Saturday, February 12, 2000
ENQUIRER EDITORIAL
Griffey's return speaks well of Cincinnati
“It doesn't matter how much money you make. It's where you feel happy.”
Those simple words spoken by Ken Griffey Jr. on Thursday evening do more than put a fresh tank of gas in the Big Red Machine. They say a lot about Mr. Griffey, the state of baseball and the city of Cincinnati.
By now everyone knows that “Junior” agreed to accept less money than he could have obtained from other teams, simply to come home to Cincinnati, where he has family and roots.
That's as fresh as a spring breeze for baseball, which has been damaged by greed and controversy. Here is one man who puts family first — whose priorities are in order.
For Major League Baseball, that sets an overdue example. Mr. Griffey's deal for $116.5 million over nine years is certainly no hardship for him — but it's a lot for a small-market team like the Cincinnati Reds. It's the seventh highest annual salary in baseball, at $12.5 million, and the deal relies on deferred payments over 16 years to make it more affordable.
The Reds ownership, led by new majority owner Carl Lindner, deserves gratitude for working out a deal that means so much to Cincinnati.
This deal also means small market teams can compete again. The Reds lineup will be one to be reckoned with — Mr. Griffey, Sean Casey, Dante Bichette, Barry Larkin, Dimitri Young, Pokey Reese...
The players traded to Seattle are a relatively painless loss to a team that finished strong last year. The cost of this deal will not push ticket prices beyond the reach of ordinary fans.
And the return of Mr. Griffey to his hometown team where his father played on the Big Red Machine, and still coaches, will rekindle fan loyalty and support. For Cincinnati, it's the biggest deal since Achilles was recruited to play against Troy.
While our riverfront is being remodeled, including a new Reds ballpark, this couldn't come at a better time for Cincinnati. It will help us stop dwelling on complaints of sales-tax remorse. Now we can look forward to an exciting future built around our historic team — which was the real reason for stadium construction. No doubt about it — this is a baseball town, proud of its Reds heritage.
With Ken Griffey Jr. at the plate, the rest of the nation will see a new team to match our new stadium and riverfront.
The Griffey homecoming is all the testimonial and endorsement this city needs. Time after time, people come back to Cincinnati — for its friendliness, quality of life and strong family traditions.
At his press conference, Mr. Griffey joked pointedly with his father about having built-in baby sitters in Cincinnati. But it was also plain that his return is strongly motivated by his love and commitment to his father, mother and grandmother, who can now come out to the ballpark with the rest of us to watch him demonstrate his amazing talents.
Watching him stand with his father and children by his side, wearing a Reds jersey and hat for the first time since he was a kid running through the Reds clubhouse, was truly a Cincinnati moment — a thrilling sign that this city is coming back too.
“Well, I'm finally home,” he said.
And Cincinnati couldn't be happier.
Note: The Cincinnati Enquirer's parent company, Gannett, owns a minor share of the Reds.
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