Griffey Hangs 'Em Up

As I am watching the Yankees attempt to take a big lead over the Orioles, word has come down that Ken Griffey Jr. is retiring from baseball. Griffey has struggled at the plate the last three years and he has yet to hit a homer in 2010.

Griffey always had one of the sweetest swings I have ever seen in my day, which I will admit isn't very long. Still he is one of the few slugger never to garner PED suspicions and while that doesn't preclude the possibility of him using, it is nice to think that one player did it the right way during the Steroid Era.

Griffey is a no doubt Hall of Famer and its said to see him go. Although most of my Griffey memories involve him tormenting the Yankees both at the plate and in centerfield during the mid-1990s so if I conjure images of those days then it softens the play. And at least the Kid got to spend his final days as a king in the city where he saved baseball.

Vintage Baseball

I just finished watching Game 7 of the NLCS on the MLB network between the Braves and Pirates. First of all, if you have access to the MLB network you should take advantage. Their "baseball tonight" style show is much better than anything ESPN is doing. Plus they show classic games like this one all the time. Besides the awesome mustaches, early 90's baseball was fun to watch.

To review, Doug Drabek was pitching against a young John Smoltz and Steve Avery for the NL pennant. Drabek was pitching on 3 days rest and this was his 3rd start in 8 days and he was pitching a shutout into the bottom of the ninth. (Drabek was responsible for 2 unearned runs in the 9th to get the loss.) He threw 129 pitches in Game 7. That is vintage baseball. CC Sabathia has been great, but only 15 years ago, what he does on short rest would be considered normal.

Jim Leyland is forced to bring in Stan Belinda to try to finish the 9th after an error by Jose Lind. (Ironic= Lind wins his only Gold Glove in 1992) Leyland's other option in the bullpen with the bases loaded, I kid you not, a guy named Bob Walk. WALK!! You would think at some point in Bob's life someone would have told him to move from pitcher to the outfield on account of his name alone.

AAA call up Francisco Cabrera, who had 10 ABs all season, singles to score the tying and go ahead run in the bottom of the ninth. Sid Bream scores from second. Now keep in mind, at this point in Sid Bream's career he was running about as well as Vlad Guerrero on a good day. Bream barely beats the throw. The left fielder who's throw is about 3 feet up the first base line, none other than Barry Bonds.

Maybe we can get back to some vintage baseball this postseason and mustaches. Mustaches are never a bad idea.