Junior and Tebow...Poker Pals?

Proving you never know who you're going to see hanging out with who...keen-eyed Arizona Diamondbacks starter Daniel Hudson treated his nearly 19,000 Twitter followers with a bit of randomness Wednesday night.

While it's unclear if they did any Super Bowl 47 betting or not, the duo did, obviously, chat it up while playing a little poker.

And if you couldn't figure it out from Hudson's tweet, future Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and New York Jets quartback Tim Tebow were in Scottsdale this week for the WM Phoenix Open.  An avid golfer, Junior even competed alongside one-time teammate David Aardsma in the Annexus Pro-Am.

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2016

The three years prior to the 2016 induction could be, based on the "who's in" and "who's out" arguments, some of the most explosive years the Baseball Hall of Fame has ever seen.

Thankfully, the first ballot guys of the potential Class of 2016 might bring it all back down to Earth.

However it all shakes out, 2016 also looks to be the third year in a row that someone could argue a unanimous selection. And while no one will ever get 100% of the vote...it's hard to believe that anyone would not vote for Ken Griffey Jr. or Trevor Hoffman.

IN.

Ken Griffey Jr.

When Griffey finally gets into the Hall of Fame, it'll be the final step of an epic journey that started on Opening Day 1989.  But what can be said about Junior that you don't already know?  630 career home runs, 1836 RBI and 2781 hits pretty much make him a shoe-in.  And if that isn't good enough...how about ten Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star Game appearances and that 1997 American League MVP award?  Yeah...thought so.

Trevor Hoffman.

Hoffman is a tricky one.  Yes, dude is second all-time in saves, but the Hall of Fame has been unkind to some other closers (Lee Smith anyone?).  That said, I have a feeling that Hoffman and his 601 saves will make their way to Cooperstown.

OUT (in random order).

Garret Anderson.

The Angels' franchise leader in just about every offensive category, Anderson quietly put together one of the better careers of the last 20 years.  That said, there's no way dude gets into the Hall of Fame.  Simply put, while his .293 batting average, 2529 career hits and 522 doubles are the mark of a great career...there are too many others that fared much better.

Brad Ausmus, Luis Castillo, David Eckstein, Troy Glaus, Mark Grudzielanek, Jose Guillen, Christian Guzman, Mike Hampton, Bobby Howry, Jason Kendall, Mike, Lowell, Damaso Marte, Gary Matthews Jr.,  Bengie Molina, Russ Ortiz, Chan Ho Park, Russ Springer, Mike Sweeney, Fernando Tatis, Jeff Weaver and Randy Winn.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Billy Wagner.

It's quite possible that after Mariano Rivera surpasses Trevor Hoffman as the all-time saves leader, the career of Wagner will begin to come into focus.  Right now, he sits fifth all-time in saves (with 422) and carries with him a 2.31 career ERA...half a run better than Hoffman. 

Jim Edmonds.

"Jimmy Baseball" is one of those players that if, in 2016, he got 50% or 5% I wouldn't be surprised.  His numbers, while pretty good, aren't great.  But then again...you can do plenty worse than his eight Gold Gloves and 393 home runs. 

Missed any of the other re-hashes from this week?  Be sure to check out 2013, 2014 and 2015 .  On Friday, your first look at 2017 hits the interwebs.

 

Countdown to Cooperstown: Class of 2016 (so far)

The three years prior to the 2016 induction could, based on the "who's in" and "who's out" arguments, be some of the most explosive years the Baseball Hall of Fame has ever seen.

Thankfully, the first ballot guys of the potential Class of 2016 might bring it all back down to Earth.

However it all shakes out, 2016 also looks to be the third year in a row that someone could argue a unanimous selection. And while no one will ever get 100% of the vote...it is hard to believe that anyone would not vote for the two pitchers mentioned or Ken Griffey Jr.

IN.

Ken Griffey Jr.

When Griffey finally gets into the Hall of Fame, it'll be the final step of an epic journey that started on Opening Day 1989.  But what can be said about Junior that you don't already know?  630 career home runs, 1836 RBI and 2781 hits pretty much make him a shoe-in.  And if that isn't good enough...how about ten Gold Gloves, 13 All-Star Game appearances and that 1997 American League MVP award?  Yeah...thought so.

Trevor Hoffman.

Hoffman is a tricky one.  If he was on the ballot this year, he'd make it in based on the fact that he is the all-time saves leader and the only closer in the history of the game with more than 600 saves.  Five years from now, however, he'll be second to Mariano Rivera.  Now, the Hall of Fame has been unkind to some other closers (Lee Smith anyone?)...but I have a feeling that Hoffman and his 601 saves eventually make their way to Cooperstown.

OUT (in random order).

Garret Anderson.

