"Hi. This is Ken Griffey Jr. Let's play major league baseball."
Ken Griffey Jr. was officially inducted in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 24, six years after his last game with the Seattle Mariners. His was a career that started as a teenager with the expectations of a number-one overall pick, featured games played in four different decades, and became one of the most productive and exciting careers in the sport's long and storied history.
He made his debut on April 3, 1989. During his first at bat, the announcer made the following proclamation: "20, 25 years from now, you're going to want to say 'I was there when Ken Griffey Jr. made his home debut.' " On the second pitch he ever saw, Griffey lined a Dave Stewart fastball off of the bottom of the left-center wall for a double. Many players throughout history have done more with their first pitch, so I am not proclaiming this event as clear evidence of what he was to become. But it does add to the legend that is George Kenneth Griffey II.
It is difficult for me to compare athletes across sports, distinguishing between basketball and football and baseball and hockey and golf and tennis players as to who a single-favorite athlete to personally behold and witness wondrously would be. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant have their place at the table. LaDainian Tomlinson, Marshall Faulk and Calvin Johnson join the conversation. Alexander Ovechkin, Tiger Woods, and Roger Federer have all provided the highest forms of entertainment I have ever witnessed. But there is no athlete I have ever seen play in my lifetime (or ever, for that matter) who I loved watching play their sport more than Ken Griffey Jr. And there are three main reasons.
1. The Swing.
I can watch it over, and over, and over again. It is touted repeatedly as the sweetest swing that has ever graced the diamond. There's even a Reddit article from two years ago professing his superiority. And another one from six months ago, giving a little more fan analysis and swooning. Fans aren't the only ones who drool over it. Sean Casey was Griffey's teammate in Cincinnati for several years, and gives his own breakdown of why Junior's swing was so sweet. It begins with the early load, like a gun cocked and ready for action: back elbow high, hands behind his body, so there's no wasted movement in preparing as the pitch comes. The swing starts as his front foot steps forward eight to ten inches, further engaging the coil waiting to unleash on the unsuspecting ball. Then, like a whip, the whole motion is unfurled in a blaze of power and precision. Arms drive forward, compact and firm. The spine and back leg align to form a sturdy base that, when coupled with the strength generated by his driving core, expels force in waves. Once contact is made and the baseball begins its journey to the waiting hands of spectators many rows beyond the wall, Griffey's follow through is another sight to behold. The arms peak above his head as his left hand releases the handle and the right hand is left to continue on its own. He majestically completes the full arc of the swing to below his hip. The conclusion is a statuesque pose worthy of a Renaissance sculptor:
There is no athletic sequence I take more joy from watching repeatedly than Ken Griffey Jr. hitting home runs. I have spent hours upon hours enamored by the perfect combination of smooth, graceful power he showcased for 20 years in a simple, exquisite action.
For good measure, I'll just leave this video here:
For a quick photo summary of Ken Griffey Jr. personality snapshots, look at these baseball cards. He smiles. He smiles a lot. He smiles All. The. Time. Even at the bottom of dogpiles, which is never comfortable or enjoyable, he smiles. He enjoyed playing baseball every second he was out there, and he made sure you knew it all the while.
Then there's the backwards hat. Few images evoke joy and youth more than seeing somebody with their baseball cap backwards on their heads. Nobody wore it better than Ken Griffey Jr. During batting practice, for photo shoots, and at home run derbys, he made that style look cool and required for all athletic endeavors. To this day, I wear my hat backwards during at-bats in adult softball league situations and when I'm on the field playing ultimate frisbee. The backwards hat is such an indelible part of his legacy, he broke it out at the end of his Hall of Fame induction speech, while analysts and fans of all ages from all parts of the country clamored for it to be on his Hall of Fame plaque. Who else would engender such a cult following for such a trivial piece of material than a player like Griffey?
