Respect for Junior Griffey

[redsrbetter]

I remember being a Ken Griffey Jr. fan since he came up in the Mariners organization in 1989. The combination of having a baseball card that read “The Kid” and me being the Little League player of the year out of Hesperia California while playing for the Mariners, got me to pay attention to Junior.

Throughout his career a true sense of stardom was formed before my eyes. I followed him through his MVP season in 1997 and the home run race against McGwire and Sosa even though he was the least thought of in the race. Ken Griffey Jr. was my favorite player on my favorite team and he had collected many fans that placed him on the same pedestal.

Another baseball card I had was with Griffey Jr. and Barry Bonds sharing the same type of bloodline connections. Both of their fathers were Major League Baseball players and I liked seeing that as well. So, I started to follow Bonds a little bit and he quickly became my second favorite player.

I would have loved to keep the same feeling I had for Bonds as I had for Junior, but it was not the case after all the steroid connection started coming out. Once it was pointed out and we all realized that Bonds was likely apart of the steroid problem in baseball, I began to realize how much I respect Griffey Jr.

Now we have mention of both my favorite players of all time in the same house talking about Bonds’ plight to take steroids. This day in the Griffey home will be in my memory for the rest of my days. Even though I have lost a lot of respect for Bonds on my own account, I still have mad respect for the way he plays the game. As I am still a huge fan of both of these players, I see the difference and it is right in front of our eyes.

Ken Griffey Jr. was allegedly approached by Bonds as he was just starting to think about taking steroids. It is all but obvious that Griffey chose a different route. After all, it was Junior that was in the home run race in 1997 and 1998. And it is reported that Bonds was jealous of not gaining as much exposure. But Griffey was closer to the top than Bonds at that time and the idea of steroids was shared to him.

So why did Griffey stay away? Was it for a lack of trust that he may have had with Bonds? Was it for the fear of getting caught? Or maybe it was for the fear of harming his body. I choose to think that it is a combination of the latter with the need to do the right thing.

People may have some harsh feelings for Griffey Jr but all the respect in the world has to be given his direction due to his ability to “just say no.” How is he not viewed as a bigger role model than he already is? This guy can be the face of Major League Baseball with another few good seasons. The one guy who had the steroid controversy flashed in his face in his home on the eve of its existence and chose to stay away from it. Griffey Jr deserves a lot of credit and he will go down as one of the most positive additions to the sport.

We are allowed to doubt any of this to be true, I am merely speaking of many unproven facts. But I am implying my opinion on this and if it is not clear already, the opinion is that Junior Griffey’s legacy should not go down because of his injury plagued seasons. He should be praised for his ability to do the right thing and not compromise the integrity of the sport. My hat is off to you once again Mr. Griffey.

[redsfan28]

Well said. +rep.

[Dunn#44]

Great read redsrbetter.

[Geki Ace]

How do we know Griffey never used steroids, honestly?

[Saber]

Do the other 90+% of guys who don't use steroids get medals too?

[love_that_reefer]

The fact is we don't know if Griffey has used anything or not and the ways things are now, its guilty til proven innocent. The only respect I can give Griffey is coming out and saying he doesn't recall a conversation with Barry and steroids. Sticking up for a friend is a great thing but in this case I think Griffey is simply telling the truth. Who forgets a conversation when one of the greats in the game at the time says he is going to take steroids? This new book was based on one conversation at Griffey's house by which the author wasn't even there and the quotes on from Griffey. Not exactly bulletproof material.

[Element]

How do we know Griffey never used steroids, honestly?

Compare his body to what Bonds' looks like. There is a difference.

[love_that_reefer]

Compare his body to what Bonds' looks like. There is a difference.

Griffey is bigger than he used to be. Do I personally think Griffey used or is using? No, but I can't dismiss the possibility nor can anyone else. They aren't calling it the Steroid Era for nothing. It is a sad world when you have to prove innocence before guilt.

[Saber]

Ken Griffey Jr. isn't bigger than he used to be. He's fatter than he used to be.

Jesus, ask your father if 40 is the same as 20.

[redsfan28]

Plus he wouldn't have had all of those injuries if he was on something. Steroids help the body heal and recover faster than it normally would.

[Bear]

Ken Griffey Jr. is a great player! But on this issue love_that_reefer has the right take!

[redsrbetter]

Of course I had to add my position on this type of thinking in my opening post. I layed it out and stated that this was my opinion. I have no reason to believe that Griffey has used steroids. The evidence is against the possibility that he has because of his injuries taking him out for the remainder of his seasons.

Why do I proclaim victory with Griffey's situation of the other 90% of baseball? Because he had it all in his face as his buddy was sharing the idea with him. Yet he chose to do the right thing. I am sure he just wants to stay out of it and let those who are clearly involved have to deal with their consequences.

[Saber]

"Athlete lauded for being decent human being"

[Wally Mo Pena]

i don't think griffey deserves a lot of praise for not doing something illegal, but as an athlete i do respect him for not being a record monger. That appears (from the two books that have been excerpted recently) to be the reason bonds started using - to be the record holder, pure pride. It's a way of playing the game that puts all the attention on the individual, rather than the team and the game at large, and i think it can clearly be stated that junior has never played the game that way.

I think that's good for the game, end of story, and he deserves some credit for that. He got death threats when he left seattle, and he still never made himself the center of attention. I also think that it makes it less likely that he would use PED, since the two reasons people did seem to be to latch on to a team in the case of AAAA players, or to chase recordsd in the case of big name guys. Since i don't think either of those fits jr., it's safer to say that he wasn't using.

