How Griffey hurt his hand....

[Matt700wlw]

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070217/SPT05/702170384/1027


John Fay didn't get the memo...

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070217/SPT04/702170376/1071

[kbrake]

I like the shark story better.

[Highlifeman21]

"When healthy, nobody can outplay me."

Are you so sure about that, Mr. Griffey?

[fielder's choice]

Like every other year, Griffey said he's excited about this season and is ready to go.

"The one thing you can't take away from me is my desire to play this game," Griffey said. "People say I'm always hurt. But I've been hurt trying to make plays, I think people have missed that part."

[redsupport]

He mioght be tring to make plays but he is not making plays. His memory is befogged

[jmac]

Jr is a favorite of mine and i think he can contribute 30/90 over 120 games.
He just needs to remember he is not still 25....or 35 for that matter !

[Razor Shines]

"When healthy, nobody can outplay me."

Are you so sure about that, Mr. Griffey?

He has to think that way, to be as good as he is/was takes that kind of confidence in your abilities. I wish all the Reds thought that way, and maybe they do. Just getting to the level of Major League Baseball takes a certain amount of confidence/arrogance in one's abilities. I know you're talking more to the fact that his statement probably isn't true any more, but I'm sure some people look at that quote and think Jr's an egotistical jerk. But in that same quote he says:

"I just want to go out there and play. When healthy, nobody can outplay me," Griffey said. "Hopefully I can stay healthy. That's the key for me. It doesn't matter where I play, if I can do something to help the ball club win, I'll do it."
To me there's nothing wrong with having confidence in your abilities.

[Highlifeman21]

He has to think that way, to be as good as he is/was takes that kind of confidence in your abilities. I wish all the Reds thought that way, and maybe they do. Just getting to the level of Major League Baseball takes a certain amount of confidence/arrogance in one's abilities. I know you're talking more to the fact that his statement probably isn't true any more, but I'm sure some people look at that quote and think Jr's an egotistical jerk. But in that same quote he says:

To me there's nothing wrong with having confidence in your abilities.

I don't look at it as egotistical, but rather in a fantasy world. If Griffey said that quote between 1992 and 2000, I would have stood firmly behind him. But, it's 2007, and his abilities have deteriorated. I just hope he doesn't go Willie Mays on us and hang on for far too long.

[Razor Shines]

I don't look at it as egotistical, but rather in a fantasy world. If Griffey said that quote between 1992 and 2000, I would have stood firmly behind him. But, it's 2007, and his abilities have deteriorated. I just hope he doesn't go Willie Mays on us and hang on for far too long.

I just think that it takes so much confidence to get to his level (or his former level) that it must be incredibly hard to let it go.

[Natty Redlocks]

I just think that it takes so much confidence to get to his level (or his former level) that it must be incredibly hard to let it go.

It'll be a little easier when his contract is up and no one wants to pay him.

[Grounds_Crew]

No matter how you feel about Griffey...you must consider this fact:


Griffey played in 109 games, but was still second on the team in home runs (27) and third in RBIs (72).


Maybe that's saying a lot for Griffey...or maybe it's just showing us that the rest of our team didn't do so well putting up numbers.

[KoryMac5]

It'll be a little easier when his contract is up and no one wants to pay him.

The way the market is going these days Griffey will continue to get contract offers, regardless of stats. It's going to be up to him to decide if a ring is more important than a legacy. I think he'll play another 3 yrs before hanging it up.

[RollyInRaleigh]

No matter how you feel about Griffey...you must consider this fact:




Maybe that's saying a lot for Griffey...or maybe it's just showing us that the rest of our team didn't do so well putting up numbers.

:beerme: Easy to be critical of Griffey right now, yet some of the players being pimped to replace him will have a hard time putting up those numbers.

[Handofdeath]

I've always thought that Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005 was a bit of a joke. He had a pretty good year compared to the previous seasons when he was playing about an average of 75 games a season. But he still missed more than 20% percent of the Reds games in 2005. Not exactly a true comeback. If only he had been able to stay healthy, he might be the one chasing Aaron right now instead of Barroid Bonds.

[OnBaseMachine]

Griffey gets OK to play
The center (right?) fielder says he broke his wrist wrestling with his children.
Click-2-Listen
By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

Sunday, February 18, 2007

SARASOTA, Fla. — There will be no public service announcement, no public debate, not even a publicity statement.

Will Ken Griffey Jr. play center field, where he has squatter's rights, or will he play right field in a move designed to preserve his body?

Cincinnati Reds manager Jerry Narron and General Manager Wayne Krivsky both hope that Griffey will consider shifting to right field, a move calculated to save his body the bumps and grinds of covering the acreage in center field.

Griffey was in camp Saturday, the reporting date for pitchers and catchers, but the Reds don't want him to pitch or catch. Just play right field.

Griffey was noncommittal about what he would do, but said he would both listen to and talk about the proposition.

"It is not going to be handled publicly," he said. "It is going to be done with Wayne, Jerry and I talking about it."

Griffey prefers center field, the position he has played for all 18 years of his major-league career.

