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Thread: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

  1. #1
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    It was the offseason that led to the formation of Redszone. I'm sure many who were around at that time remember Gallagher and "Whiffey is not your savior!"

    Did it work out the way we had hoped? Thanks to injuries and ownership's failure to build a team around him, through little fault of his own, Junior and his relatively bargain priced contract were viewed by many fans as an albatross on the success of the team. Still we had the opportunity to watch a Hall of Fame player roam the outfield in Cincinnati, and one of the sweetest swings in the history of the sport. Looking back 12 years later, now that time has passed and we can judge the trade fairly, I'd like to say that the Reds won the trade, though in the world of expectations, I doubt neither the Reds organization nor the Mariners organization feel that they won. I do feel though, that we the fans of the Cincinnati Reds, won that trade made this day 12 seasons past, and I feel blessed to have had the chance to see Junior Griffey wear my team's uniform and play in my city.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!


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    Churlish Johnny Footstool's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Well said!
    "I prefer books and movies where the conflict isn't of the extreme cannibal apocalypse variety I guess." Redsfaithful

  4. #3
    Bullpen or whatever RedEye's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Thanks for pointing this out today. That trade will always be a memorable one to me -- not only for what it meant to the Reds, but for what was going on in my own life. I was living and working in France and got an excited phone call from my friend very early in the morning. In the same conversation he told me about the Griffey trade, I told him that I had just met the girl of my dreams. Two years later, she would be my wife and that same friend would be the best man in our wedding.

    Anyone else have memories of what they were doing when the Griffey trade went down?
    “Every level he goes to, he is going to compete. They will know who he is at every level he goes to.” -- ED on EDLC

  5. #4
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    I guess you can say I grew up as a baseball fan with Ken Griffey, Jr. I was just getting into the hobby of baseball card collecting in 1989 when Junior's cards were one of the hottest things in the hobby. That year I was introduced to former Reds' pitcher Rob Dibble through Steve Baker, a local news correspondent from my hometown. Dibs had given me a Ken Griffey, Jr. candybar, and at that point, The Kid became my favorite player as a young teenager. I purchased the "Griffey: The Next Generation" poster with both Sr. and Jr. that summer at a souvenir shop in King's Island. It hung on my wall for years.

    I always wanted to see my favorite player play for my favorite team, then one February day, when I was 22 years old, it finally happened. I had to pinch myself at the time, because I just couldn't believe it.

    Now, at the age of 34, looking back, I have some regret that I feel I didn't appreciate him enough when he was here.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!

  6. #5
    I rig polls REDREAD's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    I was a big Mike Cameron fan, but I don't regret the Reds making this trade one bit.

    Jr helped make the Lindner years more tolerable.

    Jr took a lot of abuse on the message boards and radio (and from John Allen) that was not deserved. I feel bad that he had to endure that.

    I know during the Jr years, some people had this fantasy that if we didn't trade for Jr, somehow we would be able to get a monster pitching staff with that approx 9 million/year (that's what the true annual value of his contract was), but that was a fallacy in logic, especially when viewed in hindsight.
    [Phil ] Castellini celebrated the team's farm system and noted the team had promising prospects who would one day be great Reds -- and then joke then they'd be ex-Reds, saying "of course we're going to lose them". #SellTheTeamBob

    Nov. 13, 2007: One of the greatest days in Reds history: John Allen gets the boot!

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    All work and no play..... Vottomatic's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    I felt bad for Junior. Kind of reminded me of when Eric Davis played for the Reds. He could never do enough to please the fans.

    I also felt bad that he came home to an organization and an owner who really didn't know how to put together a winner. Everyone counted on Junior to carry the team. But it was mostly a bad team.

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    Member RedsManRick's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati



    In 1995, while living in State College, Pennsylvania, the Bengals traded up from the #5 pick to acquire the #1 and draft Penn State RB Ki Jana Carter. Suffice it to say Carter had a rocky career in the NFL, fraught with injury.

    When the Reds traded for Junior, I could not help but get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.
    Last edited by RedsManRick; 02-10-2012 at 05:00 PM.
    Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.

  9. #8
    A Pleasure to Burn Joseph's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Quote Originally Posted by RedsManRick View Post
    I have this framed and hanging on my wall in my billiards room.

    Championships for MY teams in my lifetime:
    Cincinnati Reds - 75, 76, 90
    Chicago Blackhawks - 10, 13, 15
    University of Kentucky - 78, 96, 98, 12
    Chicago Bulls - 91, 92, 93, 96, 97, 98


    “Everything that happens before Death is what counts.”
    ― Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes

  10. #9
    Member 1990REDS's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Quote Originally Posted by Joseph View Post
    I have this framed and hanging on my wall in my billiards room.
    As do I. Its actually one of about 6 pieces of reds memorabilia that have moved with me wherever I have lived the past 12 years.
    During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball. ~Mickey Mantle, 1970

  11. #10
    Member Reds/Flyers Fan's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Junior deserved better here. The organization failed him and, I believe, sold him a load of BS in the process. They never intended to build the team around him, they just wanted to coast on his name for a few years.

    After a while, I believe Junior became jaded with the organization's indifference and the fans' blame. And he realized that he would never win a ring in Cincinnati. Ironically, he would have had a much better chance at winning in Seattle during those years with the talent the M's put on the field. And he would have played before more fans.

    It's all a sad story of "what if," unfortunately. And could it have started out more ominously, with the most anticipated Opening Day in decades getting rained out after a couple of innings against the hapless Brewers?

  12. #11
    The Lineups stink. KronoRed's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    I still have the paper from that day.

    Good day.
    Go Gators!

  13. #12
    Member reds44's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    The reason I am a Reds fan.
    Quote Originally Posted by Scooter View Post
    A little bit off topic, but do you guys think that Jesse Winker profiles more like Pete Rose or is he just the next Hal Morris??

  14. #13
    Flash the leather! _Sir_Charles_'s Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Quote Originally Posted by KronoRed View Post
    I still have the paper from that day.

    Good day.
    And here I was thinking I was the only one who saved papers like that. I've still got the 4192 paper too. :O)

  15. #14
    Maple SERP savafan's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Quote Originally Posted by _Sir_Charles_ View Post
    And here I was thinking I was the only one who saved papers like that. I've still got the 4192 paper too. :O)
    There's at least 3 of us.
    My dad got to enjoy 3 Reds World Championships by the time he was my age. So far, I've only gotten to enjoy one. Step it up Redlegs!

  16. #15
    Sprinkles are for winners dougdirt's Avatar
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    Re: On this day 12 years ago, Mariners trade Griffey Jr. to Cincinnati

    Quote Originally Posted by savafan View Post
    There's at least 3 of us.
    Four of us.... and I can't stand Pete.


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