We should make a calender w/griffey's last 12 homers on it i would buy one.
We should make a calender w/griffey's last 12 homers on it i would buy one.
JR rocks, I hope everyone who liked to slam him and call him selfish when was hurt reads this.Originally Posted by RosieRed
Go Gators!
#495
Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand
06/01/2004 9:27 PM ET
Griffey inches closer to 500 club
By Todd Lorenz / MLB.com
MIAMI -- After leading the Majors with 10 homers in the month of May, Ken Griffey Jr. didn't waste any time picking up his first in June.
With the Reds trailing by a run, Griffey took a one-strike pitch from Marlins reliever Matt Perisho and belted it for a two-out solo shot into the right-field bleachers at Pro Player Stadium. The homer tied the game, 5-5, in the top of the seventh inning.
The long ball came on the heels of his three-run blast on Monday, a homer that sealed Cincinnati's win over Florida. That one traveled an estimated 434 feet. Tuesday's 350-footer might have come up short distance-wise, but it was no less important.
The blast, his 14th of the season, left Griffey five homers shy of becoming the 20th member of the 500 club.
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/ne..._mlb&fext=.jsp
"Enjoy this Reds fans, you are watching a legend grow up before your very eyes" ... DoogMinAmo on Adam Dunn
You know, I couldn't be happier. "The Kid" comes home to adoration. And the fans are enthusiastic and the team chemistry is flowing. There's never been a better time for a Reds fan.Originally Posted by VR
Go Reds!!!!!!!!!
www.ris-news.com
"You only have to bat a thousand in two things; flying and heart transplants. Everything else you can go 4-for-5."
-Beano Cook
Looks like #500 happens on the road. 13 of 16 after the Expos series are on the road.
Only a three game home set June 15-17 vs. Texas in the middle.
Won't complain if he gets to #500 before the next series, but typical Reds bad luck to likely miss out on some nice gate bonus in the coming weeks.
How bout he hits 2 tomorrow and then one each Friday-Saturday-Sunday?
Go Gators!
How about this. If Griffey can't hit #500 at home, what road series would you like to see him it at? The first choice for me, would be Oakland, since that is the next road series, but it would be great to see him stick it to the mets again, and hit #500 @ shea stadium. Just think the attendance boost if he hits 1 vs montreal, 1 vs oakland, 1 vs Cleveland & comes home for a 3 game homestand w/ 2 to go. Think they may sell out all 3 games?
Originally Posted by oregonred
True. Even though I'd like for him to reach it before June 15, it would be nice to see him space the next 5 out and jack it at home against Texas.
"Are you trying to say Jesus Christ can't hit a curveball?!"
6th inning, Oakland, June 9th.
Originally Posted by medford
I'm not sure that 500 is a record-breaking thing in anyway though - it's just a nice number But it's still good and neat and everything!! (Don't think I'm not following this!)
redsrule2500
Go Reds!
“I’m a normal guy blessed with the ability to hit a baseball.” - Sean Casey
For those of you who live in the Bay area, get your REDS uniform on, get a net, and go to the standing area behind the bleachers in right field. We can all catch you on SportsCenter and the REDS Fox show.
Bring on No. 500
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Griffey, fans hope he hits milestone homer at home
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ken Griffey Jr. after hitting home run No. 492 against Miami.
(Enquirer photo)
If Reds center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. could plan it, he would hit career home run No. 500 in front of his home fans, at Great American Ball Park.
"Straightaway to center," he said when asked to envision the ideal scenario. "Hits the batter's eye and bounces back on the field. That's how it would be in the perfect world."
But Griffey, who has 495 career home runs, knows he can't script the big moment.
"I can't control when it's going to happen or where," he said.
And chances are his fantasy won't come to life in the next three days, when the Reds begin a homestand against the Montreal Expos, starting tonight at 7:10 p.m.
Five home runs in three games would be quite a feat for any player, even a player who, like Griffey, is one of the most prolific power hitters in history.
The outfielder now ranks No. 20 among baseball's career home-run hitters. Hank Aaron leads with 755.
BY THE NUMBERS
47: Times Ken Griffey Jr. has hit two homers in one game.
9: Times Griffey has hit two in one game as a Red, including once this season (May 8).
2: Times Griffey has hit three homers in one game (April 25, 1997; May 24, 1996).
5: Home runs against Montreal.
28: Home runs against Oakland.
30: Home runs against Cleveland.
