Go ahead, bring the Hate.

The sports world is agog about the retirement news of Ken Griffey Jr.
One might say he's been retired for 11 seasons already.

Why are most people enamoured about this guy? A 22 year "career" with only one decent year in the last 11. Can we say O.J. with San Francisco? Jerry Rice with the Raiders/Broncos/Seahawks/deargodwhywon'tyougoawayanddie? Maybe Dale Murphy with the Rockies?

Certain Hall of Famer? Where? At the Mayo clinic? Dale Murphy had more MVP's, more home run titles, and was the dominant player of his era. Griffey was never the man. Never.

Tom Singer of MLB.com says that "Griffey built Safeco Field" - yeah, he heard the Union had Blue Cross.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com says "Griffey will always remembered for being clean." - of course, if those wounds get dirty, they'll get infected. Nasty business.

Tim Lincecum told the San Francisco Chronicle that Junior "was the epitome of Seattle baseball." - What? Fragile? Overrated? Never a winner?

Yahoo's Tim Brown said "Griffey has no peers on the baseball diamond." - True. Mostly because he was never there. Now if we're talking the training room........


I realize he was on "the card." And he smiled. People like that. Great. But he was just another ball player who had a few good years and then played another 11 YEARS in obscurity, hanging on to a career that had long left him.


This just in.... the press conference for the retirement announcement has been postponed due to Ken tripping and breaking his foot on the way to the podium.