The Retirement of the Kid

JACE P.-

Is it really over? Me like many fans around the Pacific Northwest believed Jr. had one more year left in the tank. All of the talk about him losing 40 lbs and his knee being healthy gave me hope once again for my favorite slugger. However the reality is, Jr. is done and should have retired at the end of last season.

The thing that was amazing about Griffey was that we always wanted more. By retiring last season the feeling of wanting more would have still existed but now I found myself begging for the M's to put him on the DL. I don't want the image of Griffey swinging and missing one after another, after another, after another, burned into my brain as the last thing I saw this Seattle sports icon do. But that is the sad reality and for the rest of the season we will see the 40 year old kid slowly and painfully step up to the plate and then return to the dugout.

By having Griffey return this year the Mariners are not only hurting me (because they are deeply concerned about my feelings), but they are also setting the organization back a few more years. When rebuilding the last thing your ball club needs is a guy that was in his prime over a decade ago. With Jr. batting 4th and 5th in the lineup to start the season we created a big problem for a club that has struggled mightily to score runs.

Think about this scenario for a second.

• First, Griffey decides to retire after the end last season, being carried off the field and cemented into our minds as the greatest athlete Seattle has ever seen.
• Second, we acquire Vladimir Guerrero to be our everyday DH (he's batting .321 with 6 HRs and 26 RBIs)
• Third, pressure is taken off the whole lineup, improving Chone Figgins, Milton Bradley and Jose Lopez's production.
• Fourth, this added production gives the Mariners 7-8 more wins (from their current 13-19) and they sit in 1st place in a so so division
• Fifth, Cliff Lee sees a team on the rise and decides to sign a multi-year deal giving us the best one-two punch in baseball for years to come

All of this is hindsight of course, but it makes sense and someone like Jack Zduriencik would have been the guy to make it happen. I can speculate for days on various scenarios that could save our ailing team but that sad part is, all of my scenarios include that first painful bullet point.

Griffey should have retired at the end of last season but that fact is we shouldn't ever be mad at Jr. for staying around too long. Many greats have done it in the past with similar results. Athletes say they'll know when to walk away but how can they? Griffey was the best player in baseball for years, and its hard to face the reality that you just cant cut the mustard anymore.

However, lets not forget his amazing accomplishments: Jr sits 5th all time for HRs (630), was a 13 time All-star selection, 10 time gold glove winner, 7 time silver slugger, 3 time home run derby winner, oh and just a little award called the MVP in 1997 where he batted .304, hit 56 HRs, and drove in 147 RBIs.

In addition to all of his individual accolades Griffey helped keep the Mariners in Seattle as well as restore baseball's image after the 1994 strikes. Lets also not forget that Jr. did all of these amazing things while remaining clean in the now infamous "steriod era".

From all of us in Seattle, my oh my Jr. thank you for all you have done.