Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

[Hostile]

In his prime, perhaps the best player I ever saw live. His swing was the most perfect thing I have ever witnessed in baseball. How many HRs did he lose due to injuries? It has to be over 100. And he did it clean.

Thank you Junior. It was a privilege to watch you play.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

Great player. It was indeed time to hang it up.

 

[joseephuss]

In his prime, perhaps the best player I ever saw live. His swing was the most perfect thing I have ever witnessed in baseball. How many HRs did he lose due to injuries? It has to be over 100. And he did it clean.

Thank you Junior. It was a privilege to watch you play.

How do you know he did it clean? Everyone is a question mark at this point. It would not surprise me at all if he took some sort of PED at some point in his career.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Great player. It was indeed time to hang it up.

A couple of years ago.

 

[SkinsandTerps]

How do you know he did it clean? Everyone is a question mark at this point. It would not surprise me at all if he took some sort of PED at some point in his career.

He would have been back in rotation sooner if he was taking them. But yes, it is all speculation.

A couple of years ago.

I agree. More like 4 years ago.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Only baseball card I ever traded for and still have is his Rookie Card.

Too bad all the injuries happened or it would be worth much more.

 

[Rampage]

my favorite player of all time.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Well, I feel old now.

 

[Joe Realist]

I am going to get killed for this, but I believe he took performance enhancing drugs as well.

 

[mldardy]

I am going to get killed for this, but I believe he took performance enhancing drugs as well.

Why? You can't make a statement like this without explaining.

 

[Joe Realist]

Why? You can't make a statement like this without explaining.

Its not hard to figure out. The whole era was tainted. Look at his numbers (96-99) and his injuries later on. MLB still has a list of players that tested postive for PED's that has not been made public. I thought the same of Roger Clemens and folks thought I was crazy. It's not outlandish to think Griffey was part of it. It would be more surprising if he were not.

 

[mldardy]

Its not hard to figure out. The whole era was tainted. Look at his numbers (96-99) and his injuries later on. MLB still has a list of players that tested postive for PED's that has not been made public. I thought the same of Roger Clemens and folks thought I was crazy. It's not outlandish to think Griffey was part of it. It would be more surprising if he were not.

No it's not outlandish but there has been NO link with Griffey at all. With Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, eventually Arod, Clemens it all eventually came out through a trial, book, etc. There has been literally nothing linking Griffey. I mean you can say the same thing about Frank Thomas. He had that span in the mid to late 90's where he was putting up numbers similar to Griffey and then started to get hurt and wasn't the same player but there is no link either. I just chalk it up as some guys just had bad luck with injuries and nothing more than that.

 

[Joe Realist]

No it's not outlandish but there has been NO link with Griffey at all. With Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, eventually Arod, Clemens it all eventually came out through a trial, book, etc. There has been literally nothing linking Griffey. I mean you can say the same thing about Frank Thomas. He had that span in the mid to late 90's where he was putting up numbers similar to Griffey and then started to get hurt and wasn't the same player but there is no link either. I just chalk it up as some guys just had bad luck with injuries and nothing more than that.

You can believe that but that would also be naive. `MLB didnt test for steroids then and you cant test for HGH. Not all names have come out. I am not a fan of Canseco but alot of what he said was right and I believe the MLB players union does not want the entire list public. If it ever comes out in later years, just remember this conversation.

I enjoyed Griffey. He was the orignal Junior (before the Nascar fraud). Unfortunately, because of when he played, his numbers, he does not get the benefit of doubt. You can believe what you want, but don't be surprised if one day his name comes out. That is all I am saying.

 

[mldardy]

You can believe that but that would also be naive. `MLB didnt test for steroids then and you cant test for HGH. Not all names have come out. I am not a fan of Canseco but alot of what he said was right and I believe the MLB players union does not want the entire list public. If it ever comes out in later years, just remember this conversation.

I enjoyed Griffey. He was the orignal Junior (before the Nascar fraud). Unfortunately, because of when he played, his numbers, he does not get the benefit of doubt. You can believe what you want, but don't be surprised if one day his name comes out. That is all I am saying.

This is not about tests. Most of those players I mentioned didn't test positive and also played in the era Griffey played in and got linked, caught. I think Griffey does get the benefit of the doubt because he is one of the few along with Griffey, Maddux, Thomas in that era that haven't been linked to anything. If those names do come out and he is on it, will I be surprised? No but until then he deserves the benefit of the doubt because so many big names have been caught.

 

[crazytown41]

I am going to get killed for this, but I believe he took performance enhancing drugs as well.

I doubt it. He didn't even like to stretch or workout. Which probably has more to do with his injuries with the Reds than the effects of juicing.

Him and Jeter are the 2 guys in the steroid era that most people would be shocked by

 

[peplaw06]

You can believe that but that would also be naive. `MLB didnt test for steroids then and you cant test for HGH. Not all names have come out. I am not a fan of Canseco but alot of what he said was right and I believe the MLB players union does not want the entire list public. If it ever comes out in later years, just remember this conversation.

I enjoyed Griffey. He was the orignal Junior (before the Nascar fraud). Unfortunately, because of when he played, his numbers, he does not get the benefit of doubt. You can believe what you want, but don't be surprised if one day his name comes out. That is all I am saying.

It's not naive to believe he didn't take PEDs. The Mitchell Report named between 100 and 200 players, that's a fraction of the numbers of players who have played over the years of the investigation.

Did Canseco ever allege Griffey did anything? Has anyone? No.

It's complete conjecture on your part based on the actions of others. And yes, I'll be shocked if his name ever comes out with anything other than speculation based on what everyone else did.

 

[peplaw06]

my favorite player of all time.

This.

Yesterday was a bad day. I wish I had gotten to see him one last time. I'm so happy I got to see him hit a 3 run blast in Arlington last year in a Mariners Uni.

 

[crazytown41]

It's not naive to believe he didn't take PEDs. The Mitchell Report named between 100 and 200 players, that's a fraction of the numbers of players who have played over the years of the investigation.

Did Canseco ever allege Griffey did anything? Has anyone? No.

It's complete conjecture on your part based on the actions of others. And yes, I'll be shocked if his name ever comes out with anything other than speculation based on what everyone else did.

Plus Bonds hit 503 of his HR's AFTER the age of 30. He hit 73 at 36. Well past his "prime years". McGwire hit 70 at 34.

Junior hit most of his during the prime of his career. His most HRs was 56 when he was 27 & 28 years old. Which I think most can agree are the prime years of a pro athlete.

There's very very very very very little chance Junior was juicing

 

[SLATEmosphere]

How do you know he did it clean? Everyone is a question mark at this point. It would not surprise me at all if he took some sort of PED at some point in his career.

Knock it off. He did it the way it's suppose to happen. Hit HR's in your prime and start to decline with injuries ect...

You're not suppose to be hitting 35+ HR when your 37 years old.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

In his prime, perhaps the best player I ever saw live. His swing was the most perfect thing I have ever witnessed in baseball. How many HRs did he lose due to injuries? It has to be over 100. And he did it clean.

Thank you Junior. It was a privilege to watch you play.

I couldn't agree more. He is my all-time favorite player. It's not even close really.

I know some will speculate, in this thread in fact, that he didn't do it clean but he's innocent until proven guilty with me.

my favorite player of all time.

This is just another reason for me to like you Ramp. Same favorite baseball player, same favorite football team, a MMA fighter that we're both very high on. You're a good man Ramp.