The Angels' franchise leader in just about every offensive category, Anderson quietly put together one of the better careers of the last 20 years.  That said, there's no way dude gets into the Hall of Fame.  Simply put, while his .293 batting average, 2529 career hits and 522 doubles are the mark of a great career...there are too many others that fared much better.

Mike Hampton, Bobby Howry, Randy Winn, Troy Glaus, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Brad Ausmus, Mark Grudzielanek and Mike Sweeney.

ON THE BUBBLE.

Andy Pettitte.
Alright, how soon until people completely forget Pettitte's admission to using steroids?  I only ask because while some of his contemporaries while be left out in the Cooperstown cold, there are plenty of people out there that believe the five-time World Series champ has done enough to be enshrined.  What do I think?  I love the rings, his post season prowess and his 240-138 career record...but the 3.88 ERA and only 2251 isn't impressing me.

Billy Wagner.

It's quite possible that after Mariano Rivera surpasses Trevor Hoffman as the all-time saves leader, the career of Wagner will begin to come into focus.  Right now, he sits fifth all-time in saves (with 422) and carries with him a 2.31 career ERA...half a run better than Hoffman.  And while I'm saying Hoffman is "IN" and Wagner is "On the Bubble"...I'm not so sure that Wagner doesn't get in first.  We'll see.

Jim Edmonds.

"Jimmy Baseball" is one of those players that if, in 2016, he got 50% or 5% I wouldn't be surprised.  His numbers, while pretty good, aren't great.  But then again...you can plenty worse than his eight Gold Gloves and 393 home runs. 

So there you have it, gang...your week-long look ahead at the next five years of first ballot-eligible Hall of Famers comes to a close.  In case you missed any of them, check them out.

Monday:  2012
Tuesday:  2013
Wednesday:  2014
Thursday:  2015


 

Happy Father's Day!

I stumbled upon a quote from the late, great Harmon Killebrew earlier today and it reminded me that The Hall has had a few Father's Day-related posts over the past year.

Last season saw Ken Griffey Jr. retire.  Thankfully, we were able to catch up with Ken Senior and talk about his Hall of Fame-bound son's future.  (Talkin' Baseball with Ken Griffey Sr.)

Draft Day is traditionally littered with second and third generation draft picks.  One pick that I was pleased to see was the selection of Delino DeShields Jr.  I started watching his Dad in A-ball years ago.  (Friday 5: Delino DeShields Jr.)

Of course, father and son combos aren't reserved to just the playing field.  Did you know that Josh Caray is a third generation broadcaster?  If you follow The Hall you do.  Friday 5: Josh Caray

Lastly...perhaps you'd like to see who some of the best father/son combos is baseball history? Why not head on over to Mike Silva's New York Baseball Digest and see what he had to say.

Do you agree...disagree?

And yeah...here's the quote I referred to in the lede:

"My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You’re tearing up the grass.' 'We’re not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We’re raising boys.'

Happy Father's Day, gang!

A Year of Talkin' Baseball

'tis the season for plenty of things...returning Christmas presents, going back to work and, of course, year-enders!

The Hall of Very Good is no different.

Next week, following the Hall of Fame announcement (read as: I'm too busy/lazy to do it now), come on back for the Top Ten Stories of the Year.

Today...it's a year of "Talkin' Baseball".  That's right, the best of what has become my favorite part of doing this site...talkin' baseball with whoever will respond to the request.  Click the BOLD text to read the entire piece!

GAR RYNESS, aka "Batting Stance Guy" (February)

Manny (Ramirez) is great to me. I’ve done pre-game shows for visiting teams at Dodgers Stadium and Manny will always scream and whistle across the field while I’m filming. “Do Ethier! Do Ethier!” I’ll then hold up a finger, as if to say, “Hold on Manny, I’ll come over there after this.” The first time that happened the Cardinals TV staff said, “wait, do you know Manny?” That’s when it hit me how weird the last two years have been.

"Diamond King" DICK PEREZ (February)

As far back as I can remember, I had a desire to draw. On the margins around my school notebooks there were caricatures of school mates and images from my imagination. After I realized that there was no way I would ever achieve my real dream of becoming a professional baseball player, I concluded that I had to choose a real life career. I chose art.

Hall of Famer GARY CARTER (May)

The loss of my Mom was a huge impact on my life as we were a very loving family that went to church regularly. I didn’t understand why a loving God would take someone away as dear as her. It helped me to understand how fragile life is.

Author GEORGE CASTLE (May), Talkin' Andre Dawson (July) and Lou Piniella (September)

Sammy (Sosa) is still too raw for Cubs fans. Worse than alleged steroid use, he walked out on the team on the last day of the 2004 season. However, I don’t feel Sammy will be regarded in the same breath as Banks, Williams, Santo, Jenkins, Sandberg. His ego exploded as he got successful, and that will stain him forever.

