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The Last Pure Connection: Griffey’s 2010 Return

There is one thing that separates Baseball from all other sports. While Football may get better television ratings and Basketball may have more of a say in society’s fashion choices, it is Baseball that evokes a strong human response. It is difficult to explain as many who do not follow the sport will chastise its seemingly slow play and long afternoons with little action. In truth, Baseball cannot compete with the violence of football or even hockey. It cannot compete with the constant movement and athleticism of basketball. But, there is a reason why baseball continues to have such a stronghold on so many. More than any other sport, baseball connects us.

It connects us to other generations, but that is has been written so many times. It really connects us to us. 34-year-old men can see a player who they followed in their teenage years and can be transported back to that time. Or, they can see a player who reminds them of their childhood idol. Football and basketball doesn’t have this ability because their respective games have changed so much with the brute size and force of today’s football and the one-on-one matchups in today’s basketball. Baseball, however, has essentially remained the same. Yes, the players may be bigger and they may hit the ball farther, but the game remains the same. It allows a fan of Mickey Mantle to appreciate Albert Pujols’ sheer domination of pitching. It connects Whitey Ford, the Yankees’ playoff ace of the 1960’s to CC Sabathia, the Yankees’ ace of the 2009 post season. It is this quality that keeps us all coming back; it draws us to read online magazine sites, newspapers or spend hours watching MLB Network for all of the speculation and analysis about the players and teams. It is why so many are passionate about the game, caring about cheating, revenue, strategy, and the importance of statistics.

The passion of the fans and the people who cover the sport sometimes conflicts with the connection that drew us to the sport in the first place. Every move is dissected, discussed, analyzed, trashed, and then rehashed some more. Sabermatricians and traditionalists battle over their place and importance in the game (there’s more than enough room for both and they are both important); every transaction is seemingly make or break for a franchise. These conflicts come into play with yesterday’s news that Ken Griffey Jr. will be returning to the Mariners in 2010 for his 22^nd season.

One can already hear the criticism launched at the Seattle Mariners. How could they bring back a 40-year-old designated hitter who had the worst season of his 21-year career? The equation is a bit more complicated as many expect the Mariners to compete for a playoff berth in 2010. It is true that Griffey failed to conjure memories of 1997 and have one of those memorable, last chance seasons, as he hit just .214/.324/.411 with 19 homeruns and 57 RBI in 119 games. It seems like a poor gamble, a move made to sell additional tickets. There is an element of truth to that as the presence of Griffey does impact the Mariners’ bottom line. It is a good business decision just as it was last season. For those opining that this hurts the Mariners’ playoff chances, they are simply not paying attention. Griffey, one of the last remaining true immortals of the game, already took care of that. Because of the man that “The Kid” has become, his return makes sense on so many levels, even if he can’t hit 30 homeruns anymore.

“While 2009 was an awesome experience for me, my ultimate goal is for the Mariners to get to and win the World Series. To that end, I look forward to contributing in any role that Don (Wakamatsu) sees fit on the field, and any manner I possibly can off the field.”

Obviously, this is not a case of a legend hanging on to fleeting glory, demanding that he get the same playing time that he did when he was 22 or 23 years old. It is not a Joe DiMaggio selfishly calling off a young Mickey Mantle at the last second so he could look good while the young Mantle tears apart his knee. Simply, this is a once legendary player who is realistic about his role and is willing to simply be “one of 25” in an effort to win an elusive title. It is about winning because all of the personal accomplishments have been met. Griffey already has an MVP award, 13 All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Glove Awards, seven Silver Slugger Awards, and other accomplishments like winning an All-Star game MVP and winning the homerun derby. He is the last active member of the All-Century Team that Baseball named in 1999. He trails only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays with his 630 homeruns. Quite simply, every personal award, every achievement, and every accolade has either been accomplished by or received by Griffey. There is just one thing missing. 2010 doesn’t look to be the year his Mariners can climb the proverbial mountain to get that elusive World Series ring unless much goes right. The Mariners had a remarkable 2009, but need to make many improvements to overtake the Los Angeles Angels or even to leapfrog the Texas Rangers. Giving Ken Griffey Jr. at bats will not hurt the Mariners’ chances. If used properly, the veteran’s talent and experience will provide much needed stability and focus to a club with increasing expectations. The Baseball decision to bring him back is sound as is the business one, but the true beauty of it is the gift bestowed upon the fans.

Can Still Hit

At the plate, Griffey still has his trademark power. His 19 homeruns in 454 plate appearances (4.2 percent) was not far off his career rate of 5.6 percent. He still walked 63 times which led the Mariners. His 19 homeruns were third most on the Mariners. He accomplished this despite a bad knee; it is the very same knee that forced him to undergo surgery on October 26^th to remove a bone spur. Perhaps it was something that hampered him all season. Perhaps it wasn’t, but there is every reason to believe that Griffey enters the 2010 season as healthy has he has been in years. Additionally, if one looks at the production of Griffey and his often times platoon mate, Mike Sweeney, one could see that they combined for 27 homeruns and 81 RBI along with a .750 OPS. Compare that to the 28 homeruns and 90 RBI the Yankees received from Hideki Matsui or the 28 and 99 the Red Sox received from David Ortiz. In other words, Griffey had a poor season by his standards, but he wasn’t the reason why the Mariners had a poor offense.  Is the player he was 20 years ago? No, he is not, but Griffey is not acting as if he should be treated that way. If the Mariners were going to play him everyday, the signing would be questionable. Since he has already acknowledged his willingness to play a limited role, he represents a good signing.

