SEATTLE -- Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu says Ken Griffey Jr. is retiring.
Wakamatsu made the announcement before Wednesday night's game against Minnesota. Griffey's retirement is effective immediately.
The 40-year-old Griffey was one of baseball's greatest players before injuries began to take their toll. The perennial All-Star outfielder ranks fifth on the career home run list with 630.
Griffey was hitting only .184 this season and recently went a week without playing.
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As an M's fan I have mixed feelings. He wasn't contributing this year, but man, what a player. I sure wish he could have stayed healthy to challenge the HR record.
Thanks for everything, Jr.
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The Fresh Prince wrote:
Best swing in baseball...
Yup. Effortless looking.
I went to Game 1 of the ALDS in 1995 at Yankee Stadium and I believe Griffey homered his first two at bats. One of them hit off the facade of the upper deck in right field, and I've never seen anything like it. My seats were field level behind the 3rd base dugout, so the ball flew straight away from me, and it got to the facade in such a hurry, I swear it was still going up. Also, this is Yankee Stadium for the first Yankee playoff game in 14 years, so it was typically loud. But when Griffey hit that, there was silence from the crack of the bat until the ball rang off the aluminum, and the sound of that rang throughout the Stadium. All you heard after that was a muffled, collective "whoa."
Plus, that catch shown above, where he dove and broke his wrist (but still held on) is among the 10 best catches in baseball history.
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PhilPritchard wrote:
lennytheweedwhacker wrote:
wish he could have stayed healthy...it can be easy to forget how dominating he was in the 90's
Yeah, a healthy career would have him at #1 on the all-time list.
he was definitely the kinda player that was likeable no matter what team you were a fan of, and unless somehting comes out down the road, he was totally clean, which cant be said for the current HR king or the one most likely to take over next.
i think baseball would over all be a lot more interesting to people ( especially the ones that quit following durring all the steroid news) today if Ken Griffey Jr was retireing as the current HR king, somewhere around 800 and did it with no steroid tests failed and no suspicion.
he so far is the best player of my generation, and its sad that it WILL be forgotten that he was so dominating, just because of his injury seasons
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Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:40 am Posts: 12509 Location: Pittsburgh Gender: Male
Welp, my two Jr. rookie cards just significantly increased in value.
Now to see how much more once he gets into the Cooperstown
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Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:40 am Posts: 12509 Location: Pittsburgh Gender: Male
lennytheweedwhacker wrote:
sportsfreakpete6 wrote:
Welp, my two Jr. rookie cards just significantly increased in value.
Now to see how much more once he gets into the Cooperstown
i want to get in you in Cooperstown
how are you, friend?
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