A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog regarding Ken Griffey Jr sleeping in the clubhouse when he was called upon to pinch hit. I said then that my hope was that Griffey would go out the right way by retiring from the game on his own terms and not getting cut by the Mariners (as some were speculating could happen at the time).

I was very happy to see last night that Griffey left the game of baseball on his own terms by retiring after 22 seasons. Griffey’s career couldn’t have ended any better; he left the game as a member of the Seattle Mariners. This was the team he first started playing for and originally had such great success with. He also left baseball at the right time.

Ken Griffey Jr. hit 630 homeruns in his 22 seasons of professional baseball. That is an amazing accomplishment in itself, but what makes it even more special is that his name has never once been linked to steroids. There were other sluggers in Griffey’s era that put up power numbers comparable to Ken. These players included Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and Rafael Palmeiro. The obvious difference between those players and Griffey is that those players have all been linked to performance enhancing drugs. I find it fascinating that this doesn’t get brought up more. In the last few years there have been countless hours of media attention regarding these players and their links to performance enhancing drugs and grand jury testimony. Yet, some people might have been quick to overlook the great career numbers that Ken Griffey Jr has compiled and that his name has never been linked to performance enhancing drugs.

His numbers are astounding as it is, but it should also be remembered that he missed over 500 games in his career because of injuries. What if injuries never plagued Ken Griffey Jr’s career in the manner that they did? Would we be celebrating him as the all time home runs leader instead of the much maligned Barry Bonds? Some may make the observation that Griffey missed all those games because of a lack of toughness or that he couldn’t play through pain. I would argue just the opposite; I think Griffey was injury prone because he played the game fearlessly and with a reckless abandonment. He roamed the outfield making superb catches and had no fear of the wall. I can’t count the number of times I remember Ken Griffey Jr welcoming a collision with the outfield wall in hopes of making a spectacular catch.

Ken’s career is over and he went out on top. His numbers and play in general was some of the best baseball has ever seen. There is no question that he is all set for a place in Cooperstown. Baseball players like Ken Griffey Jr do not come around that often and his great play will be missed.