After his season-ending injury last week, we asked: "What should the Reds do about Ken Griffey Jr."? We got more than 6,000 responses. Click here to vote and check the results. Here are some readers' comments:
Ken Griffey Jr is not only one of the greatest baseball players to play the game, he is a man of integrity who has always represented himself and the team with dignity and pride. He came to Cincinnati as the best player in the game to do great things for the city and team he loved. We should support him 100% as long as he wants to be a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He has earned the right to choose to leave the game and this team on his own terms.
Let's get him healthy so we can see the All-Century player we traded for. I have been frustrated but I am pulling for him.
He's worthless. Get him fixed, than trade for pitching.
I think the Reds are forced to keep him. What team would trade for him with a huge contract and constant injuries? I keep hoping he will regain his earlier form but am not optimistic.
Time for the Reds to cut their losses. Next year will be his 16th season and he'll be 34. He is done.
Don't recreate the mistakes of teams in the past by trading players that are "past their prime" like Roger Clemens, Frank Robinson and even Tony Perez. Junior is too talented to give up on.
Everyone, including myself, loves Jr. because of his former superstar status and Cincinnati being his home and his father being part of the Big Red Machine. But you can only tolerate so many injuries, and look how well the Reds do without him as opposed to with him. The Reds have power and speed, which is Jr.'s specialties when healthy, but we don't have pitching. Let's see what kind of pitching we can get out of him, and be the talk on SportsCenter for being in first place instead of Jr.'s newest injury.
They should keep him only if he will change his name to KiJana Griffey.
Being a Griffey fan first and Reds fan second, I almost want to see him traded because it seems as if he is cursed here in Cincy. He has given everything that he can to this city and that is all you can ask of the guy. Plus, I would like to see Griffey win a World Series and that ain't happenin' here any time soon. We built a cheap no frills ballpark and have a cheap no-talent team. Griffey can still be the player of old, which is the Reds' only hope of anything exciting in at least the next 5 years.
He should step up to the plate and renegotiate his contract because he hasn't come close to fulfilling the one he signed when he became a Cincinnati Red.
He made a very unselfish decision to come to the Reds, when he could have had a much greater contract with other teams (at height of his career)! If he never plays another game, he should never be traded or lose a single penny of his long contract, and should be allowed to decide when he wants to stop playing for the Reds!
I think if he re-negotiated his contract for less money or maybe an incentive-laden contract, then the fans may be more enamored with him. That itself may be more valuable than money.
He is only seeing $6 million per year of the $12.5 million contract he signed. He deferred over half of the money so that the team could use it to acquire pitching. Unfortunately, management has decided to play a shell game with the deferred cash, refusing to reinvest it in the team but still counting it against the payroll. Keep Griffey; get rid of John Allen.
It is evident that Junior is snake bit and needs to get away from this jinxed town. Pedro Borbon's hex still exists.
I would hope he would retire to free up some money to spend on pitching. The hardest thing about him retiring would be watching him enter the Hall of Fame in 5 years wearing a Seattle hat.
You don't just give away one of the best players in the game's history to trim salary. He deserves the respect of the fans and organization to finish his career in Cincinnati if he pleases.
This hurts because I loved to watch this man play the game, but right now the Reds have the power and they need pitching. Besides, a trade may help Junior. I still think he was the best I ever saw play.
I believe he should hang it up - actually, what he should do is when he hits his 500th home run next year, he should just walk off the field and go home (Ted Williams-esque). Make the rest of his career a mystery of what could have been. I think that will be better for him than continually getting injured, because it's clear his body has broken down.
I am so disgusted with the reactions of some fans toward Griffey. True, it has not worked out as we had hoped, but injuries happen. No one on the Reds works out harder, takes better care of himself than Griffey. In these days when pro athletes are all over the news for lousy behavior (see Bryant, Tyson, Bonds, Lewis, etc.), it's refreshing to have a guy who goes about his business, is devoted to his family, does not smoke, drink, or pop steroids.
Get well, Junior. Don't listen to the naysayers. You're one of the greatest players in history. Just keep doing what you're doing.
The million dollar question is ''Why does he get hurt so often?''
I understand Griffey has been injured playing hard, but take a look at Junior in a Seattle uniform compared to a Reds uniform. He wasn't carrying quite the same trunk in Seattle as he is now. No wonder he is hurt all the time.
This is the second years Austin Kearns has been hurt and no one is talking about trading him!
Someone has to convince him that at his age he needs to get in shape.
He's not loafing when he gets hurt. He's busting his butt.
Keep Griffey and move him to first base to take the pressure off his legs.
For his sake maybe it would be better for him to go back to the American League where he can DH and not be on his feet so much.
Griffey is a lot of "hype." The Reds win more games when he is injured so I say trade him and use the money to benefit other "healthy" players!
What are you, crazy? The man hit 5 home runs in 5 games. Give him a break. When he gets completely healthy, he'll return to form. He still one of the best!
His bad luck has to end soon and when it does I don't want to see him in the visitor's dugout hitting .300 and having a 50-homer season helping some other team get to the World Series.
Something has to be done here. Think about it: He's getting something like $116 million to only play part time at best. Trade him or redo his contract.
Quit being such fair weather crybabies and get behind your team. Tickets, concessions, and parking would still be outrageous, Griffey or no Griffey.
Ken Griffey Jr. can still be a great player but not in Cincinnati. The best thing for him and the Reds is to trade him.
Next year, when he is healthy again, he can carry the Reds' offense and play center field with the best of them. Never kick a great player when he is down. And don't trade him, either.
I always thought he was great, but the Reds are looking like his bad-luck charm. It might be better for all concerned if he gave it a shot elsewhere, and it would enable them to afford decent pitching after his and Larkin's contracts are gone. Don't get me wrong, I love them both, but it is a waste of time without pitching.
It's a shame at what his luck has been, but he should renegotiate his contract so both sides understand that he's tried but understands the money situation, also. That way all parties - including the fans - will root for his fast recovery and playing next year.
We could have two good pitchers for his salary.
He needs to make around $2.25 million a year max. His contract will bankrupt the team he supposedly loves.
If it is possible to get out of his contract by releasing him, I would release him outright. His trade value is nil. He hasn't played much more than a half season any year he has been here.
I get tired of this BS every time from Reds fans when something doesn't go our way. Reds fans are so fickle. We have an all century player and when he is healthy is arguably one of the five best players in baseball. I also hate it when Reds fans think he is being paid too much... heck, Mo Vaughn was being paid $17 million a year and Jeromy Burnitz was being paid $12 million a year and the list goes on. Who would you rather have? I rest my case. When he comes back next year to hit 50 home runs and drive in 130 runs, we will think that he is the Reds savior once again.
We saw shades of the Griffey of old before he got hurt. If I was in control, I would tell Griffey to forget about baseball, concentrate on healing that ankle and shoulder so he will be ready for 2004. I know people would say that he is dead weight, but with Ken Griffey Jr., can you take the chance?
I hate to think we'd become Pittsburgh and see Griff play like Bonds in the coming years.
Those people who want to ride him out on a rail should be ashamed of themselves. He is still a great player and once these injury bugs pass him by, he will rebound and be an All-Star once again. Leave the man alone!
The Reds should have traded him long ago for someone that doesn't have limbs made out of peanut brittle. Now no one will want him.
He picked the Reds as a good place to retire and get paid. He was damaged on receipt!
He doesn't work out enough in the off season, never has. He could do it when he was younger but this guy ain't no Jerry Rice. It''s time for him to quit or start working again like a hungry rookie. He doesn't care anymore.
I think people are too harsh with comments about him. The same kind of bad luck could happen to anyone. I love him and I hope he stays around for the duration of his contract!
At the beginning of this season Griffey was traded without a hint that such a thing was even being considered. Instead of getting a negative attitude which would have been understandable, he took the high road and went about his business as usual. I think he has shown a lot more class than Reds management during the whole issue. He has also shown more class than a lot of the media and "fans" in his hometown. Keep him. Don't ask him to take less money. Instead, open up the wallet and get the pitching that is going to make him and the rest of the team the contender that was promised.
Griffey was never a good fit for the Reds! One player does not make a good team.
There is no one that I'd rather see at bat. Not even Bonds. Griffey is the greatest when healthy. He'll be ready for next year. Get well soon, Kenny, you're still #1.
