Where’s the Ken Griffey Jr. Countdown to 600?
Baseball April 24th. 2008, 1:15pm
The Kid has 597 homers. You might not be aware of this because nobody’s counting down to 600, which we find somewhat inexplicable. Is it because the Reds are already in the basement of the NL Central? Because Chase Utley has 10 homers? Because A-Rod’s wife had a baby? Is Joba to blame?
Travesty? You bet. The guy was on Fresh Prince. For about 10 years, he was the best centerfielder in baseball. He had – and still might – the sweetest swing in baseball. There’s this iconic photo. His equally iconic baseball card.
And most importantly, he’s the best player of his generation who was never connected to anything illegal.
Photo: Icon Sports Media
64 Responses to “Where’s the Ken Griffey Jr. Countdown to 600?”
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April 24th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
So how about we do one?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
is today “copy Deadspin stories” day?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
He’s been my favorite player since I was old enough to have one. And to this day I’ve still only had one favorite.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
I feel so bad for him since he kept getting hurt. It’s depressing.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Get to 600…trade him back to Seattle…bring Jay Bruce up. Go Reds.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
i think it’s been assumed he’d get to 600 with ease…about 3 years ago, but never the less.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
Would have probably had 1000 HR had he drank the Canseco milkshakes–er, used the juice.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
It’s such a damn shame what’s happened since he came to Cincy. The 1999 1 game playoff was awesome. But nothing since.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Let’s not forget his memorable rap duet with Kid Sensation.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:22 pm
And I have his rookie card, which I thought at one time was going to get me a new house someday. Depressing indeed.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
@Maggs: It still might in Michigan’s housing market!
/Zing!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Gotta love Griff, when he slid into home against the Yanks in that Game 5, I thought for sure we’d be seeing some cool shit from him in the postseason for years to come.
Amazing he’s approaching 600 with all the injury crap he’s dealt with.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
@CoRM Agreed. Countdown to Griffy’s 600!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
nick—
just saw the pick. not bad. do you think he will be a good pro? the OL had me salivating
April 24th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Him being injured constantly and playing for Cincinnati (sorry Nick) took him out of the mainstream, plus it seems like lots of guys have been hitting milestones lately, the media is probably burned out on it.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
In Michigan housing market, house sells you!
/Hef channeling Yakov
April 24th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
In America you verb your direct object. In Soviet Russia, your direct object verbs you.
/Hef deconstructing Yakov
April 24th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
@blaze: Yeah I do. Premier DE are harder to come by. I think we can get some quality OL later.
Actually, we’re talking about the Bengals management. Who’m I kidding
April 24th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I’ll always remember sitting in the late Three Rivers Stadium watching him take batting practice prior to the HR hitting contest (1994). Such a sweet swing. Funny that the two guys who stood out the most to me that day were the two guys who have never been associated with PEDs, Griffey and The Big Hurt.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Griffey’s homers are good because they don’t clog up the bases.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Did Greg Maddux have some sort of scandal that I’m not aware of?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I’m blaming Bonds for no other reason than because I can. And while Bonds will languish in HOF neverland, Griffey should be a first ballot HOFer.
Griffey definitely has a couple more good years left, especially if he goes back to the AL and can DH.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Sorry to threadjack, but the Detroit Free Press has opened themselves up for a libel lawsuit. Either that, or someone needs to get D-Wade a hooker pronto.
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/SPORTS03/804240400/1048
If this has already appeared amongst the 900 comments in the Ballin’ post, please forgive me.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
you know that junior never used the juice cuz he’s too freaking lazy to do the work in the gym to make PED effective.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Yo Nick! Your pick
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
How dare Griffey hit all those home runs. What a selfish PRICK. A *baseball player* like David Eckstein or Darin Erstad would have grinded and gritted his way to that many singles, only they would’ve been more clutchier.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
While we’re complaining, where was the Eckstein countdown for 1100 hits. I know 1100 hits aren’t that much, but they were so gritty and scrappy that each hit counts as 3, so that’s really 3300 hits, which is quite an accomplishment
/FJM’d
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
There was this.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Dirty, take that basketball shit outta my MLB chats! You Threadjacker!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
“Did Greg Maddux have some sort of scandal that I’m not aware of?” Clown
20 years ago he had this going on…
http://toppstraders.org/2008/02/19/favorite-card-greg-maddux/
April 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
@s1rweeze: Damn you!!!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
It’s not iffy, if it’s Griffey.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I’ve been out most of the morning… has the commenter draft been decommisoned yet?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Did Greg Maddux have some sort of scandal that I’m not aware of?
