600 For Junior Griffey!

He was supposed to be the one, the perfect swing that would net 800 homers before he called it a career. He was the guy hitting 56 without any "help", when Big Mac and Slammin Sammy were getting all the attention in 1998. His offense was unparalleled and his defensive top notch. His home-runs were towering and majestic and his swing was the sweetest around. It was always that swing that got my attention. Almost without effort the ball would collide with the bat, sending it soaring 400+ feet away. Then would come a few slow steps, then the trot. It happened so often that its impossible to forget now. 49 homers in 1996 and back to back 56 homer years in 97 and 98. He was the youngest to 300, 350, 400, 450 home runs in the history of the game. It was never a question of would this guy break the all time home run record, talk was always when. Then the unfortunate happened. After his first solid year in Cincinnati(40 homers, 118 RBI's), injury after injury piled up dropping his games played from 111, to 70, to just 53 in 2003. It was almost unthinkable, only twice in 11 years in Seattle had he failed to play 120 games(111 in 1994 and he still hit 40 homers, and 72 in 1995) and in 8 of the 11 he played in 140 or more, and 145 in 2000 his first as a red. What will be, became what should have been. In his prime in the mid 90's, Ken Griffey was without question, the best player in baseball, the complete package. He was the best at the plate, and the best in center field. As i watched the kid hit his 600th home run yesterday, only the 6th player in major league history(Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Sosa) it was a bittersweet moment. Since his 40 homer season in 2000, Griffey has hit 30 or more homers twice, topping out at 35 in 2005, playing in only 128 games. 2000 was also the last year Griffey topped 100 RBI's in a season. The moment wasn't about what just happened, it was about what should have happened. As i participated in my fantasy baseball draft earlier this spring, i selected Ken Griffey Jr. almost out habit, thinking about those towering shots and the perfect swing. What could have been, what should have been, 600, 700, 800.