The Presence

Much as been made of his impact on the Mariners’ clubhouse as he came back to Seattle into a clubhouse that was characterized as divided and even volatile by many during the 2008 season. It seemed that Ichiro, the resident star, wasn’t well liked because of his different training methods and lack of team involvement. Griffey’s arrival meant that Ichiro was no longer the center of attention. It seemed to help, as there was no talk of any anonymous teammate wanting to punch Ichiro. However, he helped quell that volatility and helped a young Mariners team with a rookie Manager rebound from a 100-loss season to an 85 win season. Griffey happily played a mentor role to Franklin Gutierrez and set an example for unselfishness. Griffey never once complained about appearing in just 117 games or being limited to just 85 defensive innings. Teammates take note of such unselfishness, especially when it comes from the one of the Game’s all-time greatest players. His sentiments expressed during his return announcement was yet another example, “whatever role”, in “any manner”. Those are sentiments expressed by part-timers or bench players. They are not typically expressed by certain Hall of Famers. There is value in that, especially with a team that is learning how to win and wanting to take the next step towards qualifying for the playoffs. It was evident that his teammates respected him; the victory lap around the field during the final game of the 2009 season was proof of Griffey’s stature. As more expectations will be placed on the 2010 Mariners, the presence of Griffey is even more important. It will be Griffey who will keep his teammates level and, in many ways, out of the spotlight.

Good Business

Certainly there is a business component to his return. The Mariners do the right thing by thinking of the fans and what might draw them to the park. People will still pay to see Griffey hit a baseball. For an organization that typically spends $100 million in payroll, any added revenue is welcome. There is nothing wrong with bringing him back for business purposes as long as he is used properly. Griffey has already stated he will be content in whatever role given to him. Now, it is up to the Mariners to use him properly (part-time, against right-handed pitching). As illustrated, he still serves a purpose on the team. He can still hit and his importance in the clubhouse is immeasurable. The Mariners see the big picture and they give their fans a chance for another season with their legend. As much as many will vilify this decision for its romanticism, it is a move that will result in extra revenue for the Mariners, a big asset in today’s economic climate. The Mariners continually have a top-10 payroll and would benefit from the added revenue Griffey brings. Teams should never make decisions just to give the fans what they want, but in this case, the positive impact is felt in all areas, not just fan morale.

Yes, Romanticism Still Counts in Today’s Game

As Baseball continues to evolve, there is a segment of the fans and executives that want to cut that emotion out of the game. For executives, it is a necessary evil as emotion often clouds sound, rational decision making. But, fans can have that emotion. As each season fades and a new one develops, the game loses another star. 2009 saw a season without Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, and Frank Thomas (among many others). As each player retires, a fan (who grew up watching that player) gets farther away from his youth. It is when a fan is rooting for a collection of players younger than he is that the game changes. There is no longer that connection to a player’s success. Life, family, and bills lessen the importance of a player’s night at the plate. As a teenager who was passionate about a team and/or a player, success often determined the tone of your next day in school.

Ken Griffey Jr. playing in 2010 still allows a 34-year-old fan the opportunity to root for a player he was obsessed with as a kid. Junior reminds him that despite all of the obstacles the sport has faced or all of the obstacles in his personal life, baseball is still a game. There are still players who have such a love for the game that they continue to play for that love. The 40-year-old Griffey will not remind anyone of the 19-year-old boy wonder or even the 24-year-old superman. But, the 40 year old validates everything we ever thought about that backwards cap wearing superstar. He played with a joy back then; he always smiled; he always went all out, and he never, ever made it about himself. The 40-year-old Future Hall of Famer proves that everyone’s belief in him was true; he does love the game. Those smiles weren’t fake. Why else would he come back for a diminished role for less money than he made as a 22 year old? He wants to be around the game and he wants one last chance at the big prize, the one prize that has eluded him all of these years.

The Mariners are wisely giving him that opportunity for one more moment. The Mariners are giving the fans much more than that. They are giving fans one of the last remaining pieces from our youth. It is not just a connection to Ken Griffey and all that he has accomplished. It is a connection to a simpler time where bills and responsibility didn’t exist. It was a time when we watched the game with a certain awe. Thankfully, there is one last chance to feel that way as number 24 strides to the plate, wiggles his bat, takes that beautiful uppercut swing, watches the ball sail out of the park, and trots around the bases. We’ve seen that 630 times and probably have taken it for granted at least 600 times. Now, as Junior more than likely goes for one last trot in 2010, we take it for granted no more. When Griffey finally leaves the game, a part of us leaves the game too. That part that rooted so innocently for heroes rather than for teams dies out. We still love the game, but it just becomes different. Childhood gets farther away. It happens to everyone. But, this is the first time for a generation of fans as the last great one prepares to take his final bow. For many, one last childhood season begins in 2010 before the last piece of our pure fandom finally leaves.

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