Griffey Jr. Released by the White Sox

I saw this news item today, and it makes me sad. For one, Griffey Jr. will no longer be a quick car ride up to Chicago away for me to see him play again. I've been fortunate to see him play numerous times, in many different circumstances, including playing for the Mariners at the KC Royals, at the old Kingdome in Seattle, and for my beloved Reds at Enron Field [when it was still Enron Field!] in Houston. Junior was always a class act, and I saw him flip his $100 Oakley sunglasses to a kid sitting in the first row at Houston after the sun no longer made them necessary.

I do worry that Junior will struggle to catch on with another team next year, although that might be unfounded. I do like what the White Sox GM, Ken Williams, had to say about Junior in that article above. I have to believe that another American League team will pick up Junior as a free agent and make him the DH, if nothing else.

But he is coming off another season shortened by injuries, which have plagued him ever since leaving Seattle. He's just not as durable as he once was, and even Sports Illustrated commented on how Junior, not Barry Bonds, could be the all-time HR king these days if it weren't for all the games he's missed due to injuries. Here's hoping that Junior can continue his magnificent career with some team, and that he can continue hitting home runs the right way, sans performance-enhancing drugs.