Griffey began his career in Seattle in 1989. He was the Mariners center fielder until 1999 when he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. After eight and a half years with the Reds, Griffey went back to Seattle for the 2009 campaign.

In his return, Griffey hit .214 with 19 homers, 57 RBIs and 44 runs. He also drew 63 walks and had an on-base percentage of .324. Although those numbers are a far cry from his heyday, the now 39-year-old was a hit with his teammates and got credit for helping the Mariners improve chemistry on and off the field.

In 2010, Griffey is expected to play DH and likely hit in the middle of the lineup again. If he can keep fans interested and provide a little bit of pop, the Mariners will be happy with their investment.

Ken Griffey Jr. - Seattle Mariners (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: Knuckle Curve

Griffey signing with the Mariners reunites Seattle with one of the best athletes in the history of the city. In his prime, Griffey was arguably the best player in baseball. Although at 39 he won’t be able to do what he once was able to do, there’s no doubt that the fans love to see him back in Seattle.

These days, Griffey is best used against right-handed pitching. Against lefties, the Mariners may opt to sit him.

Although Griffey will spend a lot of time in the outfield, there’s also a chance he could become the team’s designated hitter. Given the weakness of the Mariners’ lineup, it’s not inconceivable for Griffey to bat third or fourth in the lineup.

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In Atlanta, Griffey would likely hit either third or fourth in the lineup and play left field in a platoon situation. Griffey would get the at bats against right handed pitching, while Matt Diaz will take on the left handers.

Chipper Jones, arguably the best player on the Braves, is pushing hard to get Griffey in Atlanta. Jones has indicated that Griffey told him that he’d love to be a Braves player.

At 39, Griffey is looking to make his final stop in a Hall of Fame career. The Braves would be looking for Griffey to provide some pop in the middle of their lineup and more production from the putrid production they got out of left field last season.

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Here is a breakdown of who got traded and to where.

• Manny Ramirez traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Ken Griffey, Jr. traded to the Chicago White Sox
• Ivan Rodriguez traded to the New York Yankees
• Jason Bay traded to the Boston Red Sox
• Kyle Farnsworth traded to the Detroit Tigers
• Arthur Rhodes traded to the Florida Marlins

Manny Ramirez and his bat are headed to the Dodgers.

Photo: Newscom

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The story behind the throat slash by Griffey is in regards to comments Brantley allegedly made recently. According to reports, Brantley said that Griffey is pouting because the Reds haven’t picked up Griffey’s multi-million dollar option. Griffey obviously wasn’t too happy with those comments and showed it after hitting a homer.

Check out the Ken Griffey, Jr. throat slash video:

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Griffey’s long ball came off of Mark Hendrickson in the first inning. The Cincinnati Reds went on to beat the Florida Marlins 9-4. On the season, Griffey is now batting .260 with seven homers and 29 RBI.

Here is a video of Griffey’s historic number 600:

Post from: Knuckle Curve

• Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 12:40 p.m. PT — Hiroki Kuroda looked outstanding in his North American debut. I expected the funky delivery that is characteristic of pitchers who come over from Japan, but the velocity caught me by surprise. He was pumping 93-mph fastballs against the Padres. Micah Owings gets the call for Arizona. He dominated the Rockies in his first start of ‘08 (although he only went 1-for-4 at the plate, LOL). Wasn’t there talk that the Snakes might stick Owings in the field at some point? I think that’s crazy, but it would be pretty cool — you know, in the same way that handlebar moustaches are cool.
• Reds at Brewers, 5:05 p.m. PT — Like offense? Josh Fogg and David Bush hook up at Miller Park. The lineups will include guys like Ryan Braun, Adam Dunn, Prince Fielder, and Ken Griffey Jr. I’m going to set the over/under on home runs at seven.
• Yankees at Royals, 5:10 p.m. PT — Two promising young pitchers square off in this one. Zack Greinke seems to have gotten his career back on track, while Ian Kennedy is still trying to figure out how the Rays beat the snot out of him last week. The Royals are 5-2. Heck, the Orioles are 6-1. And people say the world isn’t going to hell in a handbasket.

Rock on, my peeps…

Post from: Knuckle Curve