Clown, Maddux farts in the locker room.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Ha, same time too. Weird.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Apparently it’s going up around 4pm, to accommodate our West Coast friends.
/terrible idea, put it up at 2pm
April 24th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
@Dirty: No you can say anything as long as you say “reportedly” in the sentence thereby shifting all responsibility to some nebulous “them”.
Example: Adriana Lima has reportedly been linked to a hockey blogger known as Jibblescribbits.
See Now it’s on the internet, and cites a source, it has to be true
April 24th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I know Gonzo, my bad. I just refuse to read the basketball posts and the various Kobe>Lebron, Lebron>Kobe, and Irish’s frothing man-love for Dwight Howard.
Unless banging trannys is illegal, has A-Rod done something scandalous?
April 24th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
The commenter draft is going slowly – Nick P is on the clock.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
FUCK THE WEST COAST.
clap. clap. clap clap clap.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Mr. Papageorgio better get his ass in gear.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Nick P already picked. I got the email like 20 minutes ago. Hump Punch is up
April 24th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Who the F is hump punch? He’s been on the clock for a while now.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Star Jones??? I’d heard it was Rachael Nichols
/rumor mongering
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
@dirty sanchez- i dont know what is worse. my comments about Dwight Howard or all your comments about ass raping. i have seen most of your comments on this site include ass raping. You are obsessed with that, so i can only assume you love to take it up the ass
good day to you
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I sent my pick in at 11:20…off my back, ya sunt heads!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
This is what TBL gets for allowing non-regular commenters to participate!
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
HUNCH PUNCH IS WHO WE THOUGHT HE WAS!!! AND WE LET HIM OFF THE HOOK.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
that was a very polite way of saying you are teh gay
April 24th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
hey now mike—i dont comment too often, but I am eager as hell to get my pick in
April 24th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Irish’s sweaty Dwight Howard man love vs. Dirty Sanchez’ obsession with the back door…. Sounds like a sure-fire match-up in the next cultural relevance brackets.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Love Junior with all my heart. My friend and I weaseled our way into a suite (we have a friend who works for the team) the first night he came back to Safeco (last season). He got a standing O for about 5 minutes then people booed our own starting pitcher for not throwing Griffey strikes.
He was my child hood idol no-doubt and I hope he gets to 700 homers before he calls it a career and becomes immortalized in cooperstown as the Mariners first hall of famer.
and yeah, hump punch needs to make that pick soon.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
That’s what you get for not letting me have the Saints pick.
If you don’t hear from HunchPunch, just throw all the CBs in a hat and take the first one that comes out. Or Rivers.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
rivers, vilma and morgan? on paper, that’s pretty fearsome.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Geez, make one ass-rape comment and now I’m lumped in with Irish’s D-Howard obsession.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Yeah. It’ll be Rivers, Vilma, and Fujita. Nobody has any faith that Morgan will play, or play for long.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Hey Nick- with Jocketty in there as GM now, that could become a very real possibility.
/Cards fan
April 24th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
I want that to happen, Bruce.
April 24th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Nick, what are you doing? Have you checked email? You’ve been on the clock for hours
April 24th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
hahahaha nick p you fucking slacker
April 24th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
ESPN only likes to give credit to players who juice their fucking brains, as well as their integrity, out the fucking window.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Just got the email, yeah Nick P is still on the clock. And I just barely missed going to the principal’s office. Too bad that never happened in high school.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
On the 15-day Disabled List with a pulled hamstring.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
His swing is a thing of beauty. He’s the best all around position player I have seen.