Kudos, Ken
REDS SLUGGER SWATS 600th HOMER THE OLD SCHOOL WAY
FITSNews – June 10, 2008 – We’ve written on tainted historic blasts previously, as well as the so-called home run king of baseball. Sadly, it seems that every time we’re talking about the boys of summer, there’s some steroid association clouding the picture.
Not so with Ken Griffey, Jr., who yesterday hit his 600th career home run. From the Seattle Times:
“There’s so much difference in what he accomplished and what he will continue to accomplish than what Barry Bonds did,” said Reds radio man Marty Brennaman.
“Barry Bonds will forever be tainted, long after he’s gone. I don’t think people truly cared that he hit 756 home runs.
“I think baseball fans will look at what Junior did and be quick to point out that he did it the right way, as opposed to some other guys who didn’t.”
Amen to that. Ever since he was called up to the major leagues in 1989, Griffey Jr. has dazzled baseball fans with his splendid natural ability – in the field, at the plate and on the base paths. And despite missing the equivalent of nearly four full seasons (and perhaps as many as 150 home runs) with assorted injuries, he refused to resort to the allure of steroids to artificially speed up his recovery.
Kudos, Ken. You’re a class act and the game of baseball is incredibly lucky to have you …
Comments
By Rob W. on June 10th, 2008 at 9:53 am
Appropriate Onion article: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nation_to_ken_griffey_jr_we_wish
By J. Bruce on June 10th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Thank you for being the first South Carolinian to recognize something positive about Ohio. As a transplant who will never return to the buckeye state (that’s right, Ohio celebrates poisonous nuts), I appreciate your ability to see past Griffey’s Ohioness and celebrate his historic, steroid-free accomplishment from the palmetto state (that’s right, SC’s state tree is a grass).
By SumterStreetBoyz on June 11th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
interesting stat – - At Jr.’s present age, Jr. has more home runs than Bonds. I wonder if Jr.’s feet will grow 3 sizes and his head will grow 1.5 inches like Bond’s? Funny how that happens in your mid 30s?
Congrats Jr. I hope he can hang around long enough to break Bonds BS record. I guess Sosa’s tainted mark is next.