Talkin' Ken Griffey Jr. with KEN GRIFFEY SR., JEFF MONTGOMERY and C.J. WILSON (June)

After announcing that I would retire at the end of the 1999 season, Junior asked me if I would give him a signed jersey…which I did. The next day in our clubhouse was an autographed Griffey jersey.

Competitive Eater PAT BERTOLETTI (July)

I usually spend most of the game wandering around trying to eat at all the food stands. I think the White Sox have the best food in the league. I would only go to a Cubs game if there were free tickets and Old Style involved.

Reality Show "All Stars" JONNY FAIRPLAY (September), ROB CESTERNINO (September) and RUSSELL KOOK (December)

If I were going to start an alliance with any past Mets, first on the list would be former (and hopefully future) manager Bobby Valentine. I also am very partial to both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez and think they do a great job calling the game and are both really interesting guys and have great baseball IQ.. And Keith, on day one, would have the greatest mustache in "Survivor" history. Unquestioned.

Outspoken Pitcher JEFF JUDEN (October)

I would still like (a 1999 Yankees World Series ring) if they have any spare change left. I have room on my middle finger for it.

Former O.J. Simpson, nevermind...it's KATO KAELIN (November)

Airline ticket to Milwaukee…$450.00. Car rental…$150.00. Tickets to game…$55.00. Sitting next to Shawn from The Hall of Very Good…PRICELESS.

San Francisco Giants' Biggest Fan ASHKON DAVARAN (December)

I had a chance to meet Steve (Perry) before the World Series Parade, and he seemed to be pretty cool with it. I thanked him for writing one of the best songs of all time…he said thanks and that I did a good job with it.

All in all...a great year for talkin' baseball.  Sure, I'm biased and I wish I could add more of my favorites (for example DANIEL NAVA, GARRETT WITTELS and MATHER ZICKEL from "The Bronx is Burning"), but since most lists are "Top Ten" lists...I decided to keep it at ten.

Which was your favorite?  Please let me know below!

The Season That Was...June

With three no-hitters (two of them perfect games!) already in the books...what could June possibly bring? Another no-hitter perhaps?

Perhaps a near perfect game?!? Nooo...that would NEVER happen!

Well...on June 2 it did!

One out away from what would be the third perfect game of the season, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga suffered the greatest on field travesty since Monica Seles got stabbed by that crazed German when umpire Jim Joyce blew what would have been the 27th out of the game.

What followed was mayhem and, well, to be honest...Galarraga got the next out and ended the game with a one-hitter. But, you would have thought Joyce killed a guy...or stabbed a tennis player in the back.

Three weeks later, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Edwin Jackson no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays.

The HOVG Mid-Season Report

So here we are, folks…the All-Star break. What have we learned?

The Yankees, with their league-best 56-32 record are dominating their opponents. Home runs are making headlines night after night and big league umpires need, according to many fans…better glasses.

Now while you’re bound to come across plenty of first half re-caps, here are ten milestones (or stories) that The Hall of Very Good has found of particular interest.


Jason Heyward Hits Home Run in Major League Debut
With one swing of the bat, Atlanta Braves super rookie did something only 104 players had done prior to Opening Day 2010…ht a home run in his first at bat. Within weeks, three more players joined him…most notably was what Boston rookie Daniel Nava pulled off.


Mike Leake Skips Minors…Debuts in Reds Rotation
While most of the baseball world was applauding the debut of Jason Heyward and counting down the moments until Stephen Strasburg took the hill for the first time…Cincinnati starter Mike Leake was busy not playing in the Minors and taking his act to the pros, winning his first five starts in the process.


No-Hitters, Perfect and Notso Perfect Games
If one more person calls 2010 the “Year of the Pitcher” I’m going to vomit. So here we are…living in the Year of the Pitcher! Never before have we seen two perfect games (Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay), two no-hitters (Ubaldo Jimenez and Edwin Jackson) and whatever you call what Armando Galarraga pulled off…all before the All-Star break! I’m almost afraid to see what the second half of the season has in store for us.


Matt Stairs…Professional Hitter
My fascination with Matt Stairs started in his first season in the Minors…1989. More than 20 years and a Major League best 20 pinch hit home runs later…Stairs is still swinging for the fences. Matter of fact, he’s done so for more teams (11) than anyone else out there today.


Junior Retires
Fifth on the all-time home run list with 630 career bombs, "The Kid" was regarded as one of the game's premier players throughout the 1990s, nabbing ten straight Gold Gloves while playing with Seattle and being elected to start eleven straight All-Star Games. Quietly, he called it quits June 2 and made the 2016 Hall of Fame induction an easy day to schedule.


Stephen Strasburg Makes His Historic Debut
What can be written about Stephen Strasburg that hasn’t been written before? How about the fact that dude sold more jerseys (78,000) in June than any Washington National has in their history? Oh…a big thanks to those who have found The Hall while Googling “Stephen Strasburg shoe size”.


