Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Sammy Sosa. What do all of these players have in common? They all hit atleast 600 home runs in their major league careers. The league has been around for over a century and we have only had five individuals hit 600. They played in different eras with different circumstances, but they all did it.
Ken Griffey Jr. is currently one home run away from joining the exclusive 600 home run club. He is on the verge of completing one of the toughest feats in baseball, yet the chase to 600 has been quieter than ever before. The media hasn’t followed the chase as closely as they recently did with Bonds and Sosa and because of that the feeling of something historical happening just isn’t there. Adam Dunn recently expressed his unhappiness with the situation saying, “I don’t get it, don’t get why people aren’t stoked about it. I can’t find a word for it, how bad it is.”
I for one, completely agree with Dunn. Ken Griffey Jr. deserves more attention than what he is getting. So why isn’t he getting the glamor he should be getting? There are a few reasons behind this, starting with Griffey’s character. The Reds’ star is a very modest and uncontroversial guy. He is genuinely just a good person. He never speaks out, he never does anything bad, he just keeps playing the game that he loves. Sadly, it is controversy that creates buzz in this modern world of celebrities going to rehab and Ozzie Guillen ranting about how he doesn’t like the GM. Griffey just doesn’t create controversy.
Maybe the reason for the lack of coverage also has to do with Griffey’s slowdown in recent years. It has been four years since he hit 500 and the chase for 600 has gone on for a bit more than some expected. I don’t think that should be an excuse though because at the end of the day he has still done it.
Griffey deserves to be treated just like those who hit 600 prior to him. He deserves to have more people talking about him and praising him. So why don’t we? As baseball fans I think that we should all be excited for this historical happening, regardless of what team we root for. Don’t you think he deserves the credit for such an extraordinary task? For those of you who have blogs or websites about baseball, take a moment to write about Griffey and commemorate him on this wonderful achievement. This is really a rare happening and we can’t forget that.
A little under four hours. That is how much time is left until Joba Chamberlain makes his first major league start! Expectations are high as fans all around the Yankee universe anticipate the event. It will certainly be one for the ages, as Chamberlain is expected to become a great starter. We must still remember that he is still being built-up to the position though, still having the 65-70 pitch limit. Success may not come immediately, as Joba will have to get situated with his new role. but looking at the way Joba moved into the majors, it certainly seems plausible. Hank Steinbrenner is out and about speaking of the young phenom once more and again saying that he thinks Joba should’ve started the year in the rotation. He doesn’t understand the importance of pitch counts yet (which has caused some minor uproar), but his intentions are good. Here is a quotation from the man himself: