Tom Verducci: Appreciate Thomas and Griffey

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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writ...x.html?bcnn=yes

 

Now is the time to appreciate Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas

Story Highlights

Griffey and Thomas have combined for almost 1,100 home runs.

They are two of only six positional players active since 1990.

Both have survived the Steroid Era without even a hint of scandal.

 

 

To be a ballplayer, especially a home run hitter, at the end of the century has become the historical equivalent of serving in the Nixon White House in the time of Watergate. Surely not all were corrupt, but our shorthand methodology of memory defines the players by the times. The Steroid Era, as we now know it, belongs to all, and maybe, whether by willingness or silence, that's not as unfair as it first seems.

 

Sometimes, too, it is important to make distinctions, and try our best to run the whole mess through a giant sluice box and see if we can make something of real value shake loose. No one can pretend that is easy, given how cynicism has replaced faith (or perhaps more accurately, naivete) and science replaced sweat in this Age of Discovery. But now seems like a good time to appreciate Ken Griffey Jr. and Frank Thomas, two of the last remnants of value from that era.

 

Griffey and Thomas are two of the last six active positional players who were in the majors as far back as 1990. (The others are Moises Alou, Luis Gonzalez, Gary Sheffield and Omar Vizquel.) Griffey somehow is sneaking up quietly on 600 home runs, needing another six. The Kid is 38 years old. Thomas turns 40 next month. With 84 more hits he will join Griffey and just a dozen others with 2,500 hits, 1,500 RBI and 500 home runs.

 

More importantly, Griffey and Thomas have hit a combined 1,110 home runs through that era without a hint of suspicion about turning to illegal drugs. Griffey, the Natural, as gifted an all-around ballplayer as you will see, was eclipsed in his prime by the hulking physiques of Mark McGwire, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa. Thomas was the only active player who publicly volunteered to cooperate with the Mitchell Report investigators, a sad commentary on the rest of the timid flock.

 

That both of them are still important everyday players in 2008 is remarkable. That both of them have arrived here on the other side of the Steroid Era with their reputations squarely intact is admirable.

 

Think about this list when you consider Griffey's place in history: the top home run hitters in baseball from 1996 through 2000, the five-year sweet spot of his career:

 

1. Mark McGwire, 277

 

2. Sammy Sosa, 255

 

3. Ken Griffey Jr., 249

 

4. Rafael Palmeiro, 206

 

5. Barry Bonds, 202

 

6. Jeff Bagwell, 197

 

7. Juan Gonzalez, 195

 

8. Mo Vaughn, 188

 

Griffey, who was 26 when that run began, finds himself smack dab in a baseball rogues gallery there. And he is the only one still swinging away.

 

The sweet spot of Sosa's career started at age 29, and he blew past the old five-year record for that age (held by a guy named Ruth) by a whopping 26 percent with a ridiculous 292 home runs. McGwire peaked starting at age 31, and with 284 homers, smashing the old mark at that age by 11 percent. And Bonds peaked beginning at age 35, hitting 27 percent more home runs in that five-year window (258) than anyone ever did. In short, aging through their 30s, no one came close to what they did. It's easy, but unfair, to lose sight of the greatness of Griffey with that kind of freakish power to define the era.

 

Thomas never had the pure home run stroke that Griffey did. Actually, Griffey did come up as a lethally efficient hitter. I remember once watching him take early batting practice at Yankee Stadium in which he hit one line-drive missile after another to leftfield. It was like watching Tiger Woods on the practice range. Lou Piniella, his manager then, said, "If he wanted to, he could win a batting title. Easy." Griffey was a career .302 hitter through age 27, roughly the first half of his career. But he has hit .276 since then, trading points off his average to become more of a flyball hitter.

 

What Thomas perfected was a front-foot, line-drive stroke and a most selective batting eye. The knock on Thomas was that he refused to dial up his aggressiveness even with runners on, but the fact is he was a slightly better hitter in RBI spots than Griffey. Junior, of course, was the more dangerous longball threat and, in his prime, an exquisite centerfielder and baserunner.

 

Back in 1994, just as the whole steroid mess was beginning to boil beneath the surface, we picked our 25-and-under all-star team. Most are done with baseball now: Mike Piazza, John Olerud, Carlos Baerga, Royce Clayton, Travis Fryman, Juan Gonzalez and Steve Avery. One is dead: Rod Beck. One is still pitching: Mike Mussina. And then there are three still swinging: Gary Sheffield, Griffey and Thomas. Sheffield, an offensive wonder in his own right, was ensnared in the BALCO investigation, claiming to have used steroids unknowingly.

 

Griffey and Thomas go on, still dangerous hitters, but also, as far as we know, baseball ambassadors to appreciate. They came through the Steroid Era having redefined what it means to be a bigger man.

 

 

[southsidehawkeye]

Its hard not to love both of them.... good read.

[max power]

Griffey and Thomas have combined for almost 1,100 home runs.

 

Actually its well over 1100.

[RME JICO]

Two class acts.

 

Interesting that they both also suffered injuries that essentially stopped them from completely destroying the record books. What could've been.......

[RME JICO]

Actually its well over 1100.

516 + 595 = 1111. Well over 1100?

[greasywheels121]

YES.

 

Good stuff; my best friend growing up was a Griffey fan while I was THE Frank fan. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but I felt like sharing. So deal.

 

Also, YES.

 

[rangercal]

YES.

 

Good stuff; my best friend growing up was a Griffey fan while I was THE Frank fan. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but I felt like sharing. So deal.

 

Also, YES.

 

I used to trade cards as a kid. One of my best friends was also a Griffey fan. I would always trade My Griffeys for his Thomas Cards.

[daa84]

even with the injuries i consider griffey to be in the class of ballplayers probably just a tick under mays and mantle and thomas to be just a tick under williams

[whitesoxfan101]

Agreed totally, although you can put Manny Ramirez in that same class IMO. For all of his antics, Manny is just an incredible hitter, and I've just always been a fan of all 3 guys (especially Frank obviously). Manny, Frank, and Junior are just all time greats though and (I don't think) any of them have been enhanced either.

Edited April 16, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[rangercal]

It's easy to send Hate mail, but here is a Link to send an appreciation letter to Tom Verducci for this piece : http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/email/baseballmailbag/

[pierard]

Great piece. Both are great and among my all-time favorites, but Griffey had the better video game.

[chitownsportsfan]

YES.

 

Good stuff; my best friend growing up was a Griffey fan while I was THE Frank fan. I don't know what that has to do with anything, but I felt like sharing. So deal.

 

Also, YES.

 

 

 

I was always a Frank fan growing up but I remember reading in a card magazine that Griffey loved playing video games online is his spare time -- so he was cool too. Hell of a player too.

 

I remember a game I went to with my summer league team in MI back at old Tiger stadium vs the Mariners. We had terrible seats like way back in the lower deck CF but we moved down right by Griffee as nobody was there. Watching him that close, even for one game, was fun. He made a lot of plays.

[knightni]

[ScottyDo]

I was always a Frank fan growing up but I remember reading in a card magazine that Griffey loved playing video games online is his spare time -- so he was cool too. Hell of a player too.

 

I remember a game I went to with my summer league team in MI back at old Tiger stadium vs the Mariners. We had terrible seats like way back in the lower deck CF but we moved down right by Griffee as nobody was there. Watching him that close, even for one game, was fun. He made a lot of plays.

oh yeah, that was back in the tigers stadium days. that was one giant piece of crappy seating, tigers stadium. i went to a tigers/sox game there when i was a kid, too. i had a great view of a pillar.

[max power]

516 + 595 = 1111. Well over 1100?

That is well over if you are supposed to be a journalist or an editor. Its a large error to call it almost 1100 when its ten+ past 1100.

 

Its a stat I knew off the top of my head. That's pretty sad and I have no idea why you are defending this guy. Poor research, poor editing, poor general baseball knowledge. Its like he didn't care at all that frank has hit many home runs since eclipsing 500. He had to know that griffey is chasing 600, its all over the place.

Edited April 16, 2008 by max power

[greasywheels121]

That is well over if you are supposed to be a journalist or an editor. Its a large error to call it almost 1100 when its ten+ past 1100.

 

Its a stat I knew off the top of my head. That's pretty sad and I have no idea why you are defending this guy. Poor research, poor editing, poor general baseball knowledge. Its like he didn't care at all that frank has hit many home runs since eclipsing 500. He had to know that griffey is chasing 600, its all over the place.

 

I have a feeling that the titles and sub-titles aren't on Verducci. The stat is stated correctly in the article, FWIW.

[lostfan]

Two class acts.

 

Interesting that they both also suffered injuries that essentially stopped them from completely destroying the record books. What could've been.......

Yeah I wrote a blog about something like that a year or so ago. Griffey probably would've easily gone down as the best all-around player of all time had he not had that string of freakish injuries. And Frank is... well, Frank. Had a series of completely insane seasons.

[whitesoxfan101]

I have a feeling that the titles and sub-titles aren't on Verducci. The stat is stated correctly in the article, FWIW.

Correct. I was about to post that as I read through the thread right now, but you beat me to it. The titles and sub-titles are almost NEVER written by the person who penned the article, and thus can't be put on he or she if wrong. The fact that the stat is accurately portrayed in the article is especially a sign that Verducci had it right, the headline writer just didn't.

Edited April 16, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[max power]

Some nerdlinger editor who doesn't watch baseball probably put that there.

[witesoxfan]

I'm glad the Sox didn't trade for Griffey in 2005 because of what obviously transpired, but it would have been absolutely the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life just seeing Griffey and Thomas in the same dugout with the same uniforms on.

[the People's Champ]

That is well over if you are supposed to be a journalist or an editor. Its a large error to call it almost 1100 when its ten+ past 1100.

 

Its a stat I knew off the top of my head. That's pretty sad and I have no idea why you are defending this guy. Poor research, poor editing, poor general baseball knowledge. Its like he didn't care at all that frank has hit many home runs since eclipsing 500. He had to know that griffey is chasing 600, its all over the place.

 

 

Well if you read the article it say right in it "Griffey and Thomas have hit a combined 1,110 home runs".

 

Why the need to be so nit-picky?

[lostfan]

I saw a Griffey rookie card when he had sunglasses on and I swear he looked like Eazy-E.

[WCSox]

Agreed totally, although you can put Manny Ramirez in that same class IMO. For all of his antics, Manny is just an incredible hitter, and I've just always been a fan of all 3 guys (especially Frank obviously). Manny, Frank, and Junior are just all time greats though and (I don't think) any of them have been enhanced either.

 

Agreed about Manny. I don't care much for him personally, but he's the best of the three IMO.

 

[JorgeFabregas]

The problem is with the byline/summary, which Verducci probably didn't write. In his piece it says 'More importantly, Griffey and Thomas have hit a combined 1,110 home runs through that era without a hint of suspicion about turning to illegal drugs. "