They should keep him (unless he decides that he wants to try it somewhere else). The guy is one of the greatest baseball stars around, but he has had some terrible luck since joining the Reds. A lot of fans have been treating him awful and that's a shame because it's just been bad luck. I would like to see him do something with his contract, though, to help the team do something, maybe Larkin also.
He should be paid for the games he plays in and that's all! The Reds can not afford to pay him big money when he spends half the season on the DL! Rhe reds need starting pitching to bad to afford that luxury! A horse that can't run is no longer a racehorse no matter how fast he could run in past races. Maybe he will have better luck in another city.
Without a doubt Jr. is one of the best players ever to put on a ball uniform. I do however think he should be willing to negotiate a lesser contract. He has truthfully done very little for the team since arriving. Why pay a man a lot of money to do very little. I do a lot of work and get paid little. See the difference?
If my performance were as bad as his, I'd be fired.
This guy has been snake-bit since coming to Cincy, but I still believe he has a lot of high-quality baseball left in his tank. Hang in there, Junior! This is not Ken's fault. I would ask him if he wants to stay with such lousy fans.
Give the man a break - he has torn tendons, ripped muscles, and dislocated a shoulder! And until now, he never optioned for season-ending surgery and always tried to make it back to the team the same season. That's someone that needs to be on a team with so many young players. Get well soon, Jr.
Best thing for Jr. to do is go back to the AL and DH. It's obvious the Kingdome turf has taken a toll on his legs. Factor in his getting older and just not the smiling 24-year old kid anymore. I don't question his heart, but his contract is a "noose" around the Reds payroll. Talk to the Devil Rays, help pay the remaining salary. He'll be close to home and be with Piniella again.
I still have faith. His spring training was unbelievable. He still has it. He's one of the best ever and he still has the heart to play. I want to give him some more time.
How can you knock a guy who trains as hard as he does and plays the game like it is supposed to be played? He will pay off in time.
I grew up watching Ken Griffey senior (along with Pete, Johnny, Joe, and Tony) and the Big Red Machine. I loved the Reds then and I love the Reds now, but Ken Griffey Jr.'s constant medical problems have cost the Reds organization too much already. Negotiate down his contract (freeing up funds for healthy experienced players) or cut your losses and send the former great player packing.
My prayers are with KGJ. He has worked hard to prove himself, but the Reds can't financially afford too many more disasters. I hope KGJ can put all these stories to rest by getting healthy again and becoming the player he wants to be.
There ain't much else you can do. Can't trade him because he has no trade value and he is now known as injury prone. Can't renegotiate his contract. He already gave up less in coming here. Just let him stick around, maybe something good will come of it.
I've wanted Griffey to be a Red since 1987. I am not turning my back on him now. He was in shape. It is not his fault. And he can still hit. McGwire went through a streak of continuous injuries in the early '90s and came back to break the home run record. Be patient.
Ken Griffey Jr. will return. He may never be the player he once was, but if he is even 80% the player he used to be he is still better than most other players. He is a Cincinnati native and the IS worth something to me. Also, a contract is a contract. He can still swing the bat and play defense and I believe he has some really productive years left him.
Ken Griffey Jr. should show some team leadership and do what's best for the Reds - take a significant pay cut until he proves he's again worth the kind of money they're paying him.
He's still awesome. He took less money to come to Cincy. Let's not forget that.
It's not fair to the Reds or the fans of Cincinnati that he continue to hamstring this team payroll-wise when he clearly is not the player he once was. If he thinks he still is, why not take an incentive-laden contract that pays if he produces?
Keep the faith. Why are Junior and, consequently, the Reds continually dealt these unbelievable blows? Who knows? It's certainly not for lack of heart, though. He came back here for a reason. He'll be there to see it through.
He's the best. Give him a break!
If we can get out of the Griffey contract, it is time to do so. Unfortunatley the Griffey trade has gone down as one of the worst trades in Cincinnati Reds history. The risk of injury is too great to assume. Let's move on so that we can work to build a championship ballclub.
Some fans don't realize that just having him in the lineup makes the other player see better pitches and with his shoulder at 65% he hit 5 homers in 5 games. I would not bet against Griffey when he comes in healthy next year.
