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Griffey wants out of Cincinnati

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The Junior Era in Cincinnati, such as it is, is coming to an end. Ken Griffey Jr. would like to win a championship here, he says, but that's not going to happen. Griffey told USA Today he'd like to be traded to Seattle. OK, so he didn't say it quite that way. The quote was, "It's everybody's dream to go back where they started. Everybody who plays the game would love to go out the way they see fit." The Reds will not pick up Griffey's $16.5 million option for next year. He's not going to agree to any "hometown discount," either. He already did that, nine years ago. Look what it got him. The Reds will part with Griffey, maybe after the year is up, maybe sooner. There is still the matter of trying to profit on his "race" to 600 home runs. Any time after 600, all bets are off.

Cincinnati Enquirer

Ken Griffey Jr., AP Ken Griffey Jr., AP
May 7, 2008  07:10 AM ET

Oh please. This guy is an idiot.

May 7, 2008  07:22 AM ET

Ken Giveme Jr. I want my money and I want to choose where I play.

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May 7, 2008  07:48 AM ET

16.5 is a steal for Jr. he will hit 600 the old fashion way.

May 7, 2008  07:50 AM ET

The man just wants to retire in the city that made him a baseball legend. He does not care about the money. He is a class act all the way. As a Cincy native and Reds fan I would like to see him finishhis hall of fame career in Seattle. He has earned it. Who knows - by DH'ing in the AL he may be able to stay healthy enough to hit 700 homers. He is only 100 away and 38 years old...

May 7, 2008  08:20 AM ET

If you post something negative about Griffey then what exactly do you want? Griffey is a class act plain and simple. he is one of the few big stars in sports who actually is a role model for kids. I don't recall his name everying being associated with anything negative. He has played hard his entire career. Its too bad he's had all those injuries b/c it would be nice to see his name atop the all time HR list.

May 7, 2008  08:26 AM ET

I look at it this way...the Reds stink. And they've stunk for quite some time. Griffey has been hurt. And he's been hurt for almost the entire time he's been in Cincy.

They need to come to a mutual agreement to end this ASAP. The money they'd save by not paying Griffey to be on the DL all the time could be put to much better use elsewhere.

Everybody involved hoped that he'd be just what the Reds needed. He hasn't been. He only has a few more years left. Let him go finish up somewhere else.

May 7, 2008  08:40 AM ET

Let's see...

He wanted out of Seattle so he could return to his home town. Now he wants out of Cincinatti so he can return to the place where he started his career.

If you believe there's any sincerity in this guy I've got some prime real estate I'd like to sell you in the Florida everglades.

This has a real bull feces smell to it!

May 7, 2008  08:44 AM ET

"He already did that, nine years ago. Look what it got him."

What? Look what it got HIM? It got him rich as hell while working 30% of the time. If anyone was screwed over, it was the Reds.

May 7, 2008  08:48 AM ET

600 home runs clean is rare to see... class guy who has had major injuries but still has huge numbers. He should retire where he wants and we can at least know he earned his stats..

May 7, 2008  08:48 AM ET

While you're at it ship Dunn to Alaska AAA ball please ..

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May 7, 2008  09:02 AM ET

He took a lot less money to play in Cincinnati than he would have gotten as a FA. He is one of the classiest guys in baseball. You don't hear him screaming to the media that he wants to be traded like most of athletes. He has been hurt lot since he was traded to the Reds, but he has always gotten hurt playing hard.

May 7, 2008  09:02 AM ET

While you're at it ship Dunn to Alaska AAA ball please ..
vikings526 | 05/07/08, 08:48 AM

As bad as he has been, Dunn's actually having no worse a season than Griffey himself. Check the numbers if you don't believe me. Dunn is only somewhat more execrable defensively than pitiful Griffey now is.

May 7, 2008  09:05 AM ET

It's obvious that the Griffey era in Cincinnati is coming to an end. Plagued by recurrent injuries he has still managed to be one of baseball's most exciting player to watch. Yes the last few years he has been shun out of baseball's limelight but he is the last of his kind. One of baseball's last "natural." He is a player who doesn't deserve scrutiny for his injury plagued career, but a role model to be praised for his courage to make the right decisions. He couldv'e easily done what most players do and juice up. Who knows he couldv'e done it before Bonds. And while other peers such as Bonds escaped injuries by using performance enhancement DRUGS, Griffey was an honest player. The last of his time. He earned every last home run and for 16.5 considering todays market is a pretty reasonable deal. Griffey is loyal to not only his team and his family, but to his fans. I remember watching him when he was with Seattle. Back then I was playing ball as a young kid. Today I am now 20 years old and hoping he can stay in long enough to surpass Bonds as the All-Time Home-Run King. Feel free to send me comments and opinions.

May 7, 2008  09:13 AM ET

Arod will wipe out all his records anyway.

May 7, 2008  09:15 AM ET

"He has played hard his entire career."
Me DUM DUM | 05/07/08, 08:20 AM

Don't believe everything you read. A couple of weeks back we were sitting in the third row along the first-base line and watched Jr. jog out a ground ball that was booted by the Dodgers' 1B. An all-out sprint would have probably had him safe at first. As Griffey loped out past us to right field between innings, a fan in front of us called out for him to "run" in the future. (From sitting in front of this guy for 9 innings, he seemed to be a sincere and reasonable Reds fan.) Griffey stopped on a dime, turned, and glared at this fan. Then he flapped his fingers to mock this fan. The fan pointed to his Reds hat, protesting, "Hey, I'm a fan!" Griffey was heard to respond, "I'm not."

(Yeah, I know, Jr. has had hamstring problems, but the guy still sprints--somewhat slowly--after balls in the outfield.)

Ken Griffey Jr. is not perfect, as reflected by this moment of douchebaggery. I have heard similar stories about the guy.

May 7, 2008  09:23 AM ET

LOL, i guess that trade in 99 never really worked out, he should have never left seattle.

May 7, 2008  09:24 AM ET

"Hey, I'm a fan!" Griffey was heard to respond, "I'm not."


I think what JR meant, tell me if I'm mistaken or read this incorrect, but i think Griffey wasn't saying it as he wasn't a Reds fan, but not a fan or "spectator" at all. He is right he is not a fan, he is the one getting paid all the bucks to play, not the fan in the seats, though I understand is paying for his check. He is noit a fan though but the athlete. I don't think he was saying anything negative about the Reds organization. Maybe I just read what you were saying incorrect, but if you thought he was saying anything negative about the Reds I just don't think that was the case. It was a comment that could easily be taken out of proportion like most comments do.

 
May 7, 2008  09:38 AM ET

Arez, I didn't really intend to focus on Griffey's last comment, but on the whole sequence. (Assuming that he actually said that, and I'm not 100% sure he did, I'm honestly not sure what he meant.)

It was Griffey's general response to what I took to be legitimate fan criticism that was disappointing. I'm certainly not saying Griffey should have gotten down on his knees and pleaded for forgiveness in the middle of the game, but I think everybody around us was a little taken aback by the level of surliness Griffey displayed.

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