Home Run Milestones Aplenty!
Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Scott Rolen all reached the 300 home run plateau for their careers. Not to be outdone, Andruw Jones hit his 400th. The next big home run milestone on the docket? Alex Rodriguez is a mere three longballs from 600.


Jamie Moyer Becomes Home Run King
And speaking of home runs…did you hear the one about Jamie Moyer becoming the all-time leader in home runs by a pitcher. Last month, Moyer served up home run number 506 and later this month…he’ll get his AARP card. You know…because he’s old. ZING!


Jon Adkins Sets Save Record
Sure, it’s not a Major League milestone…but it IS a milestone. Good friend of The Hall, closer Jon Adkins became the all-time saves leader for the Cincinnati Red Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats back in June. Unfortunately, Adkins won’t be able to add to his career total…the Reds released the pitcher on the eve of the Major League All-Star break Sunday night.


Goodbye, Old Friends
In a season full of memorable debuts…we’ve also seen our fair share of departures. In May, the baseball world lost both Ernie Harwell and Jose Lima. And right before the All-Star break, longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard passed. But in what will be regarded as one of the top sports/news stories of the year…Yankees owner George Steinbrenner succumbed to a heart attack early Tuesday morning.


To put a cap on the first half of the baseball season, Gar Ryness, better known as Batting Stance Guy was at the All-Star Game in Anaheim Tuesday night and ran into “reputable reporter” Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.

Here’s their round up of the 2010 season so far.

Talkin' Baseball With Ken Griffey Sr.

Two weeks after his sudden retirement announcement, Ken Griffey Jr. is still making headlines.

Whether it is sharing memories of the guy C.J. Wilson calls “the Willie Mays of his generation” or weighing whether or not he should be an All-Star, people are still talking about Junior.

Last week, before his Dayton Dragons took on the Beloit Snappers, Senior Griffey took questions from the media about his new role as a minor league hitting coach, Pete Rose’s bat and, of course, his son.

The Hall of Very Good was along for the ride…here’s how it all shook out.

MEDIA: After baseball, is coaching what you wanted to do?

SENIOR: I went right into it…I didn’t hesitate at all. I retired in 1991 and in 1992, I was the hitting coach for the Mariners.

MEDIA: How far do you want to go…do you want to manage the Cincinnati Reds one of these days?

SENIOR: No, I went that route. (Laughs) I got interviewed for dozens of clubs three or four times and when you get interviewed for six or seven hours, you figure you might have the job. It just didn’t work out. Right here, working with the kids is where I want to be.

MEDIA: What led you to riding the buses in the Minor Leagues?

SENIOR: First of all…I started here. I played five years in the Minor Leagues, so riding the buses never really bothered me. I enjoy the sightseeing and all that.

MEDIA: What were you doing before you became a Minor League coach?

SENIOR: I was scouting for the Reds. I got out of the big leagues in ’02 or 2000, I can’t remember which one it was…there was just too much politics for me. It was easier for me to get into scouting.

MEDIA: What’s the most enjoyable part of working with these kids?

SENIOR: Just watching them progress…watching them day in and day out. You can watch them progress and you can see how they make adjustments. That’s the pleasure I get.

MEDIA: It’s your first year as the hitting coach in Dayton, do you ever just pop in a tape of Junior and show them the sweetest swing in baseball?

SENIOR: Not yet. (Laughs) I’ll show them at the end of the year probably. (Laughs) I try to get them to watch some of the big league players…(Albert) Pujols, Jay Bruce. When they’re playing, just watch them hit. They’re doing the same thing these guys are doing and I just tell them that the man difference between the Majors and here is consistency.

MEDIA: Not everyone can be a home run hitter these days. Are you working with the guys that are batting second like you did and telling them “this is not the time to hit home runs ”?

SENIOR: When we’re out there working, each player has a different swing and I just try to get them to understand that if they can make good contact every time, they’ve got a chance. If you make good contact and you have enough power, you’re going to hit it out of the park. If they can make good contact eight out of ten times, they’ve got a good chance at getting two or three hits. That’s what we work on.

MEDIA: In your career, the most you struck out was 84 times, now strikeouts are like a way of life in the Majors…how did that happen? Are you trying to do something about that?

SENIOR: When I came through (with the Reds), I was hitting second in the lineup so I wasn’t supposed to strike out at all. I was supposed to get on base. Now, over the last ten years, it’s been about home runs and in order for you to hit home runs, you’ve got to have a longer swing and go for it. You’re going to miss a lot of balls and I guess that’s what the higher strikeout ratio is all about. I’m just here trying to help these kids try to continue their career, go up higher and just be consistent.

MEDIA: Do you still have some contact with most of your old teammates?

SENIOR: I talk to all of them all time. George Foster, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose…of course. Davey (Concepcion) and (Cesar) Geronimo are really the only two that are out of communication. I’m not going to Venezuela and I’m not going to the Dominican. Tony Perez is in Miami…George, Joe, Pete and Johnny Bench I see a lot too.

