Vote for Griffey!

Mike "the Buzz-saw" Asti


I know this may sound absolutely asinine but I am calling for all of sports nation to vote Ken Griffey Jr. into the 2010 Major League Baseball All Star Game. Now anyone who knows me will roll their eyes upon reading this saying he's my favorite player so of course I feel this way. Well roll away I don't give a damn and after reading this it be hard to dispute my stance.

I will be the first to say Griff is a shell of his former self and the man with the sweetest swing hardly has any bat speed left. His current stat line in a platoon DH role for the Mariners includes a .263 average along with only 4 RBI and 3 runs scored in 38 at bats thus far. Granted, even in limited time those are not great stats. However, my reasoning for him earning a spot this year has nothing to do with his 2010 stat line and all to do with his overall body of work. Jr has 630 career home runs, 1,833 runs batted in, 2,773 hits, a .285 batting average (these numbers may even increase by the time you read this), 10 gold gloves at center field, an MVP, and a spot on the All Century team. Griffey is also one of only two Center Fielders in MLB history to hit 50+ bombs in a gold glove season, the other being in my opinion the best all around player ever, Willie Mays (yes just those two at CF). Oh, and of course these accomplishments and numbers were all put up with out any hint of any steroid use. It is pretty hard to say that about many other top hall of fame caliber guys from our generation.

This is most likely Griffey's last season in the bigs and why not send him out with the proper respect. The man they still call the Kid will not ask for this due to his quiet and sensitive personality so I will do it for him. Yes, there are many great players in the history of baseball who were not given a charity all star spot in their last year but regardless that is not reason enough to not do this for Griffey. He has been one of the few bright spots from the Steroid Era along with Chipper Jones, Tony Gwynn, and Frank Thomas just to name a few. This guy did not scream from the roof tops to clear himself, he did not whine or complain when he suffered injury after injury probably losing almost four full seasons due to his physical pains. While Barry Bonds was getting praised for using performance enhancing drugs to unjustly increase his stat line and break records he would otherwise have not obtained Griffey was being forgotten.

While it doesn't always happen putting an aging slugger into the All Star Game in what is believed to be his last year it has happened before and in recent memory a matter a fact. In 2001 Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn who both retired following the season, were put into the game. Ripken was given so much respect he was selected as the starting third baseman by the fans and played short stop after Alex Rodriguez offered him his old position back. Ripken, only got this opportunity due to his career achievements not in any way for how he was performing that season. Cal's stat line going into the mid summer classic in 2001 was not very impressive, he was hitting .240 with only 4 long balls and 28 runs batted in going into the game. Griffey is currently on pace to have better stats across the board by mid season and did so last year. Ripken finished the season with only a .239 clip. Despite those numbers he was put on the team for his career resume which included 431 home runs, 1,695 RBI, the consecutive games record, two MVP's, and a World Series ring from 1983. Ripken went out like a king earning MVP honors in the All Star Game itself in 2001.

Of course the argument against this is that putting Griffey on the team takes a spot away from a more deserving player based on 2010 alone. While that is true, his position may not call for that to an issue. Griffey is on the ballot at DH and his top competitors are David Ortiz and Hedeki Matsui. Big Papi, despite eventually turning things around after a slow start last season will most likely not have that much more of an impressive stat line at the break. Ortiz, unlike Jr is a poster boy for the steroid era. The reigning World Series MVP, Matsui, will most likely be the deserving guy. He will have many more years to earn a spot and theres always the chance he could get hurt and not even be able to play in the game regardless. I also doubt Godzilla would even care. If Matsui or someone else does get the start, I still feel Griffey should get there somehow if for nothing else to at least get his name read and receive a much earned standing ovation one last time.

On top of getting him involved in the game there is one thing that would even top that. That would be putting GrIffey in the part of the All Star Weekend that he will be forever be most remembered for. That event is the Home Run Derby. There we could one last time see him sweetly swing away with ease. Griffey is a three time Home Run Derby champion, winning the event in 1994, 1998, and in 1999 with two other runner up finishes. Think of this scenario....Griffey not only gets that one last standing O but wins his fourth derby crown. I know that is hard to imagine but think about it for a second why not? That would certainly help to add to his lore and make it one of the most memorable All Star Games and seasons in history.

I realize this may just all be wishful thinking but regardless there are only two words I want to say to Griffey as he continues his last summer in the sun....THANK YOU.

If anyone still thinks this is a ridiculous thought I'd love to hear why. It be a cold day in hell when the Buzz-saw loses a KGJ debate!

http://vote24junior.blogspot.com/