"It is one of those things that if I feel good, I'm going to play (center)," he said. "If I don't feel good, I'm not. But I can promise you it is not going to be any kind of disruption. That's what everybody is waiting on, and it is not going to be that. It will be handled as professionally as possible."

And how does Griffey feel? Extremely good.

Team Medical Director Dr. Tim Kremchek checked Griffey's left wrist, the one he broke in December while wrestling with his kids, and Griffey was cleared to do whatever he wants to do.

As he talked Saturday, Griffey held a bat in his left hand and rolled his wrist back and forth, a strengthening exercise.

As reported many times, Griffey's broken wrist was not obtained in any sinister manner, but he talked about it with writers for the first time this weekend.

"I was wrestling with my kids, starting with the youngest (Tevin)," Griffey said. "We were wrestling, and he yelled, 'Hey, Daddy's wrestling,' and the other two (Taryn, Trey) jumped on. The oldest (Trey, 13) rolled over on me, and I was trying to avoid rolling on the other two, and I lost my balance. I used my wrist to try to avoid falling on the other two. Trey felt really bad about it."

The wrist is OK, and now what is to be determined is where Griffey will play.

"I do know when I'll play this spring," Griffey said with a laugh. "I've decided I won't play when it's under 80 degrees, and I won't make any trips where you have to cross more than one bridge."

That would be just another bridge Griffey will have to cross.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/reds/2007/02/18/ddn021807reds.html

[TOBTTReds]

:beerme: Easy to be critical of Griffey right now, yet some of the players being pimped to replace him will have a hard time putting up those numbers.

I don't think many are mentioning his numbers. He is still valuable for his bat. But everyone mentioned is better than him on D.

[dougdirt]

I've always thought that Comeback Player of the Year award in 2005 was a bit of a joke. He had a pretty good year compared to the previous seasons when he was playing about an average of 75 games a season. But he still missed more than 20% percent of the Reds games in 2005. Not exactly a true comeback. If only he had been able to stay healthy, he might be the one chasing Aaron right now instead of Barroid Bonds.

In 500 at bats he had 35 HR, hit .301/.369/.576. Coming off a season where he played in 83 games, I would say that certainly warrants comeback player of the year.....

[George Anderson]

No matter how you feel about Griffey...you must consider this fact:




Maybe that's saying a lot for Griffey...or maybe it's just showing us that the rest of our team didn't do so well putting up numbers.

Once Griffey's contract is up AL teams will be very interested in him for the DH role. That is unless Griffey really falls off the wagon.

[RollyInRaleigh]

I don't think many are mentioning his numbers. He is still valuable for his bat. But everyone mentioned is better than him on D.

I'm pretty sure we could probably find better defensive players at about every position for the Reds, outside of Gonzales.

[TOBTTReds]

I'm pretty sure we could probably find better defensive players at about every position for the Reds, outside of Gonzales.

Not on this team, and that was my point. You said the players that were being pimped to replace him (I'm guessing you meant Freel and Deno, if not, my bad). So I'm not talking about free agents, just guys on our team. Also they aren't replacing his bat, just his CF play.

This is one of the few defensive facts in baseball: Griffey is our 3rd best CF'er. If he plays there this year, then our management is the biggest group of pushovers.

[savafan]

I honestly have to believe right now that Griffey will be in rightfield on opening day.

[RollyInRaleigh]

Not on this team, and that was my point. You said the players that were being pimped to replace him (I'm guessing you meant Freel and Deno, if not, my bad). So I'm not talking about free agents, just guys on our team. Also they aren't replacing his bat, just his CF play.

This is one of the few defensive facts in baseball: Griffey is our 3rd best CF'er. If he plays there this year, then our management is the biggest group of pushovers.

Griffey is going to play outfield for the Reds this season. They can't afford not to have his offensive production in the lineup. Would I rather that he play rightfield? Probably, although I haven't seen him play that position enough to know if he can play it any better than he does CF at this point in his career. I also haven't seen Denorfia play CF on a regular basis. Some folks are annointing him as a great defensive CF. I'll reserve my opinion on that. Freel makes some spectacular plays, but I also have seen him get burnt on many occasions by getting a late jump or the wrong read off the bat. I also don't think his body can take the beating of playing everyday.

I, personally, hope that Jr. makes the move to right. I really wish that he could play first base, but that doesn't seem like an option.

[Redlegs]

Like Savafan, I believe the best move for this team is to have Griff in right when the bell rings. He is a high risk when it comes to injury and leaving him to patrol center field just makes injury that much more probable. The legs are the first to go they say. Griff's on borrowed time, IMO. He's still fun to watch and the fans love him.

Hope he has a great 2007 campaign.:beerme:

[Handofdeath]

In 500 at bats he had 35 HR, hit .301/.369/.576. Coming off a season where he played in 83 games, I would say that certainly warrants comeback player of the year.....

They are good numbers, but he missed 34 games that season. If he came back, he sure didn't stay long.

[TRF]

They are good numbers, but he missed 34 games that season. If he came back, he sure didn't stay long.

1996 Eric Davis was Comeback Player of the year with only 129 games played. Was that a joke too?