Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Ken Griffey Jr. - A True Legend in our Time
As a theologian, I have come to appreciate artistry. This past weekend I was at a conference where the theme was art, beauty, and the Gospel. But you know when we think of art and beauty, I think we tend to forget how important sports is at providing us with the canvas of beauty. And in my lifetime few athletes have provided a greater body of “art” than Ken Griffey Jr.
Last night Junior hit home run number 600. This used to be a great feat. In the first 100 years of baseball only three players hit 600, and all of them were legendary. You had the all-time home run hitter - Hank Aaron (sorry, not going to give that crown to Sada Hara Oh, because Japanese baseball is very different than U.S. baseball, especially of the 1950-1970s era). Aaron’s home run to break Babe Ruth’s record in 1974 was along with the Jesse Owens victories in the 1936 Olympics and Jackie Robinson’s breaking the color barrier one of the greatest sports moments that helped to destroy the power of race. Aaron never got the credit while he played for his greatness, but he deserves all the accolade that can be given him.
Then of course there was the Babe. The man is still an icon after 70+ years of his only being an ex-player. If he had played in the era of color television he might have ended up the Michael Jordon of all sports.
And lastly there was Wille Mays, the Say Heh kid. May’s catch in the 1954 is still considered by man one of the five greatest in major league history.
He was an icon, and one of if not the best players to ever put on the jersey.
Since Aaron retired 1976 these three alone stood out as the greatest home run hitters of all time.
But then came the steroids era. Home runs began to be shot out of parks like $6 beers at Coors Field. Now, one can argue that there is nothing wrong with steroids - hey an athlete should do anything to be his best. In fact, steroids were not illegal until just recently. And so those home runs that were hit during this era were not tainted, since they were technically “legal.”
But the great thing about baseball is that statistics can be compared across the history of the game. Yes, Ruth played in the era of no African American ballplayers. And May and Aaron played at least part of their careers during the elevated pitchers mound and dead ball. But still, the game was the game.
Two of the new members of the 600 club, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, while not “proven” about their steroids use are fairly clearly guilty. They along with Mark McGuire and Rafeal Palmiro, created gaudy statistics. But they did not operate in excellence (the act of rising above, of lifting up one’s performance so all benefit) they instead devalued the game.
But now Griffey has joined the club of 600 homers. While sometimes he can be petulant with the media, his play is still elevating. He has been an artist in the field and at the bat. And his feat has not been clouded by any of the accusations of steroid abuse. His play has been excellence. And we have all benefited from his career. So, as a theologian, I can say thank God for the creation of a creature like Ken Griffey Jr.
Please enjoy this wonderful article from ESPN writer Tim kurkijian on Griffey
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=kurkjian_tim&id=3377636
