated each game for him.
Why has this been a source of interest for me? Look at the following chart, since he joined the Reds in 2000:
Year Games Played
2000 145
2001 111
2002 70
2003 53
2004 83
2005 128
2006 109
2007 144
I have been eagerly anticipating him playing the most games this year for the Reds since joining the club. Games played is not in itself a crucial stat. But where Griffey is concerned, considering his history of injuries, the more games he racked up this year, the more it would signify, to me and others, that he has found a pace that suits him in his 37th year of life--and that he has remained injury-free all season, no simple task where he is concerned.
He was so close to breaking 145 games. He had already passed his 127 games of his rookie year (1989), 128 (2005, when he seemed on the mend), 142 (1992), and 140 (1996, when he hit 49 homers--his third-best year).
The switch to the less-demanding right field position (a move he detested) and pacing himself better have helped Griffey remain healthy all season long. Also, his pursuit of 600 home runs was a chase that people followed until the end of August, when it was clear he didn't have much of a chance of breaking that milestone.
Well, wait until next year.
Not only will Griffey not join the 600 club this season, but he is likely done for 2007. At 144 games. One shy of the most he has played since joining his hometown Reds 8 seasons ago.
He had little chance of getting close to the next series of most-games played--154 in 1991, 155 in 1990, and 156 in 1993. Given the number of games left in the season (about 10) before he was injured, coupled with the Reds' schedule against terrible teams (Houston and San Francisco), the Reds said they'd sit Griffey for several games starting today to give him rest and also see some of the young talent in the club. So, he would have likely ended 2007 with about 150 games played, which would have been the most he'd have played since 160 in 1999.
He also has not had an injury-free September since about 2000.
He has his day of rest today, but it's not the way anyone envisioned it coming about. It's just sad and disappointing for several reasons. Griffey should be a fixture of late-season baseball. He has been a marquee player before. But he'll never be a late summer/early fall phenom while with the Reds. We're entering the hottest stretch of the baseball calendar, and it's too bad that Griffey won't be making his mark along with the pennant races, single-season record chases, etc.
At least his injury wasn't to his groin or hamstring. Godspeed, Junior! I can't wait to see you in 2008. I plan on a road trip to Cincy to see you play in person.
For the past month, I have been like an addict, counting how many games Ken Griffey, Jr. plays for the Cincinnati Reds. Each night, I'd check ESPN to see if the Reds game was over and if Griffey played. He had a long stretch of games in early and mid-September, and he made it in all of those games. The closer he got to big numbers, the more I anticipated each game for him.
Why has this been a source of interest for me? Look at the following chart, since he joined the Reds in 2000:
Year Games Played
2000 145
2001 111
2002 70
2003 53
2004 83
2005 128
2006 109
2007 144
I have been eagerly anticipating him playing the most games this year for the Reds since joining the club. Games played is not in itself a crucial stat. But where Griffey is concerned, considering his history of injuries, the more games he racked up this year, the more it would signify, to me and others, that he has found a pace that suits him in his 37th year of life--and that he has remained injury-free all season, no simple task where he is concerned.
He was so close to breaking 145 games. He had already passed his 127 games of his rookie year (1989), 128 (2005, when he seemed on the mend), 142 (1992), and 140 (1996, when he hit 49 homers--his third-best year).
The switch to the less-demanding right field position (a move he detested) and pacing himself better have helped Griffey remain healthy all season long. Also, his pursuit of 600 home runs was a chase that people followed until the end of August, when it was clear he didn't have much of a chance of breaking that milestone.
Well, wait until next year.
Not only will Griffey not join the 600 club this season, but he is likely done for 2007. At 144 games. One shy of the most he has played since joining his hometown Reds 8 seasons ago.
He had little chance of getting close to the next series of most-games played--154 in 1991, 155 in 1990, and 156 in 1993. Given the number of games left in the season (about 10) before he was injured, coupled with the Reds' schedule against terrible teams (Houston and San Francisco), the Reds said they'd sit Griffey for several games starting today to give him rest and also see some of the young talent in the club. So, he would have likely ended 2007 with about 150 games played, which would have been the most he'd have played since 160 in 1999.
He also has not had an injury-free September since about 2000.
