FTW

Ken Griffey Jr’s Swan Song

There’s been no reason to detail Junior’s troubles this year, the statistics speak for themselves.  Griffey’s hitting an excruciating .218 with a .717 OPS in limited action.  Griffey’s still got a shot at 400 AB,  but the skills are gone.

In tonight’s game against the Los Angeles Angels, a game in which Felix Hernandez and Scott Kazmir both pitched incredibly well, Ken Griffey looked old — not old by MLB Standards, but time to renew your driver’s license old.

The scenario is set, men on first and second with one out.  Griffey gets the call to pitch hit for one of the light-hitting Mariners named Wilson. Jason Bulger’s pitching, and the fun begins with the score tied at two all:

1. Hanging Slider — Griffey watches it fly by
2. 94 fastball down the heart of the plate — Griffey watches it fly by
3. Slider in the dirt — Runners advance to second and third.  Now, all Griffey needs is a deep fly…
4. Two fouls, both on sliders away
5. Finally, having only seen a single fastball, Griffey chases a slider low-and-inside.   It’s as if Griffey thought he was facing Neftali Feliz, but got Barry Zito instead.

If you cannot hit a hanging slider followed by a fastball down the heart of the plate, you’re in deep trouble.  Griffey wasn’t close.

We’re now onto extra innings, after the Mariners tried every trick in the book to throw this game away.

Striking a batter out, only to have Kenji show his ability to let balls hit the heel of his glove.

Trying to turn a double play against a runner who’s already tagged first and throwing the ball into the dugout.

A walk here, a walk there, and then finally a game saving bases loaded infield fly.

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