Mixed Feelings on Griffey

I don't talk much about baseball around here, but I wanted to share my thoughts on Ken Griffey Jr. returning to Seattle.

The Mariners have signed Griffey—apparently for real this time—and I have mixed feelings.

I'll preface this by saying Ken Griffey Jr. essentially defines my childhood. I moved to Seattle in 1990 as a seven-year-old, so yeah it was natural to latch onto The Kid.

Actually, I even liked him before moving to Seattle. I remember going to a baseball card shop in New England and getting his rookie card ... only to have Megan accidentally sit on it on the drive home.



Griffey was my favorite player. I would always stop what I was doing when he came to the plate. I loved watching him hit back-to-back home runs with his dad, hit home runs in eight-consecutive games and bang one off the warehouse in the home run derby at Camden Yards.

Griffey even tossed me a ball once in the Kingdome and I was lucky enough to watch him play in a charity basketball game against the teachers at my school.

I loved watching him make acrobatic catches, joke around with other players and his smile at the bottom of the dog pile after The Double is the exclamation point on my favorite baseball memory of all time.



I'm man enough to admit that I cried as I welcomed him back to Seattle a couple of years ago when he came to town with the Reds.

So, sure, a part of me likes it because seeing him in an M's uniform again will just feel good.*

But, there's not a nostalgia column in the standings and I think it's counterproductive for the direction of this team. Sometimes you should just love the past and move on.

Griffey isn't the player many in Seattle will expect him to be. He shouldn't be allowed to play the outfield and is useless against lefties (.202/.299/.350 over 187 PAs last year).

Like Dave said the other day at USSMariner, if Griffey is willing to DH against righties, this could end up being the best of both worlds. It would appease the fans that want to party like it's 1995 and could help the team win games.

If, however, he's playing the field and getting regular at-bats against lefties, I think this situation could be kind of be like seeing your grandparents in the old folks home, when they don't know your name and have to have their diapers changed. It's nice to see them ... but your final memories will be forever tainted.

But, in general, I'm excited. Someone better find that old Naughty By Nature CD quick!



*Unless it's these uniforms.