Trade him and let him get his Hall of Fame career back on track. For some reason there just seems to be to much pressure on him in Cincinnati. I don't know if it's by the fans and the community or if it's self-imposed.
It's time for JR to play DH in the American League. He is a good guy, but his body can't take it any longer.
Back off. The man has been injured. We should be supporting our men instead of condemning them. Quit making it an issue. No one has control over injuries.
If he is a true team player, which is what baseball is all about, he will renegotiate his contract for less money. He has cost the Reds so much money and done so little to help them out. He should take a pay cut so we can bring in some pitching!
I wish it had never come to this, but the fact is that through no fault of his own, Griffey Jr. has not contributed much to this ballclub. I just can't help but wonder what kind of pitching the Reds could have had this year by using the money tied up in Griffey, without really sacrificing much on offense given his injuries. I love Jr. and do not blame him, but for the contribution he is making right now, he is way overpriced.
Who would an opposing pitcher rather not face: Griffey Jr. or Mateo/Taylor?
With his injury history, I doubt he's worth much in trade. The upside of a healthy Griffey is better than what they could get. Worse case: he improves his trade value in the first half of next year.
Two or three good, solid players would be more valuable to the Reds than one "superstar" who can no longer deliver.
If he will renogotiate, fine. If not, fine. If the Reds dump Jr., I will never go to another game.
He has plenty of money to live off from, he need not hog all that money from the Reds. He realizes that the team needs pitching in the worst way, everybody realizes that. If I were him, I'd do everything possible to help the team's woeful pitching situation in order to help bring a world series trophy back to Cincinnati.
My heart just goes out to Griffey. He has such a great heart and desire to play the game of baseball to the best of his abilities. It's a shame that this has happened. We Cincinnati fans need to support him through this latest injury. The possibilities are endless to how good this team can be with a healthy Ken Griffey Jr. Let's rally behind him, because if we don't it will be even worse.
Trade him and it will turn out like a lot of trades the Reds do. He will go somewhere else and be the star he is. We'll look back in hindsight and say, "Why did we trade that guy?"
We've stuck with Junior for so long. It's bound to turn around. Remember the Frank Robinson, Tony Perez and Paul O'Neill trades? They are monuments to impatience and poor judgement.
Do the Reds really have an option?
My statement is just this: Would you rather have Phil Nevin! (Done for the season before it even began) The real question is, what can Ken Griffey do, if anything, to prevent any future injuries and reduce the chances of reinjury?
All his injuries are hustle injuries and freak stuff. Give him a break. He loves the town and busts his butt to try to be great.
Mantle was done at 32. Griffey is over.
Even though a good portion of his contract is deferred, he should be willing to commit to winning by freeing up some money to use on a pitcher. Griffey's lost productivity over the last 4 years should warrant that, especially for any player who really cares about the game. Maybe he could be a trendsetter if he restructured his deal in this situation, get some positive publicity for baseball for a change. Besides, is there really that big of difference in making $5M versus $10M a year?
Griffey did the Reds a favor by agreeing to sign for much less money than he could get on the open market. The Reds need to show some class and not kick the guy while he is down.
Trade him for what? And why in heaven's name should he renogotiate his contract? Certainly the Reds have insurance in case of the kind of season-ending injury he just suffered. If not, they deserve to eat every dime. Ken Griffey has been nothing but a gamer for the Reds. Every time he's gotten hurt, it's been because he's gone all out. The smattering of boos he has received the last few times he's crumbled on the field reflects the ignorance of the Reds' so-called fans. Speaking of ignorance, the perameters of this poll speak to a deep misunderstanding of the economics of baseball. Why don''t you try giving Griffey a break and quit trying to rip him down further?
Reds fans need to be patient... this potentially is one of the greatest players of all time... He will come back... and we just saw a flash of his greatness in the past couple weeks. Look what Bonds is doing at his age... why shouldn't Griffey ? And Griffey has a much better attitude than Bonds. I say wait on Griffey, he will be worth it !
His trade value is so low, might as well hope he can rebound and get back over the hump.