MEDIA: What do you think about the latest report of some guy having Pete Rose’s bat having a little something inside?

SENIOR: I have no idea what that’s about. (Laughs) I’ve never heard of that.

MEDIA: What’s Junior’s next move going to be? Have you talked to him at all? Is he going to stay in the game like you have?

SENIOR: You know…I don’t know. I haven’t really sat down and talked to him about any of that. I know one thing…he’s making plans for me to go hunting with him sometime this winter, but that’s about it right now.

MEDIA: He seems like he was pretty pleased with retiring. Does he have any regrets?

SENIOR: He was happy about everything. When I first talked to him, it was two o’clock in the morning on the day he decided to call it quits. He was driving through Sioux Falls, South Dakota and he seemed pretty happy about the decision he made. He wasn’t going to play very much and he knew it. There wasn’t any reason for him to stay around and be a distraction.

MEDIA: What does it say about him doing this compared to some other options that were available?

SENIOR: I’ll put it this way…his mother raised him right. She’s the one that put all the knots on his head. Seeing that he did things the way they were supposed to be done, I am very proud of him.

MEDIA: When you look at his numbers and the 630 homers, do you think it will be even more staggering when the look at the era, the fact that he couldn’t stay healthy, yet he put up the big numbers?

SENIOR: I don’t know if anyone is going to worry about that. All I know is that people will talk about the steroid era and all the home runs. But I tell you what, it’s going to be hard enough to get him to Cooperstown. He doesn’t like to make speeches. (Laughs) He wants me to introduce him, but I don’t know…we’ll have to wait and see.

Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 years in the Majors and retired in 1991 with a career .296 batting average and 2143 hits. He was the starting rightfielder for the back-to-back World Champion Cincinnati Reds in 1975 and 1976.

In 1990, with Seattle, he and his son, Ken Griffey Jr. became the first father-and-son tandem to play on the same team. They played their first game together against the Kansas City Royals on August 31 and a month later, the two hit back-to-back home runs.

In 2010, Senior was hired as the batting coach for the Dayton Dragons, the Reds' Single-A affiliate.

***Special thanks to Marcus Jacobs of the Beloit Snappers for making this possible and friends of The Hall Andy Gannon and Adam Warner (among others) for asking some questions.***

Ken Griffey Junior...All-Star?

Thursday night, the in-stadium voting for the 2010 All-Star Game concluded. That said, fans can still vote online for starters over at MLB.com until July 1.

Among the players on the official ballot is the recently retired Ken Griffey Jr...and it is possible he COULD end up in Anaheim for the Midsummer Classic.

Currently third among the voting for American League designated hitters (Vladimir Guerrero and Hideki Matsui are placing ahead of Junior), it wouldn't be completely unheard of for the 13 time All-Star to be elected by the fans or selected by managers to participate.

Phillies legend Mike Schmidt led all National League third baseman in voting in 1989 despite hitting .203 and retiring six weeks prior to the Midsummer Classic. Schmidt decided against playing in the game (Howard Johnson took his starting spot), but he did participate in the game's opening ceremony...played at, coincidentally, Anaheim.

In 2001, Cal Ripken Jr. was elected to his 19th straight All-Star Game even though he had announced his pending retirement prior to the season. In his first at bat, he sent the first pitch he saw over the left field wall en route to his second All-Star Game MVP.

Also in attendance for the 2001 game in Seattle was another future Hall of Famer that had announced his retirement prior to the season...Tony Gwynn. While not selected to play, he and Ripken were bestowed the Annual Bud Selig Award for Outstanding Acheivement in the Field of Excellence (or whatever he calls it) prior to the sixth inning.

So...is Ken Griffey Jr. worthy of an All-Star nod? Absolutely not.

Will he be there on the foul lines alongside vote leaders Joe Mauer and Derek Jeter and former teammate Ichiro Suzuki? It's possible. I threw the question out to you readers and close to 45% of you thought he should.

What do you think? Let me know below!

Recently, The Hall caught Junior's former All-Star teammate Jeff Montgomery and current Ranger pitcher C.J. Wilson. Check out what they had to say.

"Monty" Talks "Junior"

C.J. Wilson Talks "Junior"

C.J. Wilson Talks "Junior"

Last Wednesday, when Ken Griffey Jr. called it quits, he took with him one of the purest left handed swings that ever graced the game.

For his career, Griffey hit 630 home runs, carried a .284 batting average and fell a couple of seasons short of 3000 hits…finishing with 2781.

Naturally, Junior faired better at the plate against right handed pitchers rather than lefties. One left-hander that seemed to do alright against Griffey was Texas Rangers starter C.J. Wilson.

