Berardino: Hunter on Griffey

[Seth Stohs]

Pioneer Press's Mike Berardino wrote a terrific article on Torii Hunter and his relationship with former Mariners star and future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. 

 

Hunter recalled a chat with Griffey in centerfield when he was a young player. However, you may recall that Griffey's final game came against the Twins. He surprised many when he just abruptly retired. He drove home from Seattle to Orlando. What I had never heard was that he stopped in Kansas City and called up Hunter and they had breakfast. Hunter was one of the first to know that Griffey had played his last game.

 

Hunter is about a month younger than I am. Griffey Jr was, for me, my favorite player in baseball that wasn't with the Twins. His smile. The backwards hat. That sweet left-handed swing. The glide in the outfield. The power. 

 

He was incredible!

 

I'm sure others on this site had that player who they looked up to as well. Many of our readers probably aren't old enough to remember Griffey's greatness, and others may have players from other generations who they admired. 

 

Discuss the article as well as your favorite players in your youth. 

[dougkoebernick]

Good stuff! Back when I was a young kid in the 1970s I loved the Twins with Rod Carew and friends but if i had to think of players that I loved watching other than the Twins I would go with a few. 

 

I always enjoyed watching Joe Morgan and a lot of us kids liked to imitate the action he did with his arm while batting. 

 

In the late 70's I really looked up to Willie Stargell and enjoyed watching the "We Are Family" Pirates.

 

And I would stop to watch Reggie Jackson. When he was with the A's I was at the old Met and a foul ball was hit to Reggie in RF and a friend of mine and I ran down to the first row and tried to get him to give us the ball that he caught for the third inning but no such luck.

 

[diehardtwinsfan]

Many of our readers probably aren't old enough to remember Griffey's greatness,

Ouch.

 

I don't really consider myself old, but I do remember him quite well. That hurts

 

Seattle had a really nice core with Griffey, A-Rod, and Martinez.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Is Hunter aware that Griffey's Seattle reunion was more or less an unmitigated disaster?  Did that not come up when Griffey had his retirement breakfast with Hunter after leaving Seattle unannounced?

 

The parallels are a little troublesome.  Age 37-38:

 

Griffey: 286 games, 111 OPS+, -17 Rfield

Hunter: 287 games, 114 OPS+, -28 Rfield

 

Hopefully that is where the similarities end!  Seattle then signed Griffey for his age 39 season, albeit for only $2 mil guaranteed and primarily to DH.  He posted a 97 OPS+, was re-signed for his age 40 season, then dropped off to a 30 OPS+ over two months before the retirement/desertion fiasco.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Ken Griffey, Jr. was just out of this world good in his prime. One of my earliest Metrodome memories was attending a game in Griffey's rookie season. I went with a group from summer camp and we all made signs for Kirby. Our camp counselor was trying to convince us that Griffey was going to be even better than Kirby and we laughed in his face....

 

My dad's family is from Ohio and I remember going to see the Reds a few times during summer vacations. Pete Rose had already retired, but he was still the team's manager. Everyone went nuts for him. Eric Davis and Barry Larkin and Paul O'Neill were my favorite players (non-Twins) at the time. The Reds winning in 1990 and the Twins winning in 1991 made me a very happy fan as a kid.  I did get to see Tony Gwynn play against the Reds once, that was exciting. I don't remember much from the game.

 

It's fun to think about a 39 year old guy playing pro baseball still wearing his own hat backwards to honor his hero and that later became his friend.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

 

Is Hunter aware that Griffey's Seattle reunion was more or less an unmitigated disaster?  Did that not come up when Griffey had his retirement breakfast with Hunter after leaving Seattle unannounced?

 

 

It was probably an unspoken understanding. If Griffey was on pace for another 40 homer season, they probably wouldn't be having that breakfast...

[DaveW]

Always was a big fan of Grif, and Buhner growing up (non Twins)

 

Unfortunately Hunter is looking very Griffey like in his return season to the Twins when he is past his prime (to be kind) ala Griffey.  If only we had a Nick Punto for him to accidently punch in the face to get things right again....