1. The Swing.
I can watch it over, and over, and over again. It is touted repeatedly as the sweetest swing that has ever graced the diamond. There's even a Reddit article from two years ago professing his superiority. And another one from six months ago, giving a little more fan analysis and swooning. Fans aren't the only ones who drool over it. Sean Casey was Griffey's teammate in Cincinnati for several years, and gives his own breakdown of why Junior's swing was so sweet. It begins with the early load, like a gun cocked and ready for action: back elbow high, hands behind his body, so there's no wasted movement in preparing as the pitch comes. The swing starts as his front foot steps forward eight to ten inches, further engaging the coil waiting to unleash on the unsuspecting ball. Then, like a whip, the whole motion is unfurled in a blaze of power and precision. Arms drive forward, compact and firm. The spine and back leg align to form a sturdy base that, when coupled with the strength generated by his driving core, expels force in waves. Once contact is made and the baseball begins its journey to the waiting hands of spectators many rows beyond the wall, Griffey's follow through is another sight to behold. The arms peak above his head as his left hand releases the handle and the right hand is left to continue on its own. He majestically completes the full arc of the swing to below his hip. The conclusion is a statuesque pose worthy of a Renaissance sculptor:
There is no athletic sequence I take more joy from watching repeatedly than Ken Griffey Jr. hitting home runs. I have spent hours upon hours enamored by the perfect combination of smooth, graceful power he showcased for 20 years in a simple, exquisite action.
For good measure, I'll just leave this video here:
2. The Glove
Let's get this out of the way early: Willie Mays is not only the greatest baseball player who ever lived (not up for debate), but is by far the best defensive presence to ever roam the outfield (even less debatable). As centerfielders go, Ken Griffey Jr. is right behind him with a small handful of others.
I am a firm believer in the cliche "Defense wins championships." I love a well-executed backcheck in hockey. If I had pursued playing football in high school, defensive end would have been my position of choice, in the hopes of becoming J.J. Watt. There are few basketball players I enjoyed watching, or having on my fantasy team, more than Ben Wallace; his highlight video consists of just as many blocks as it does dunks.
Ken Griffey Jr. brought just as much excitement to the centerfield position. If only Marv Albert had been a baseball commentator so he could proclaim his well-known phrase "With no regard for human life!" in reference specifically to Griffey launching his body into walls and onto the turf in repeated efforts to record outs. He won ten straight Gold Gloves (1990-99), one of just six outfielders ever to win such a total and one of five to win so many consecutively. Sabermetricians will tell you that Griffey was nobody to raise a candle to, but the eye test and praise of his peers is good enough for me. Certain defensive images will remain with me forever (Jim Edmonds diving with his back to the infield, Gary Matthews Jr scaling and twisting high above a wall, Derek Jeter flying into the stands, etc.), and Griffey has multiple spots: robbing Luis Gonzalez of a home run, crashing two-footed into the wall against Ruben Sierra, and youthfully soaring above the wall to take a four-bagger away from Jesse Barfield. Those three plays in particular display, in order, his supreme athleticism, reckless abandon, and the third Griffey quality that completes his legend...
3. The Personality
For a quick photo summary of Ken Griffey Jr. personality snapshots, look at these baseball cards. He smiles. He smiles a lot. He smiles All. The. Time. Even at the bottom of dogpiles, which is never comfortable or enjoyable, he smiles. He enjoyed playing baseball every second he was out there, and he made sure you knew it all the while.
Then there's the backwards hat. Few images evoke joy and youth more than seeing somebody with their baseball cap backwards on their heads. Nobody wore it better than Ken Griffey Jr. During batting practice, for photo shoots, and at home run derbys, he made that style look cool and required for all athletic endeavors. To this day, I wear my hat backwards during at-bats in adult softball league situations and when I'm on the field playing ultimate frisbee. The backwards hat is such an indelible part of his legacy, he broke it out at the end of his Hall of Fame induction speech, while analysts and fans of all ages from all parts of the country clamored for it to be on his Hall of Fame plaque. Who else would engender such a cult following for such a trivial piece of material than a player like Griffey?