Head-to-head, the pair squared off only eight times with Wilson getting the best of the future Hall of Famer, striking him out twice and only allowing one hit. I had the chance to catch up with Wilson between starts and asked him about Ken Griffey Jr.

HOVG: Everyone has a favorite memory of Griffey and most of them will get played over and over in the summer of 2016 when he gets enshrined in Cooperstown. What is your favorite memory of Junior?

CJ: My favorite memory is probably that catch he made in the Kingdome. Full sprint into a huge leap...smashing into the wall. (Check out this video of Junior picking some of his favorite catches)

HOVG: You’re playing in an era and a league now that is so full of stars. Where does Junior rank all-time...or among those from his generation?

CJ: Junior is obviously one of the best players of all-time, he's the Willie Mays of his generation.

HOVG: Fifth all-time in home runs, ten straight Gold Gloves and a perennial MVP candidate while in Seattle…what kind of legacy does Junior leave behind?

CJ: To me, he goes down as the best "clean" player of his generation.

HOVG: You faced Griffey twice in 2007 and six more times last season, what were your thoughts when you saw Griffey coming up to the plate?

CJ: I always looked forward to facing him. The first time, I was determined to strike him out. And I did! It was a career highlight for sure

C.J. Wilson is currently tied for the team high in wins for the Texas Rangers. In his first full year as a starter, Wilson is 5-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 12 starts. He has 56 strikeouts in 76 innings.

Last summer, Wilson did a full length interview with The Hall (you can read it HERE) and is a Twitter Tuesday favorite. You can catch up with him over at his own site, LeftyLefty.com.

"Monty" Talks "Junior"

Lost in the hullabaloo surrounding the Armando Galarraga “perfect” game was the retirement of Ken Griffey Jr. just hours before.

“I've come to a decision today to retire from Major League Baseball as an active player,” Griffey said in a statement released by the Seattle Mariners Wednesday.

With 630 career home runs and ten straight Gold Gloves to his credit, Junior was a multi-faceted player who could beat you at the plate or in the field.

One pitcher who had his number was former Kansas City Royals closer and good friend of The Hall of Very Good Jeff Montgomery. I had a chance to catch up with “Monty” to get his thoughts on “The Kid”.

HOVG: Griffey only notched four hits in his 17 plate appearances against you, what were your thoughts when you saw him coming up to the plate?

MONTY: This is the one player in the lineup I will not let beat me.

HOVG: Throughout your 13 year playing career, you faced many of the 90’s top players. In your opinion, where does Junior rank all-time...or among those from his generation?

MONTY: If not at the top, very near the top. He could win a game with his bat, his glove, his arm or his speed.

HOVG: Everyone will carry with them a lasting image of Griffey in their head, be it the spectacular catches in centerfield, that swing or his smile from the bottom of the dogpile in 1995 versus the Yankees. What is your favorite memory of Junior?

MONTY: After announcing that I would retire at the end of the 1999 season, Junior asked me if I would give him a signed jersey…which I did. The next day in our clubhouse was an autographed Griffey jersey.

HOVG: After a 22-year career, what kind of legacy does Ken Griffey Jr. leave behind?

MONTY: He was one of the best to play the game and did it with great flair. He was able to have a long and productive career that was never tarnished by anything.

In 17 matchups spanning nine seasons, Griffey batted .250 (4 for 16) against Montgomery. “Monty” was able to get Griffey out to end the game on three separate occasions and not once did the slugger take the closer deep.

They shared the All-Star stage three times in 1992, 1993 and 1996.

Currently, Jeff Montgomery resides in the Kansas City area and lends his expertise to Sports Radio 810 WHB-AM. He is a member of the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame and their all-time leader in games pitched, games finished and saves.

“Monty” is no stranger to The Hall of Very Good. In the past year or so, he’s stopped by to share his thoughts on “The Age of the Closer” (HERE and HERE), Opening Day jitters and playing in the Mid-Season Classic.

Junior Officially Done in Seattle

You know when an icon passes on and within minutes there is already a fully fleshed out re-cap of that person's life and times?

I feel like I should've had one planned for the day Kenneth George Griffey Junior finally announced his retirement, because today is that day.

"I've come to a decision today to retire from Major League Baseball as an active player," the 40 year-old Griffey said in a statement released by the Mariners shortly before tonight's game against the Twins. "This has been on my mind recently, but it's not an easy decision to come by. I am extremely thankful for the opportunity to play Major League Baseball for so long."

Fifth on the all-time home run list with 630 career bombs, "The Kid" was regarded as one of the game's premier players throughout the 1990s, nabbing ten straight Gold Gloves while playing with Seattle and being elected to play in eleven straight All-Star Games.

But what can be said about the first member of baseball's 2016 Hall of Fame class that hasn't already been written a thousand times over?

We already know about the spectacular catches, the picture perfect swing and that ear-to-ear smile, so until something else gets written...please enjoy the Griffey-cetric pieces that The Hall of Very Good has provided over the last couple of seasons.