I'm getting sick and tired of hearing people knocking Junior. Do people honestly believe he gets hurt intentionally? We are lucky to finally have a superstar caliber athlete in this town and we continually beat the guy up because he's hurt. If Junior has a healthy, productive season next year, all the naysayers will be happily lining up to buy tickets to watch Junior play center field. I just hope the minority of the fans who bash Junior don't make him think he's unwanted.
If he still comes back after all these injuries and all the fan bad mouthing, you could call it a miracle.
I love Griffey as a player. Griffey at 50% is better than most. However, the Reds with Griffey are mediocre at best due to the financial restraints. The Reds would be better off trading Griffey for one top pitching prospect than to continue on their present path. I would hate to see him go and wish him all the best on his new team. Griffey deserves more than a mediocre team and the Reds can do no better than mediocre with Griffey. (Note: If Larkin were not in the last year of his contract, you could say the exact same thing about him! Just re-read the paragraph and insert "Larkin" for "Griffey)
Griffey needs to be traded and Barry Larkin needs to retire. This would free up money to sign pitchers. The Reds have a strong offense and defense without these two oldtimers.
Ken Griffey Jr. is the "Natural" personified. He is only 33 and is due for a massive comeback. I will wear my "30" jersey and be proud to say I've seen the great player that the game has EVER seen play in person.
Uh, who would trade for him?
The team put up, now the fans can shut up.
Ken Griffey Jr has hit the wall as an everyday player. He could still be a good DH in the American League.
Junior still has the talent to succeed, but Cincinnati is not a good fit in any manner. His injuries just seem like bad luck and the Reds cannot really afford a player of his stature. Trade him and let him do well elsewhere and use the money you save on starting pitching, keeping our own players, and developing minor leaguers.
I have never seen a professional athlete of Griffey's caliber, or any athlete for that matter, who has gone through a continuing series of such serious injuries. A lesser person would have given up by now. I admire the fact that he has continued to strive to rehab to regain his health and his old form that will still put him in the Hall of Fame. Bravo, Jr.!
Ken Griffey Jr. was a superior talent. "Was" is the key word. Too many injuries have made this All-Star too fragile and he no longer should play on a team that lives and dies with each trip to the DL. Re-construct this team starting with the exodus of Junior Griffey.
If you liken this to a business situation, this is similar to when P&G's stock severly declined a couple of years ago. The smart people held their stock and waited for it to turn around. Just like now, Reds fans should be patient and wait for the proven commodity to produce the rewards that we know he can. If we trade him now, we will get little to nothing in return. If we wait, he will produce. If the Reds still believe that trading is a better option, then trade Mr. Griffey when you can actually get something!
As great a player as he was and still could be, he simply has broken down physically. Historically players begin to do this around ages 35-37. When you take into account that Junior''s career in the bigs started 3-4 years earlier than most ,it is simply time for his body to start breaking down like this. And there is no turning back when it does.
I am as disappointed in Griffey's performance as anybody in town, but the only way we can complain about his lack of performance because of injury, is if we found out that his injuries were due to lack of conditioning. Since Griffey played over 90 percent of his games in Seattle for the last decade, how can you blame the guy for all of his tragic injuries? You can't.
Put a fork in him, he's done. A great experiment that never worked out.
Negotiate to buy out his contract and release him. He is not trade material at his high salary.
I appreciate what he tried to do for this team, but sometimes karma just works against you. It's best for both sides to move on from this debacle.
The Reds got rid of Dave Parker, Ron Gant and many other big time players who produced a lot more for less. Griffey has been a bust to a club that can't afford a premium player (which Griffey is not anymore anyway).
His recurrent injuries are excruciatingly disappointing, especially to him. As one of the greatest ever, he deserves support and understanding. He's worth much more healthy and in the lineup than anything he could bring in trade value at this point. Phil Nevin? Please. To suggest he should make less money is an insult, as are these polls.
I'm a big Griffey fan, but it just isn't working out here, trade him and get what you can.
There will always be too much baggage for Griffey in Cincinnati. It''s unfortunate, however, I think he will return to top form for another team. I feel that it is all mental here. This has been a bad marriage. Let''s just part ways citing irreconciliable differences.
Getting hurt is part of the game. People need to stop blaming Griffey.
