99.3 percent. That’s the percentage of ballots that listed Ken Griffey Junior for the Baseball Hall of Fame, breaking Tom Seaver’s record for the highest percentage in MLB history.
When it comes to accomplishments, there are few players in Griffey’s generation who have achieved more. In fact, in the history of the game, there haven’t been many to do what Griffey did on the baseball diamond.
Just look at his career numbers. He belted 630 home runs, the sixth-highest total ever. He drove in 1836 runs. He was named to the All-Star team 13 times. He earned 10 consecutive Gold Glove awards. He was named the American League MVP in 1997 and finished in the top five four other times.
Yet when I look at Griffey’s numbers and think back on his illustrious 22-year career, I see greatness, but more importantly, I think about what could have been.
First, let me say that I’m biased. I’m biased FOR Griffey Junior. Growing up, he was my all-time favorite baseball player. If I didn’t live near Philadelphia, I would probably have picked the Seattle Mariners as my team to root for.
Griffey had everything you want in a baseball player. Literally everything. Baseball was in his genes. He had a famous father who was an All-Star on the most popular teams between the Mickey Mantle and Derek Jeter era. He was selected first overall at the age of 17. He debuted at age 19. He earned his first trip to the All-Star Game at age 20. He was arguably the best all-around player in the game by age 23. His swing was perfect. He won four home run titles and captivated the baseball world with his ability to reel in highlight-reel catches.
Look what Griffey had accomplished when he was shockingly traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2000 season:
398 home runs, 1152 RBIs, .299/.380/.569, 167 stolen bases, 10 All-Star teams, 10 Gold Gloves, 1 MVP.
Those are all-time great numbers. And he accomplished that by the age of 30! It’s safe to say that Hank Aaron’s career records for home runs (755) and RBIs (2297) were in serious jeopardy. Griffey was a lock for the 500-home run club. He would probably reach 3000 hits. He had a shot to break the career record for Gold Gloves (16).
Then the second half of Griffey’s career happened. From 2000 to 2010, the final 11 seasons of his career, Griffey was a good player. He was a three-time All-Star, although he admittedly deserved just one selection. He hit 30 home runs three times. He drove in 118 runs in 2000 and then never topped 93 in a season. He batted higher than .286 just once. He didn’t win a Gold Glove or finish in the top 20 in MVP voting. He played in fewer than 100 games in five seasons, missing at least 17 games every season.
The second half of Griffey’s career was incredibly disappointing. It would have been so much better for his career and his reputation if he had retired at the age of 30 in 1999. You think it’s painful to watch Peyton Manning or Kobe Bryant at the end of their careers? Try watching Griffey for the final DECADE of his career. It sucked. It absolutely sucked.
As a 26-year-old baseball fan, this is the Griffey I remember the most: an injury-ridden veteran bouncing around teams as a home run threat with rapidly declining speed, both on the basepaths and in the outfield.
Griffey accomplished so much in the first half of his career that he had the Hall of Fame wrapped up by the age of 30. It’s a shame that he wasn’t able to remain healthy or even one-half as productive because the sky was the limit for the first number one overall pick to reach the Hall of Fame.
Griffey was a first-ballot Hall of Famer and is widely regarded as one of the best players of his generation. If he had remained healthy and productive for an extra four or five seasons, he would likely be considered one of the five greatest players in the history of the sport.