June 7, 2008: Hall contributor E stops by to remind us that "The Kid is Good.

June 10, 2008: Griffey finally hits his 600th career home run.

February 24, 2009: Griffey re-joins Mariners after nearly a decade away.

April 16, 2009: Griffey becomes first player with 400 home runs with one team...200 with another.

November 11, 2009: Griffey re-signs with the Mariners for 2010.

Junior leaves the game with a .284 career batting average, 630 home runs and 1836 RBI. He was named the American League Most Valuable Player in 1997 and finished in the top five in voting four other years.

Not so fast, Cooperstown!

According to Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, Ken Griffey Jr. is pushing back his Hall of Fame induction speech for one more season and re-signing (again) with the Seattle Mariners.

Sitting at 630 career home runs, Junior (and when exactly can we stop calling him "Junior"?) is 30 longballs from overtaking Willie Mays on the all-time list. This past season, he hit .214 with 19 home runs.

In April, Griffey (who turns 40 later this month) became the only player in baseball history to notch more than 400 home runs with one team and 200 with another. Even more interesting...he has hit home runs off of 407 different pitchers (second only to Sammy Sosa's 449), in 44 different ballparks and against every team except Cincinnati.

Junior and Ichiro...beyond the numbers

A day after the Majors celebrated his legacy, it is important to point out that if you walk around any ballpark in the Majors, you’ll see Jackie Robinson’s 42 retired.

It’s true.

Since they retired it on April 15, 1997, no team has issued the number and outside of yesterday when EVERYONE wore it…only Mariano Rivera wears it on his back and that's because he's had it since before no one could.

Up in the Pacific Northwest...Robinson’s 42 is the ONLY number retired.

Sure, Ken Griffey Jr’s 24 and Ichiro’s 51 (also shared by Randy Johnson) will eventually make their way up to the rafters of Safeco Field.

And even though they have resisted handing out a few others...the Mariners have not yet retired any other number.

It is fitting that the Seattle faithful had something to cheer about on the anniversary of retiring Robinson's number.

Let me lay it out for ya.

In 2000, while with the Reds, Griffey became the youngest player to hit 400 home runs. Last night, back with the Mariners, Griffey hit number 400 for the Mariners. Sure, the next guy on the Mariners leader board is Jay Buhner with 309, so it is a no-brainer that Griffey’s 400 leads the pack.

And of the 43 players with more than 400 home runs for their career…more than half (23) have 400 or more with one team.

So…why was Griffey’s blast off of Angels hurler Jared Weaver yesterday worth noting?

Well, and I realize that I missed this when I did the AL West Milestone Preview a few weeks back, Griffey is now the ONLY player in Major League history with 400 home runs with one team and 200 or more with another.

"It means a lot. It's just, I don't worry about numbers," Griffey told the Associated Press. "You play long enough, you are going to rack up some numbers…some are good, some are bad.”

Also last night, Griffey and teammates welcomed Ichiro back to the lineup. And, not to be left out…he, too, hit a monumental home run.

With a seventh inning grand slam off Jason Bulger, Ichiro tied Isao Harimoto as Japan’s all-time hits leader.

Elected into the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame in 1990, Harimoto amassed all of his 3085 hits playing in Japan. Ichiro, obviously, has split his.

The first 1278 came with the Japan’s Orix Blue Wave from 1992 to 2000. The rest (all 1807 of them) have come with Seattle.

Harimoto told MLB.com that Ichiro's hit total should be considered a record even though some of them didn't come in Japan.

And I couldn’t agree more.

Last August, I wrote THIS and now, eight months later…I couldn’t agree more.

Seattle Mariners official team policy states that number retirement is reserved for players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame who played for at least five years with the Mariners, or career Mariners players who narrowly miss election.

Something tells me that regardless of how Griffey and Ichiro end up (and I presume they will BOTH be Hall of Famers)…the Seattle brass will hang their numbers alongside that of Jackie Robinson.

The Kid is back in Seattle...color me nostalgic

In a day when money wins out, I’ll admit it, when a guy remembers his roots and goes back to where it all started to end his career…I grin.

Sure, the situations were different, but Eddie Murray did it. Willie McCovey did it. Even Hank Aaron did it. And proving there is some decency left in baseball, Ken Griffey, Jr. (allegedly having been advised by Aaron) is on his way back to Seattle.

The press conference has come and gone, but seeing that familiar Junior smile reminded me of a day from my youth...June 21, 1991.

You won’t find it in any history books. You won’t even find it over at Wikipedia because there is no significance to it whatsoever.

That being said, look it up at Baseball Reference and you’ll see that on June 21, 1991, Randy Johnson and his Mariners upended Chris Bosio and the Brew Crew 5-1.