[BobAzar]

I always liked Griffey, until he robbed Lou Collins of that game winning HR in game 163...

[tobi0040]

 

^{Ken Griffey, Jr. was just out of this world good in his prime.}

 

^{Yes, he was.  And he was really good for a really long time.}

 

^{17 - # of seasons with more than .800 OPS.} 

 

^{10 - # of seasons with more than .900 OPS}

 

^{4 - # of seasons with more than 1.000 OPS}

 

^{7 - # of seasons with more than 40 HR (2 over 50)}

 

^{9 - # of seasons with more than 5 WAR}

 

^{3 - # of seasons with more than 8 WAR}

 

^{Career .284 average. .370 OBP.  .538 slugging.  .907 OPS.  136 OPS +,  630 HR.}

 

^{The crazy part is he missed 400-500 games or so, many in the 32-35 range.  He would have had a shot at Ruth's 712.  That would have landed him second all time in my book (behind only Aaron).}

[gil4]

 

Ouch.

I don't really consider myself old, but I do remember him quite well. That hurts

Seattle had a really nice core with Griffey, A-Rod, and Martinez.

 

You forgot Randy Johnson.  Must have been too young to remember.

[gil4]

 

And I would stop to watch Reggie Jackson. When he was with the A's I was at the old Met and a foul ball was hit to Reggie in RF and a friend of mine and I ran down to the first row and tried to get him to give us the ball that he caught for the third inning but no such luck.

 

When I was about 12 I got to go to a couple of games at Fenway with a friend of mine.  We stayed at the same hotel as the visiting teams (my friend's family had some kind of partial season plan and they knew their way around).  I bought a 3x5 spiral notebook and we just hung out in the lobby getting autographs.  The Orioles were in town for the Sunday game (rained out - got to see Rick Dempsey do his routine on the tarp before they called it) and the Yankees came in for a Monday night game.  

 

Reggie came out, and of course he was mobbed.  He excused himself after a minute or two (before we got to the front of the mob) and went into a restroom.  I turned to my friend, said "I think I have to go' and followed him in.  I took care of business, finished washing my hands about the same time as Reggie, then asked him if I could get his autograph.  He said, "You don't even let a guy pee in peace, do you?"  I don't know if I even answered, but he signed my book. 

 

I still have the darned thing, and it's amazing some of the names in it.  Palmer, Weaver,  D and T Martinez, Oscar Gamble, I think Catfish Hunter...  I'm going to have to get that out again, because there were a lot more familiar names.   I also got the autograph of some guy who turned out to be one of the trainers for the Orioles, but he looked like somebody and he was with somebody...

 

Anyway, Reggie has always been OK with me after that.     

[Sarah]

And Edgar Martinez- I always liked him too. I knew I was getting old when I was talking to a woman in line at TwinsFest and when I mentioned Chuck Knoblauch her daughter said "who's Chuck Knoblauch?" All I could think was "Yes, I am getting old." So sad.

[nicksaviking]

I didn't like Griffey when he was in his prime, almost solely because he started taking CF duties away from Puckett at the All Star games.

 

As he got older I grew an affinity for him though, just as I do most players I spent a couple decades watching.

[Devereaux]

I was a kid in the early seventies, and after the Twins began to fade I always rooted for the Oakland A's in the postseason. They were wonderfully dysfunctional - and a great team  - with top-notch, fictional-sounding baseball names: Rollie Fingers, Sal Bando, Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Vida Blue, Joe Rudi, Bert Campaneris, and crazy owner Charlie Finley. I loved watching them beat the Reds, the Mets, and especially the Dodgers in the 1972-1974 World Series.

 

The A's always stayed my second favorite team. I wasn't a kid anymore, but I would say my favorite non-Twin of all time is Dave Stewart. That man was a scary, sneering workhorse. From 1988 to 1991 he was first in games pitched (2nd in 1987), during which the A's went to three straight World Series, and won one. From 1987-1990 he won 20, 21, 21 and 22 games. He pitched 55 complete games, including 14 in 1988 and 11 in 1990.