He has his day of rest today, but it's not the way anyone envisioned it coming about. It's just sad and disappointing for several reasons. Griffey should be a fixture of late-season baseball. He has been a marquee player before. But he'll never be a late summer/early fall phenom while with the Reds. We're entering the hottest stretch of the baseball calendar, and it's too bad that Griffey won't be making his mark along with the pennant races, single-season record chases, etc.
At least his injury wasn't to his groin or hamstring. Godspeed, Junior! I can't wait to see you in 2008. I plan on a road trip to Cincy to see you play in person.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
All-Time Gold Glove Team
Yet another "all-time" list, the kind of thing that I devour like Vienna Fingers.
All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
1. An unabashed Ken Griffey, Jr. fan, I am a little puzzled that Griff barely beat out the third outfield spot over Jim Edmonds. To be sure, Edmonds will long be remembered for a series of incredible plays in center. He has 8 Gold Gloves, and if he had won in '99, he would have had a run of Gold Glove awards from 1997 until 2005.
2. I never got a chance to see Joe Morgan in his prime. Still, his inclusion elicited some strong debate. I loved the line from one commenter that "How Joe Morgan even made the cut from 250 to 50 finalists, unless he was heading the panel, is beyond me." I'd vote for Roberto Alomar over Morgan: a record 10 Gold Gloves, and he played in an era of power hitting, not all of which was hallmarked by balls driven out of the park.
3. Derek Jeter continues to benefit from the New York/national media attention and several admittedly phenomenal, jaw-dropping plays. Here's a smart article and brief analysis of Jeter as an infielder:
Jeter's fielding. And the attention continues even on this blog, as I devoted as much type to Jeter as he warrants in the original article linked at the top.
Overall, there are no glaring, credibility-shattering omissions from this list. Keep in mind, though, the Gold Glove is a post-WWII era annual acknowledgement, so we are missing everyone who played the game from the first half of the modern era and before it, too.
All-Time Rawlings Gold Glove Team.
1. An unabashed Ken Griffey, Jr. fan, I am a little puzzled that Griff barely beat out the third outfield spot over Jim Edmonds. To be sure, Edmonds will long be remembered for a series of incredible plays in center. He has 8 Gold Gloves, and if he had won in '99, he would have had a run of Gold Glove awards from 1997 until 2005.
2. I never got a chance to see Joe Morgan in his prime. Still, his inclusion elicited some strong debate. I loved the line from one commenter that "How Joe Morgan even made the cut from 250 to 50 finalists, unless he was heading the panel, is beyond me." I'd vote for Roberto Alomar over Morgan: a record 10 Gold Gloves, and he played in an era of power hitting, not all of which was hallmarked by balls driven out of the park.
3. Derek Jeter continues to benefit from the New York/national media attention and several admittedly phenomenal, jaw-dropping plays. Here's a smart article and brief analysis of Jeter as an infielder:
Jeter's fielding. And the attention continues even on this blog, as I devoted as much type to Jeter as he warrants in the original article linked at the top.
Overall, there are no glaring, credibility-shattering omissions from this list. Keep in mind, though, the Gold Glove is a post-WWII era annual acknowledgement, so we are missing everyone who played the game from the first half of the modern era and before it, too.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
All-time home run chart
The New York Times today has a neat feature that allows one to track the trajectory of home runs by each of the 22 players in the history of the game who have hit 500 home runs:
500 Home Run Hitters' Chart.
There are several quick take-aways from this cool chart:
1. It corroborates Teddy's comment in his Pedro post about Rafael "I take a base-on-balls. I take Viagra" Palmeiro's career: consistent player, but nothing dramatic or dominant, like Bonds (2000-present), or Foxx.
2. Griffey's home run pace between 25 and 30 years of age is sick! And none of it was done with the help of steroids or human-growth hormone (HGH). Critics have long alleged that Griffey showed, unfortunately, less (rather than more) interest in maintaining his physique, which is partly why he was "walking wounded" over long stretches of each season from 2001 through 2004. Now at 590 at age 38, Griffey would have been closer to 670 or so, had he been healthy in the prime of his career.