You see, for my best friend E (check out his ramblings HERE) and me, one of our favorite summer pastimes was driving up to Milwaukee, hitting County Stadium and watching the Brewers. Immediately following each game, we took part in what would prove to be our second favorite pastime…hanging out OUTSIDE County Stadium for autographs.

As the score indicated, it was a pretty uneventful game. But we knew that once we descended upon the parking lot, it would be a whole different story.

Autograph hounds would swarm the players. Every single one of us knew that with every Dale Sveum and Darryl Hamilton that walked past us, future Hall of Famers Paul Molitor and Robin Yount were just around the corner.

On the other side of the parking lot, the Mariners were no different. If you could patiently wait through for Greg Briley and Dave Burba to pass, you’re bound to be greeted by Big Unit or Junior.

Add Seattle’s starting shortstop Omar Vizquel to the list that already included Molitor, Yount, Johnson and Griffey and we can now say that we saw FIVE potential Hall of Famers on the field that day. Outside of an All-Star game, when was the last time you can say that?

But did we see a sixth?

No, I’m not talking about Alvin Davis (even though I was HUGE on the former Rookie of the Year)…I’m talking about Seattle’s then starting third baseman Edgar Martinez.

Edgar Martinez a Hall of Famer? I can hear you scoffing now.

With Harold Baines not able to get more than six percent of the vote, how can “Papi” fair any better? Will he be the guy that forces the writers to forget their perceived bias against full-time designated hitters?

Who knows?

Martinez is eligible to enter Cooperstown in 2010 and regardless of the competition (other notable first-timers include Fred McGriff and Barry Larkin), he’s already getting a ton of support. But is it justified? Did Martinez do enough to garner consideration?

What do I think? I’m on the fence.

I mean, unlike some of the other players that have been chronicled here at The Hall…Martinez doesn’t SMELL like a Hall of Famer to me. He has no “magic numbers”, but should we overlook that in the case of the Martinez? After all, this is the same dude that, in 2004, Major League Baseball named their yearly DH awards after!

After a lengthy stay in the minors, Martinez proved that he was all hit and no field and that’s exactly why the Mariners CAUTIOUSLY took a chance on him.

Prior to the 1993 season, their cautious optimism won out when Martinez tore his hamstring and never fully recovered. Sure…this hindered his ability to be an every day fielder…but not his ability to be a full-time hitter. Two seasons later, he became the first (and to date, only) DH to win a batting title when he led the league with a .356 average.

But again, can a full-time DH find his way to Cooperstown? In the case of Martinez, I suggest you need to look at his qualifications first, then take into account the position he played.

At the forefront of his accomplishments is the fact that Martinez one of only SEVEN players that have 300 home runs, 500 doubles, a career batting average above .300, a career on-base percentage above .400 and a career slugging percentage above .500.

And who are the other six? Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby and future Hall member Manny Ramirez…not exactly a bad crowd to be affiliated with.

Martinez retired with a career batting average of .312, seven All-Star game appearances, five Silver Slugger awards and two batting titles. While he never brought home an MVP award, he finished third in 1995 and sixth in 2000.

It is easy to speculate that if Martinez was an every day player…he might have taken home the award in either one of those seasons. In 2000, he batted .324 with a career best 37 home runs and a league leading 145 RBI…and was 37 when he did it!

In what was the best span of his career (1995 to 2001), Martinez had a batting average of .329. More than half (1196) of his career hit total (2247) came during this time.

In 1995 and 1996 Martinez topped 50 doubles, making him only the fifth player to accomplished back-to-back seasons of 50 or more doubles. During the afore mentioned seven year stretch, he averaged 42 two baggers a season.

Apparently batting behind the likes of Griffey, Alex Rodriguez and Ichiro had their benefits too. From 1995 to 2001, Martinez averaged 110 RBI and six times in those seven years, Martinez topped 100 RBI.

The guy is Seattle’s all-time leader in a number of their major offensive categories. He’s in their top ten in a slew of others. It’s even said that Martinez “saved Seattle baseball” with a series-winning double versus the Yankees in the 1995 American League Division Series.

So does the face of Seattle baseball, full-time designated hitter or not, deserve a plaque in Cooperstown?

Again…I’m on the fence.

We’re talking about a guy who wasn’t an every day player until he was 27 and because of that (and the hamstring injury)…his peak was much later than some of his contemporaries. He hit none of the magical milestones, brought home none of the prominent hardware and since the Mariners didn’t have much post-season success…neither did he.

Edgar Martinez is a guy who will probably stick around on the ballot for the entire 15 years that he’s allowed. After that, I suspect, his fate will be in the hands of the Veteran’s Committee.

Until then, I’ll have to remember that day in 1991 where I was snubbed by Unit (oh well) and E sent a horde of Griffey hungry autograph seekers in the direction of Alonzo Powell. I remember the cry of “hey, kids…there goes Junior” like it was yesterday.