Goodbye, Baseball.

For the first time in my lifetime, major league baseball will be without The Kid, Ken Griffey Jr.

While he will probably be remembered by most people for having the smoothest swing in history, he was so much more than that. His backwards cap, reckless diving catches, graceful home run blasts and glowing presence made him the last great hero of the Steroid-Free Era of Baseball. He had his own Nike shoe and a video game named after him, but he was never in it for the money. He could have cashed in to play for the Yankees, or take one more shot at a World Series with a contender, but instead he came back home to finish his career. Griffey's trophy case is lined with 13 All-Star selections, 10 Gold Gloves, 7 Silver Sluggers, an MVP trophy, and even a spot on the MLB All-Century Team, but none of that really matters. Even through the turmoil, twenty-three years after being the number one draft pick, he has our respect. Salute to a legend.

 

-Tycho