Ken Griffey Jr. & 600

For those of you who do not yet know, Griffey is on his way to 600 home runs. As for myself, I have heard little media covering this historic event. I heard that there have been about 5 men who have reached this number of home runs in MLB history and 3 of them were suspected or known to have been juiced at some point in their careers. I think it safe to say that Griffey has never been juiced but perhaps others may disagree.

Having said that, why is it that this is not being covered? Does any one care? Is it really a big deal in baseball history?

Griffey really hasn't been a friend to the press.

Originally posted by whodey
For those of you who do not yet know, Griffey is on his way to 600 home runs. As for myself, I have heard little media covering this historic event. I heard that there have been about 5 men who have reached this number of home runs in MLB history and 3 of them were suspected or known to have been juiced at some point in their careers. I think it safe to sa ...[text shortened]... hat this is not being covered? Does any one care? Is it really a big deal in baseball history?

Add one part : prone to injury to..


two parts attitude..


you get : who cares!

Well I know in Seattle they love him, however, in Cincinnati he has had a record of continued injury with moderate playing performance based upon his previous standards before coming to Cincinnati. Therefore, in Cincinnati they are not as Griffey freindly, especially in light of him making so much $$$ that takes away from other possible baseball prospects. In fact, the last year the Reds made the playoffs was their last year before Griffey came to town. Then after that the Reds have had lossing records ever since.

I know he gives the impression when playing that he is not passionate about playing and really does not care. However, I don't know if that is simply the way he comes across or if it is true. I suspect he does give it his all but it often does not come across that way. Especially in light of the fact that the man can't run nearly at all any more and was moved from CF to RF as a result.

One thing I will say is that there appear to be only 3 men who have gotten to the magic 600 home run number devoid of steroids. They include Babe Ruth, Hand Aarron, and now Ken Griffey Jr. I think there is something to be said for that no matter who you may be or how you are perceived to be playing. Really, if junkies like Bonds and company had not broken the 600 mark devoid of their drugs I think the story would be bigger than it is today.

Originally posted by SmookieP
Add one part : prone to injury to..


two parts attitude..


you get : who cares!

You know, the only time I went to Great American Ballpark was in July of 2004 I believe. Griffey had just returned that night to the line-up after several months on the DL. I think he ended the previous year and started the current year on the DL. About the 5th inning he hit a double, but upon rounding first he tore/pulled/strained his hamstring and had to be pulled from the game. I never thought after watching him play all those years in Seattle that I would ever witness a home crowd boo him off the field. They did that night in Cincinnati, however, and I think it's been a rocky relationship ever since.

np

Originally posted by neonpeon41
You know, the only time I went to Great American Ballpark was in July of 2004 I believe. Griffey had just returned that night to the line-up after several months on the DL. I think he ended the previous year and started the current year on the DL. About the 5th inning he hit a double, but upon rounding first he tore/pulled/strained his hamstring and ha ...[text shortened]... that night in Cincinnati, however, and I think it's been a rocky relationship ever since.

np

Being a Reds fan, I remember that!! That was certainly a darker episode in Reds history. It almost was as bad as their reliever Danny Graves continuously get boo'd off the feild. This guy was the worst of the worst of relief pitchers yet they ran him out their without fail every game in the 9th inning and either almost lost the game or lost the game for them. Why they insisted on continually running him out there night after night I will never know. Anyway, the last straw was when he had given up a 6 run lead in the 9th inning and as he walked off the field the crowd really let him have it in terms of booing and as he was walking off the field he slipped the fans of Cincinnati the bird. He was then realesed from the Reds the next day....THANK GOD!!! I guess the Mets of all clubs subsequently picked him up and tried to work with him but he actually was worse there than in Cincinnati and is now permanently retired from MLB.

Originally posted by whodey
For those of you who do not yet know, Griffey is on his way to 600 home runs. As for myself, I have heard little media covering this historic event. I heard that there have been about 5 men who have reached this number of home runs in MLB history and 3 of them were suspected or known to have been juiced at some point in their careers. I think it safe to sa ...[text shortened]... hat this is not being covered? Does any one care? Is it really a big deal in baseball history?

Your facts are a little mixed up. Henry Aaron, Babe Ruth nor Willie Mays (the first three to hit 600 HR's) have never been associated with steroids. Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa (the other two players to have hit 600 HR's) are suspected of steroid use. Ken Griffey, Jr. has never been accused of using steroids, he has just been perpetually broken down. He will be the sixth member of the group. The next member after Griffey is also gathering suspicions of steroid use and that would be Alex Rodriguez. If Jim Thome somehow hung around long enough to join the club, he too, has been suspected of steroid use.

The reason it isn't covered much is because it is anti-climatic because it has been done, and because Griffey is not a favorite among the media, who garner the publicity of such things.

As far as being a big deal, if only 6 people in the history of the game have accomplished it, I would say it rates coverage and is a big deal. They still cover the pitchers who get 3,000 lifetime strikeouts or 300 career wins, and there are more players who have accomplished these goals than have the 600 HR club. The 500 HR plateau for years has served as the magic number for automatic enshrinement into the Hall of Fame, but they are now re-thinking this in light of the steroids and the juiced up baseballs. Currently, all players who have hit 400 HR's in their career and are eligible for the HOF, only two are not it. Mark McGwire who hit over 500 HR's and Dave Kingman who hit over 400 HR. So yes, I would say it is a landmark event.

it's so f'n early in the season now, anything could happen.

I would personally love to see Griffey get to 600. Doesn't matter though, because the record will be A-Rod's before he's done.