Ken Griffey Jr. has 14 home runs in 50 games - he's averaging one home run every 3.6 games. On that pace, he would hit No. 500 June 23 at New York against the Mets.
REDS SCHEDULE
Today: MONTREAL
Saturday: MONTREAL
Sunday: MONTREAL
Monday: at Oakland
Tuesday: at Oakland
Wednesday: at Oakland
Thursday: Off
June 11: at Cleveland
June 12: at Cleveland
June 13: at Cleveland
June 14: at Philadelphia
June 15: TEXAS
June 16: TEXAS
June 17: TEXAS
June 18: at St. Louis
June 19: at St. Louis
June 20: at St. Louis
June 21: Off
June 22: at New York Mets
June 23: at New York Mets
June 24: at New York Mets
Griffey, who is averaging one home run every 3.6 games, is on a hot streak, hitting six homers in his last 11 games.
In his career, he's hit two homers in one game 47 times, and has hit three home runs in one game on two occasions.
But he's never cleared the fence five times in three days.
Then again, anything seems possible when it comes to the Reds, who are making a triumphant return home after sweeping the World Series champion Florida Marlins. This Reds crew, picked by many baseball experts to finish at or near the bottom of the National League's Central Division, have won 15 of their last 19 games en route to securing the National League's best record.
At the heart of this team's surge is Griffey, the 34-year-old superstar who is about to accomplish a feat no player wearing a Reds uniform has ever attained. His recent tear has captured the national media's attention - including the New York Times and Washington Post.
Reds officials expect Griffey's march toward 500 will help spark plenty of interest among Reds fans this weekend. Team spokesman Rob Butcher predicted 80,000 to 90,000 fans for the three-game series.
That would be a healthy draw, given that the Expos have the worst record in the National League and not a big-name star on the roster.
Luckily, the Reds can compensate. There's first baseman Sean Casey, hitting .391; pitcher Paul Wilson, 7-0 with a 3.34 ERA; and Danny Graves, the fastest closer in history to reach 25 saves. He earned his 26th Wednesday.
But this is clearly Griffey's moment. And the outfielder, who abhors talking about himself, admits that this milestone is special. The player, who has only a handful of his home run balls, wants to keep No. 500.
Fans will undoubtedly want the 500 ball, too. Steve Wolter, of Sports Investments Inc. in Montgomery, says the ball would bring between "$50,000 and $75,000" at a national auction.
Whenever and wherever the historic blast occurs, don't expect a huge fuss. Reds chief operating officer John Allen and Griffey are meeting this weekend to discuss details of the team's response. Butcher said the Reds won't stop the game. All suggestions are subject to Griffey's approval.
"I don't like surprises," Griffey said.
Here's what will happen: If Griffey takes his quest for 500 to Oakland next week, he'll take his family - including father Ken Griffey Sr. - on the road with him.
And when he hits No. 500, Griffey will probably do his standard bat toss, watch the ball for a bit if he knows it's gone, then run the bases.
"I'm going to try not to show any emotion, just like my dad always taught me," he said. "It's one of those things he insisted on. No matter what, do not show emotion."
Off the field, there are no such restrictions.
Griffey's emotional state is happy, happy, happy.
He's healthy after three years of dealing with a series of injuries that forced him to miss 251 games. He's already surpassed his home run and RBI totals from each of the last two seasons. May was his best month as a Red.
"We all know what Junior can do when he's healthy," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "He's healthy."
For Griffey's part, the fact that the Reds are winning is more important than the milestone.
"Winning makes it fun," he said.
And, ultimately, home runs aren't what drive Griffey. He'd trade them in for a chance at World Series glory.
"Then I could show my daddy: I got one, too," he said.
Ken Griffey Sr., soon to be inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame, hit only 152 home runs. But he won two World Series rings with the Reds.
"He has a way of pointing that out to me," Junior said.
"Whatever you choose, however many roads you travel, I hope that you choose not to be a lady. I hope you will find some way to break the rules and make a little trouble out there. And I also hope that you will choose to make some of that trouble on behalf of women." - Nora Ephron
Are you kidding me???????Originally Posted by redsrule2500
IIRC, he'll only be the 20th player to do it (or only 20 have done it previously) plus, he'll be the youngest to ever do it. It's huge!
"Enjoy this Reds fans, you are watching a legend grow up before your very eyes" ... DoogMinAmo on Adam Dunn
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