3. Predictions about the next "home run king," whether made today or at any time since Ruth, are destined/were destined to not come to fruition. Injuries (Foxx, Mantle, Griffey, even Thomas), war-time service (Williams, Mays), or other factors (Mays didn't make the big show until 20, after toiling in the Negro Leagues in his late teens, while guys like A-Rod and Foxx were in the Majors--even if not full-time--in their late teens) creep up at any point in a player's career and derail one's chances.
I really want to do posts profiling, separately, each of the guys in the 500 Home Run Club. That might wait until after the World Series, when things are quieter.
500 Home Run Hitters' Chart.
There are several quick take-aways from this cool chart:
1. It corroborates Teddy's comment in his Pedro post about Rafael "I take a base-on-balls. I take Viagra" Palmeiro's career: consistent player, but nothing dramatic or dominant, like Bonds (2000-present), or Foxx.
2. Griffey's home run pace between 25 and 30 years of age is sick! And none of it was done with the help of steroids or human-growth hormone (HGH). Critics have long alleged that Griffey showed, unfortunately, less (rather than more) interest in maintaining his physique, which is partly why he was "walking wounded" over long stretches of each season from 2001 through 2004. Now at 590 at age 38, Griffey would have been closer to 670 or so, had he been healthy in the prime of his career.
3. Predictions about the next "home run king," whether made today or at any time since Ruth, are destined/were destined to not come to fruition. Injuries (Foxx, Mantle, Griffey, even Thomas), war-time service (Williams, Mays), or other factors (Mays didn't make the big show until 20, after toiling in the Negro Leagues in his late teens, while guys like A-Rod and Foxx were in the Majors--even if not full-time--in their late teens) creep up at any point in a player's career and derail one's chances.
I really want to do posts profiling, separately, each of the guys in the 500 Home Run Club. That might wait until after the World Series, when things are quieter.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Article on Johan Santana
Jayson Stark, one of my favorite baseball writers (even if his rep is slightly tarnished due to copious predictions he made in 2000-01 that the Phillies would be annual contenders over the next several [now last several] years), chimes in with a spot-on analysis of the Minnesota Twins' biggest decision of the moment: what to do with ace Johan Santana?
Johan Santana.
Santana is signed through next season, but his asking price will skyrocket beyond his '07 salary of $13M. He'll probably look for 7-8 years, taking him to 36 years old. And he'll most likely use Barry Zito and his gargantuan $126M, most-ever-for-a-pitcher deal with the Giants last winter as a measuring stick. Can the Twinkies afford that?
Their current dilemma with Santana, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer, pitcher Joe Nathan, and Justin Morneau reminds me a bit of Seattle in the late 1990s. They had established stars in pitcher Randy Johnson, shortstop Alex Rodriguez, and All-Star center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., at the time on a pretty good clip at passing Hank Aaron someday for the all-time home run record. Johnson bolted after the '98 season, Griffey after '99, and A-Rod took from $252M from the Rangers after the 2000 season.
My quick prediction:
The Twins, knowing the commodity of ace pitching, sign Santana for the stars. He's just too valuable. Hunter walks this year, while the Twins bank on their new ballpark in 2010 and sign Morneau and perhaps either of the Joes, like the Mets have done with David Wright and Jose Reyes.
Johan Santana.
Santana is signed through next season, but his asking price will skyrocket beyond his '07 salary of $13M. He'll probably look for 7-8 years, taking him to 36 years old. And he'll most likely use Barry Zito and his gargantuan $126M, most-ever-for-a-pitcher deal with the Giants last winter as a measuring stick. Can the Twinkies afford that?
Their current dilemma with Santana, Torii Hunter, Joe Mauer, pitcher Joe Nathan, and Justin Morneau reminds me a bit of Seattle in the late 1990s. They had established stars in pitcher Randy Johnson, shortstop Alex Rodriguez, and All-Star center fielder Ken Griffey, Jr., at the time on a pretty good clip at passing Hank Aaron someday for the all-time home run record. Johnson bolted after the '98 season, Griffey after '99, and A-Rod took from $252M from the Rangers after the 2000 season.
My quick prediction:
The Twins, knowing the commodity of ace pitching, sign Santana for the stars. He's just too valuable. Hunter walks this year, while the Twins bank on their new ballpark in 2010 and sign Morneau and perhaps either of the Joes, like the Mets have done with David Wright and Jose Reyes.
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