In the middle of Seattle, somewhere in the background, as far away from the spotlight as one could be, a star was beginning to dim. Unnoticed and quite "natural" this star had lost its glow, the "flashiness" that once defined it.This star was destined to be the brightest the league had ever seen! It left all those who had ever glanced its way, in awe.
November 21st 1969, Ken Griffey Jr. came into the world, and with that, a star was born. His talents were unmatched and his character was like no other. Son a professional baseball player, JR., was quite the athlete, excelling in every sport he had attempted.
His career, unfortunately, will always be evaluated upon what could have been. All those injuries and setbacks that hindered not only his career numbers but also his legacy. Ken played in, as we now know, the darkest era for major league baseball. He was naturally the brightest of stars in an era that memorized its blinded audience with artificial lighting.
Ken never accidentally used his corked batting practice bat. He never went through a second puberty (changing all sizes, hat and shoes included) at 36 years old. After his injury plagued prime, his waist size expanded while losing speed, strength and power numbers just like they should have. No longer gliding across the outfield, or even walking out there for that matter (DH is all his soon to be 40 yr old body can take). He never took medical advice from his cousin regarding "bole`". He never once had to tell a grand jury he wasn't hear to talk about the past (McGwire translation: I plead the 5th) or have to point and lie to congress with a sense of "how dare you" only to get caught the very next month. He never asked for his own couch, tv and double locker. He was a real player and a real star; a bright star lost amongst the deceiving bright lights. He simply just put his glove on, his cap (best worn backwards), and his smile and naturally shined bright. Somewhere in that memorable Fenway HR derby, that magical 98' season, the trio of Randy Johnson, Arod and himself; somewhere in that background a star was shining bright. In what may have been Jr's last season, don't ask what could have been, but look past the clouds casted upon his era and know that Ken Griffey Jr was one of the brightest stars to ever play the game!
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