Do the Right Thing, Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey, Jr. is clearly the best player of the '90s. He batted over .300 and belted 382 home runs during the decade while with the Seattle Mariners.

In 2000, he requested a trade to the Reds to be closer to home. I find this to be reasonable for his sake. Plus, the M's did get Mike Cameron, who won a Gold Glove and had pretty good batting stats.

Griffey had a good season with the Reds in 2000, hitting 40 home runs. But in the years to come, Griffey was plagued with injury and was criticized by the Cincinnati media. In a return to Seattle to play the Mariners, Griffey got a lot of respect. The Mariners presented him with a plaque with a picture of Safeco Field and a letter reading, "The House That Griffey Built."

Now, thats corny.

He also stated in an interview that he would like to retire in Seattle. The Reds traded Griffey to the White Sox last July, where he performed okay, but only hit three home runs. Chicago did not pick up his option, and Griffey became a first-time free agent.

There was only one team that wanted or needed Griffey—the Mariners. With the departure of free agent Raul Ibanez, the Mariners had a choice. They could try to get Bobby Abreu or Garret Anderson, both of whom will most likely perform better, or sign Griffey. The Mariners waited and waited until the Atlanta Braves got interested. By this time, I think Griffey is signing with the Mariners with all the rumors on the Internet.

So, in the last couple days there have been reports that Griffey will be signing with the Braves. This made me mad. I like Griffey, but if there's a report on USA Today tomorrow morning saying, "Griffey signs with Braves," I will be pissed.

As a Mariners fan, I will feel betrayed. I know Griffey has family, and I respect that he can always go visit them and even they could come visit him, and I know kids love going far from home. So, if Griffey is with the Braves next year, I will ask, why, Griffey?

Why did you do this?

This could be your last year playing baseball, and you could retire as a Brave or as a Mariner, something that you want, according to your stated intentions. I think he will do the right decision that is most pleasing for his Seattle fans. I hope he signs with the Mariners.

If not, there will be a lot of old Ken Griffey, Jr. fans.