Mariners could release Griffey this month.

[Kingspoint]

If Junior half-way resembled a "baseball player", this would be a story. But, it needs to be done. He wasted too, too many at-bats this season.

Think Willy Taveras without speed and defense.


From Rotoworld via the Tacoma News Tribune w/ Rotoworld comments:

Larry LaRue of the Tacoma News Tribune reports that veteran Ken Griffey Jr. could be released this month by the Mariners.

Junior, now 40, is batting a miserable .205/.265/.234 in 77 at-bats this season with only two extra-base hits and zero home runs. He's not providing offense at the DH position and has shown a lack of interest in competing, at one point falling asleep in the M's clubhouse in the middle of a game. The fans of Safeco Field still dig him, for the most part, but it's time for a change in Seattle. Griffey is a .284/.370/.539 career hitter with 630 home runs. May. 10 - 2:39 pm et

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/0...-mariners.html

[Kingspoint]

Babe Ruth homered 3 times in one game during a similar swan song.

Maybe Junior can show that sweet swing one more time for old time's sake.

[Kingspoint]

So why didn’t Wakamatsu go to Junior off the bench.

“He was asleep in the clubhouse,” one player said. “He’d gone back about the fifth inning to get a jacket and didn’t come back. I went back in about the seventh inning – and he was in his chair, sound asleep.”

The other player, who knows Griffey a little better, tried to ratonalize.

“He doesn’t sleep well at night, he’s away from his family, he’s comfortable in the clubhouse,” he said. “They could have awakened him …”

[texasdave]

Originally Posted by Kingspoint

So why didn’t Wakamatsu go to Junior off the bench.

“He was asleep in the clubhouse,” one player said. “He’d gone back about the fifth inning to get a jacket and didn’t come back. I went back in about the seventh inning – and he was in his chair, sound asleep.”

The other player, who knows Griffey a little better, tried to ratonalize.

“He doesn’t sleep well at night, he’s away from his family, he’s comfortable in the clubhouse,” he said. “They could have awakened him …”

Another player tried to rationalize that away? Amazing. Maybe they could bring a LA-Z-BOY into the dugout for him.

[brachial pleXUs]

I seem to remember Griffey's recliner (and Dunn's too) catching a lot of flak for being in the Reds' clubhouse. Glad we don't have to deal with that anymore.

[bgwilly31]

Not like anybody thought any different.

Where is all the griffey screen name guys. i havent seen them around this year. lol

[Jack Burton]

Lol, guy turned into a joke. Needs to go back on the 'roids.

[Kingspoint]

Originally Posted by Jack Burton

Lol, guy turned into a joke. Needs to go back on the 'roids.

The nice thing about Junior is that he never used any enhancements.

His career is what a normal "great player"'s career is supposed to look like. The fade is supposed to happen quickly like that.

It's nice to see things go "normally" instead of the buffoons out there who have used enhancements.

[GIDP]

The part of him sleeping is so unsurprising.

Griffey has always came across as someone who was so good that he didnt have to prepare or work as hard as anyone else and could still be very good. Kinda explains why he fell off the cliff so quickly. Maybe it doesnt and he just got old and injuries caught up with him. Thats just my opinion on it.

[Griffey012]

Originally Posted by bgwilly31

Not like anybody thought any different.

Where is all the griffey screen name guys. i havent seen them around this year. lol

I still post on here daily, Thank you.

[Griffey012]

It's weird to read this after everything I read last season about the effect he had on the entire clubhouse, including Ichiro. Last year he seemed to be enjoying the game again like the days when he was "the kid" and it was good to see even though he obviously doesn't have it anymore. However, if he is going to sleep in the clubhouse during the game, and not be the happy go lucky positive influence he was last year, he needs to just retire. Because it would be painful to watch him get released by Seattle as an end to his career.

Myself, along with this entire board would be calling for the head of any player who was sleeping in the clubhouse during a game. Griffey or not Griffey that should be a suspension if the story is true...or else Wakamatsu needs to get control of his team back.

[Kingspoint]

The REDS play a 3-game series in Seattle June 18-20.

I sure hope he lasts until at least that series. The Mariners owe him that.

Let that series be his last, if necessary, and let him start all three games.

[Kingspoint]

He built that stadium.

If he wants to take a nap in it during a game, so be it.

There's just some things that you look the other way to in life.

[Kingspoint]

mlbtv update in two minutes on Junior and the Mariners.

[Boston Red]

That's embarrassing.