Chronic Injuries Robbed Ken Griffey Jr. of Homerun King Title

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He hit 600 home runs (5th most all time), won 10 gold gloves, and made 13 All Star Games. In almost 150 years baseball history, only the great Willie Mays can match Ken Griffey Jr. in these statistical categories. However, despite these extraordinary stats, Ken Griffey Jr. may be the ultimate “What Could Have Been” player. An incredibly promising career was derailed in the latter half by chronic injuries that robbed him of hundreds of games. If not for these injuries, Griffey was well on his way to becoming the Home Run King (Stark, 2010) and possibly the greatest player ever. Despite these setbacks, Griffey is still revered as one of the greatest and most popular MLB players ever. The savior of baseball in Seattle and the lone star to stay above the darkness of the steroid era, Griffey will go down in history as a legendary athlete.
Ken Griffey Jr. was born in Donora, Pennsylvania on November 21, 1969. After starring at powerhouse Moeller High School in Cincinnati (Joseph, 1997, p. 10) and becoming one of the most hyped prospects ever, Griffey was drafted with the #1 overall pick by the Seattle Mariners, the same team his father, Ken Sr., played for. Entering the league at the age of 19, Griffey became an instant star as the ultimate 5 tool power, a rare breed of speed, power, contact, fielding, and arm strength. In only his second year, he was named the youngest starter in the All Star Game in what would be the first of many appearances in the Summer Classic. He was named the 1997 AL MVP, and was named to the MLB All-Century Team in 1999 (Reader, 1999). In 2000, he asked to be traded to the Cincinnati Reds to move back closer to his family. It was this period in Cincy where his string of injuries began to occur and his career de...

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...yer. Sadly, Griffey might be one of the few players who we can still appreciate without suspicion in the future, as steroids continue to be an issue even now (Ware, 2013).
While he was never able to reach his true potential as the greatest baseball player of all time due to injuries, Ken Griffey left an indelible legacy. He revolutionized the game with his rare combo of speed and power, as well as his unbelievable fielding ability. Off the field he was one of the most marketable athletes of all time. He single handedly saved baseball in the city of Seattle, and was one of the few stars to avoid all steroid controversy. While some choose to remember simply for his unrealized promise, most will admire his incredible ability, lofty accomplishments, and clean reputation. He will always be viewed as a sports hero and icon, and for this reason, he is a legendary athlete.

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