Take all of the smiling, laughing, and joyful exuberance, combine it with supreme athleticism, talent and confidence, and you have created an individual of atmospheric marketing potential. His appearance in brilliant commercials include, but are not limited to:
Cloning
Sammy Sosa and Pepsi
Hitting targets
And being the Swingman
Not to mention a stellar movie cameo
He was a big enough star that he participated in one of David Letterman's top-10 lists (special appearance by Sean Casey), and he even had the most famous athlete on the planet seek his autograph at an all-star game. As a 30-year old man who, at 6'7" and 230 pounds, is larger or of comparable size to a large percentage of professional athletes, I am no longer awed by them as I was in my youth. Ken Griffey Jr. is on a short list of individuals who I would likely crumble into a mound of blithering idiocy in the presence of, for every reason mentioned previously.
BONUS REASON:
4. The Stats
630 Home Runs (6th All-Time)
1,836 RBIs (15th)
1,662 runs (33rd)
.284 Batting Average
.538 Slugging Percentage
.907 OPS
One of 5 players ever with multiple seasons of 56 home runs or more
One of 3 players to hit a home run in 8 consecutive games
Named on 99.3% of Hall of Fame ballots, the highest percentage ever
In Conclusion
There are many other details about Junior's life that could be recounted as part of looking back on his legacy. From the contentious relationship he had with baseball and his father that led to a suicide attempt when he was 17, to the biological son and daughter who have inherited stellar genetics and are excelling in their young adulthood, and an adopted son who is keen to follow in those same footsteps. Ken Griffey Jr. let his talent, production, and joy for the game bask him in the spotlight, while keeping his personal life just that. In a world filled with PEDs, steroids, HGH, and all other forms of performance-enhancing opportunities, Griffey allowed himself to get old, break down, and exit the game per Father Time's wishes, as so many true baseball greats did before him.
From Seattle, to Cincinnati, to Chicago, and back to Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. placed an everlasting mark on the game of baseball. The Kid amazed and astounded from his first at bat to his last, bringing beauty, joy, and passion in a way that will likely go unmatched for generations. The Hall of Fame has welcomed another legend, and few have ever been more deserving. Congratulations, Ken. Thank you.
Cloning
Sammy Sosa and Pepsi
Hitting targets
And being the Swingman
Not to mention a stellar movie cameo
He was a big enough star that he participated in one of David Letterman's top-10 lists (special appearance by Sean Casey), and he even had the most famous athlete on the planet seek his autograph at an all-star game. As a 30-year old man who, at 6'7" and 230 pounds, is larger or of comparable size to a large percentage of professional athletes, I am no longer awed by them as I was in my youth. Ken Griffey Jr. is on a short list of individuals who I would likely crumble into a mound of blithering idiocy in the presence of, for every reason mentioned previously.
BONUS REASON:
4. The Stats
630 Home Runs (6th All-Time)
1,836 RBIs (15th)
1,662 runs (33rd)
.284 Batting Average
.538 Slugging Percentage
.907 OPS
One of 5 players ever with multiple seasons of 56 home runs or more
One of 3 players to hit a home run in 8 consecutive games
Named on 99.3% of Hall of Fame ballots, the highest percentage ever
In Conclusion
There are many other details about Junior's life that could be recounted as part of looking back on his legacy. From the contentious relationship he had with baseball and his father that led to a suicide attempt when he was 17, to the biological son and daughter who have inherited stellar genetics and are excelling in their young adulthood, and an adopted son who is keen to follow in those same footsteps. Ken Griffey Jr. let his talent, production, and joy for the game bask him in the spotlight, while keeping his personal life just that. In a world filled with PEDs, steroids, HGH, and all other forms of performance-enhancing opportunities, Griffey allowed himself to get old, break down, and exit the game per Father Time's wishes, as so many true baseball greats did before him.
From Seattle, to Cincinnati, to Chicago, and back to Seattle, Ken Griffey Jr. placed an everlasting mark on the game of baseball. The Kid amazed and astounded from his first at bat to his last, bringing beauty, joy, and passion in a way that will likely go unmatched for generations. The Hall of Fame has welcomed another legend, and few have ever been more deserving. Congratulations, Ken. Thank you.
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