Also, there seem to be certain players that have avoided the label. While some of that is probably due to fans and luck, i think one of the reasons is that the media reported things based on annonymous tips from players and staff about the guys that were juicing, because they wanted it to stop. I think it means something that guys like Jr., Manny ramirez, and a-rod have avoided the scandal all together - it means that no one dropped dime on them, which means they were probably clean.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Nice article, redsr!

I might as well post this here:

Good old Griffey still hanging in
Unlike Bonds, oft-injured center fielder is aging gracefully
By Nick Cafardo | March 12, 2006

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- They are true and false. Yes and no. Comic and tragic.

Standing together as they have the past couple of days, Ken Griffey Jr., playing in the World Baseball Classic, and Barry Bonds, who visited the nearby WBC players from the San Francisco Giants' Scottsdale, Ariz., training site, might be friends, but they couldn't be more different.

Griffey will sail into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., no questions asked, five years after his significant career is over.

Bonds's journey toward the Hall is expected to be turbulent and possibly as nightmarish as that of Pete Rose, with his involvement in gambling.

Griffey has been depicted as the ''clean" one -- the one who has amassed Hall of Fame numbers with his sweet swing, swift legs, and grace in center field.

Bonds, who once heard every one of the superlatives used to describe Griffey, now is walking under a cloud of suspicion that may have jeopardized his immortality.

Over the past few days, the news stories about Griffey have included reports of him spending hours at a Scottsdale hospital with the family of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett hours before and after Puckett's death. Bonds, meanwhile, has been seen ducking comment about a tell-all book by a pair of San Francisco Chronicle investigative reporters detailing his rampant use of steroids from 1998 on, and also has attended a custody hearing for his children in Los Angeles.

In modern times, nobody embodied natural athletic ability more than Griffey, except maybe Bonds during his Pirates days.

Griffey is older now. His body and face are fuller. He is no longer a gazelle in center. His legs have slowed, but his swing remains potent; he seems to be aging naturally. Bonds's larger, thicker body and bigger head, and his physical breakdowns, have been attributed by many to steroid use.

Griffey's reputation as The Natural has been maintained and has even grown, especially when compared to Bonds.

As the United States team arrived here yesterday from Scottsdale, Griffey, who hammered a pair of three-run homers and knocked in seven runs in a 17-0 victory over South Africa Friday, has become the face of the USA team.

Never overly friendly with the media, Griffey has been one of the most approachable players at the WBC, sharing his insights on the classic, and the life of his friend Puckett. He has talked of his pride in his country and has shown enthusiasm for commissioner Bud Selig's international event. Selig is happy to have him, but Bonds's recently stated desire to join Team USA for the later rounds has everyone in baseball trying to ignore the possibility.

Griffey is being viewed positively in the latter stages of his career, just as Bonds should have been.

''You're talking about one of the greatest," said Johnny Damon, who moved to left field for the WBC to accommodate Griffey. ''There's no shame in [changing positions]. Griffey is one of the greatest players to ever play the game. When Buck Martinez came and asked me if I'd move to left, I said there's no need to ask. I know where Ken Griffey Jr. plays."

Griffey, 36, is tied for 12th on the all-time home run list with Mickey Mantle at 536. If he hadn't suffered a few years worth of injuries, he, too, might have been knocking on the door of Hank Aaron's all-time home run mark.

He's been able to amass the numbers in spite of those numerous injuries, including the devastating hamstring injury (his hamstring was put back in place with three screws) that nearly forced him into retirement in 2004. He's also had shoulder and knee problems.

They are why Griffey stepped up his conditioning program in the offseason; he wants to make sure he finishes his career on top of his game. The fire to be great still burns.

He was Comeback Player of the Year in 2005, hitting .301 with 35 homers and 92 RBIs in 128 games, even though that season, too, was stopped by an injury, a strained foot. He had minor knee surgery this offseason.

But, as evidenced by his outburst Friday, the swing is still there, as are the eyes and the instinctual feel for the game.

Griffey has resisted temptations to leave his hometown and small-market Cincinnati for a contender and the chance to get to the World Series. If they hadn't acquired Damon, surely the Yankees would have loved to have seen Junior stepping up to the plate, with their short porch in right field.

But Griffey is fiercely loyal to his family and his hometown. He's wearing No. 3 this season rather than his usual No. 30 because he wants to honor his three children.

He's also still having tender moments with his father, who is a coach on Team USA.

And the softer side of Griffey really emerged last week while speaking about Puckett. He sat in the USA dugout at Chase Field in Phoenix and spoke for more than a half-hour about Puckett and what he meant to him, and why he held vigil the night Puckett died and tried to console Puckett's 12-year-old son, Kirby Jr.

''There are certain people that you owe it to for the things they've done for you," said Griffey. ''He was that important to my family. It was for the things he said to me, not for the way he played."

And one of the things Puckett said to Griffey back in his rookie season with the Seattle Mariners was, ''Your dad took care of me when I was younger. Now it's my turn to take care of you."

Griffey Jr. never forgot that. Which is why he was so shaken by the sight of Puckett's son walking into the hospital room where his father was dying, to say goodbye. Bonds, too, is often seen with his son, Nikolai, and his custody battle is a sign of how much he wants his children with him. In their love of their children, Bonds and Griffey certainly are alike.

But as they chatted recently in Scottsdale, it struck you -- these two great players both should have been ending their careers with grace and dignity. Only one of them will.