 

I lived in San Francisco from 1987 until 1992, so I got to watch Stewart, R. Henderson, D. Henderson and the Bash Brothers in many epic games against the Kirby/Hrbie Twins in the Coliseum. I've never been sure that the A's ace got his proper due.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

Oh yeah - Rickey Henderson is one of my favorites from the 80s/90s as well. Greatest Leadoff Hitter of all-time!

[Dantes929]

 

I always liked Griffey, until he robbed Lou Collins of that game winning HR in game 163...

Funny.   I always liked him until he threw out Cuddyer in game 163.   To me Griffey Jr was to baseball as Payne Stewart was to golf.    They both had the sweetest swings imaginable. 

 

I might be dating myself also but I really enjoyed watching Sid Finch,  Roy Hobbs, Bingo Long, Chip Hilton, and Casey.

[Paul Pleiss]

^{Yes, he was.  And he was really good for a really long time.}

 

^{17 - # of seasons with more than .800 OPS.} 

 

^{10 - # of seasons with more than .900 OPS}

 

^{4 - # of seasons with more than 1.000 OPS}

 

^{7 - # of seasons with more than 40 HR (2 over 50)}

 

^{9 - # of seasons with more than 5 WAR}

 

^{3 - # of seasons with more than 8 WAR}

 

^{Career .284 average. .370 OBP.  .538 slugging.  .907 OPS.  136 OPS +,  630 HR.}

 

^{The crazy part is he missed 400-500 games or so, many in the 32-35 range.  He would have had a shot at Ruth's 712.  That would have landed him second all time in my book (behind only Aaron).}

Your book does not include Barry Bonds, the most prolific hitter of all time? Not a book I'd want to read.

[tobi0040]

 

Your book does not include Barry Bonds, the most prolific hitter of all time? Not a book I'd want to read.

 

I am guessing you are aware why he is not in my book.

[h2oface]

Nice to see that Hunter and Berardino have found a more friendly axis to interact around since the welcoming press conference. Does that mean that Hunter now likes pr.....  ? Oh.... nevermind.  It was a nice article. That is the point.

[h2oface]

 

Your book does not include Barry Bonds, the most prolific hitter of all time? Not a book I'd want to read.

It became pretty obvious that baseball didn't want Barry around anymore at the end, as no one would sign him and let him play on their team. I guess he needs to be in the book, but circumstances should be duly noted. I would read both takes. It is part of baseball history, albeit a sordid part, and Bonds was not alone, but his achievements are tainted with malicious hooliganism, and the records he holds are skewed.

 

[Paul Pleiss]

I am guessing you are aware why he is not in my book.

 

 

It became pretty obvious that baseball didn't want Barry around anymore at the end, as no one would sign him and let him play on their team. I guess he needs to be in the book, but circumstances should be duly noted. I would read both takes. It is part of baseball history, albeit a sordid part, and Bonds was not alone, but his achievements are tainted with malicious hooliganism, and the records he holds are skewed.

A lot of baseball records are skewed and come from people with sordid backgrounds and terrible off-field actions.

 

Babe Ruth played only against white players. Hank Aaron was on greenies (amphetamines). Barry Bonds used steroids (probably) and wasn't friendly with reporters. All those records are part of baseball. Just like Pete Rose's records. I don't think you can say that any of those guys don't belong in any book about baseball's best. And maybe you want to penalize guys for using steroids and keep them out of the coveted hall of fame, but the players association and MLB owners have said that fines and suspensions are all that are warranted. You do the crime, you pay the time, you should come back and get to play (see A-Rod). I understand if people have their own personal opinions on these things, but those guys still got the hits, the home runs, all those stats they accumulated still happened. Anyone who says Hank Aaron is the "true" homerun king isn't being honest with the numbers. And the writers keeping Bonds out of the hall of fame should be ashamed. Pete Rose was banned from baseball, Barry Bonds just got pushed out.

 

His records aren't any more skewed than anyone else in the league during the "steroid era." And since we don't know who did or did not use, save for those who actually have a positive test result, you have to just take it all in, say it was part of the game, maybe a part you don't like, but still a part of the history of baseball. Put it all in the book.