SB Nation - Ken Griffey Jr.

Full of Hitting Depth

Matthew — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:48:25 -0000

Ryan Langerhans, Bill Hall, Michael Saunders, Jack Hannahan, Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Carp and Matt Tuiasosopo. Those are the people currently on the 40-man roster who profile as bench bats or a starter at designated hitter, first base or left field for 2010. That's seven names for six spots (the three starting jobs plus three bench roles) and that's before we sign anyone else. Heaven forbid those are the seven Don Wakamatsu has to pick from for those last six spots come end of Spring Training.

Here is where I would love to throw in some clear facts on which players have options remaining, but MLB's player option rules are murkier than lead and so the best I can do are educated guesses. Langerhans, Hall, Hannahan and Griffey are out of options while it appears that Saunders, Carp and Tuiasosopo all have two options remaining.

If the Mariners add two more bats in the DH/1B mold (say Nick Johnson and Russell Branyan), then clearly Carp and Tui head back to Tacoma. However, that still leaves seven players for six spots. The consensus so far has been that Saunders is penciled in as the starting left fielder and thus Ryan Langerhans would appear to be the odd man out, a victim of a overprotective seven-men bullpen. I wonder though, given Saunders struggles in his Seattle showcase, and the roster situation, would it not make more sense to send Saunders back to Tacoma, he only has 387 PAs at the Triple-A level after all, and start the season with a Langerhans/Hall platoon in left field?

If the team only adds one more hitter, then this is moot, but given that it appears the team considers neither first base nor designated hitter filled, it seems an interesting discussion to be had, one with reasonable arguments on multiple sides.

It is also a key discussion no matter where the second hitter is added. If the team did manage to sign Adrian Beltre, and held onto Jose Lopez, then Chone Figgins would get moved to left field and Michael Saunders demoted. Or if the team inked Mike Cameron, same result for Saunders. In either case a lock for the team replaces one of your optionable players and takes a roster spot up, once again forcing you into a two spots for three guys decision.

Griffey returns for another season

ZombieMonta — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:37:33 -0000

(Photo by Elaine Thompson, AP Photos)

Ken Griffey Jr. announced yesterday that he will be returning to the Seattle Mariners for another season. Although Griffey will never surpass Hank Aaron as many thought he would, he still has a chance to move past Willie Mays' 660 home runs for No. 4 overall. Ken needs only 30 more to tie the Say Hey Kid, but he'll need to have a better season than last year if he wants to do it. In 2009, Griffey had the worst year of his career: .221 batting average, 19 homers and 43 RBI. However, he only played in 60 games -- and while a lack of health would normally be a concern for Griffey -- it shows that if he were to stay healthy, it's not impossible for him to hit 25-30 homers.

Next season, Griffey Jr. will turn 40 years old. When he plays in a game for the M's, he will become just the fourth baseball player ever to play with the same team -- at least once -- in his teens, 20's, 30's, and 40's. The three previous men to do that are Eddie Collins (a member of the A's "$100,000 Infield"), Brooks Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles, and Tim Raines with the Montreal Expos. Of those four, only Raines is not a first-ballot Hall of Famer -- though he may one day get in himself. Griffey himself only barely qualifies for this list; had he not signed on with the Mariners last year (when he was 39) and returned with them next year (when he will be 40), he'd have only done it in his teens and 20's.

Zduriencik On Griffey Coming Back

Jeff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:47:56 -0000

Via Yahoo!:

"We believe that Ken’s presence with the Seattle Mariners organization was such a positive asset last season with his leadership on and off the field," general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "His passion for baseball, life and the Seattle Mariners goes unsaid. We are happy to have Ken back for the 2010 season."

When Z traded for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell, he talked about their skills.

When Z traded for Franklin Gutierrez and the rest of them, he talked about their skills.

When Z signed Russell Branyan, he talked about his skills.

When Z traded for David Aardsma, he talked about his skills.

When Z re-signed Griffey for 2010, he talked about his leadership and passion.

Let there be no doubt that this is all about the clubhouse.

Mariners re-sign Ken Griffey Jr.

Eli Greenspan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:28:57 -0000

More photos » by Elaine Thompson - AP

29 days ago: FILE -- This is a Sept. 15, 2009, file photo showing Seattle Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. in the dugout during a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, in Seattle. Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners are closing in on a deal for another one-year contract. A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press the announcement could come later Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)

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The Kid is back for one more.

The Mariners and Ken Griffey Jr. have agreed to a one year extension worth 2 million dollars, with 1.1 million dollars in incentives.

"We believe that Ken's presence with the Seattle Mariners organization was such a positive asset last season with his leadership on and off the field," general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "His passion for baseball, life and the Seattle Mariners goes unsaid. We are happy to have Ken back for the 2010 season."

It'll be interesting to see what Griffey will bring to the Mariners in 2010, beside the veteran leadership that proved to have a positive impact on the teams younger players.

Well This Can't Be Right

Jeff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:08:37 -0000

When the Padres hired Jed Hoyer, I was joking with a friend of mine that the Red Sox were working to get one of their guys into as many front offices as possible such that a few years from now Epstein could yell "ACTIVATE" and all of his splinter cells would work to turn Boston into a super team.

Turns out Boston wouldn't be the first team to try using a mole.

(via pictopia.com)

This has to be some kind of breach of contract.

What This Isn't & What This Is

Jeff — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:15:58 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Wait - WAIT! NO STOP YOU'RE MAKING THIS AWKWARD

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So by now you may have heard that Griffey's coming back. He had such a good time last season that he's agreed to accept a lesser role in exchange for the opportunity to do it all over again in 2010, and the contract he's getting - according to Jerry Crasnick - will again have a low base with a bunch of incentives. The more things change, and so forth.

What this isn't is a baseball move. Or at least, what this isn't is a baseball move intended to improve the team's chances of winning on paper. For one thing, Griffey's coming on as a bench player. Bench players seldom make any kind of significant difference. And for another, let's face it - Griffey isn't good. Not adjusting for park, he has a .330 wOBA over the last two seasons and a .336 wOBA over the last four, offensive performances turned in either as a DH or as a DH-level defender. He's totaled 0.3 WAR since 2006 and, due to the failures of science, he's only getting older. People will argue that there's upside here, that Griffey will hit better now that he's gotten his knee fixed up, but there's no reason to believe them. Griffey's only statistical upside is luck. In terms of true talent, he is essentially a replacement-level player.

What this is, then, is an acknowledgment on the front office's part of the effect of Griffey's presence. This is a pure chemistry move. There's no other way around it. The front office is smart enough to know that Griffey can't contribute much in the box scores anymore, so their decision to bring him back anyway shows that they believe he makes the team work better together just by being himself. Which, well, we can't prove one way or the other. The rational thing to do is to doubt the significance of any effect until it's proven, and with that in mind the return of Griffey is at best inefficient, but on the other hand it's really really hard to argue against anything that makes Ichiro smile so damn much. Throw in the fact that this can only help with the Felix negotiations and I can't bring myself to be that disappointed. Maybe it's because I figured this was going to happen all along. But I see enough potential justification for this move that I don't feel so bad about it.

Dave has already run down what this means for the roster. Things change if the team decides to carry a six-man bullpen (or if, y'know, trades), but for now I'd hold off on purchasing any Langerhans apparel. That sucks. Ryan Langerhans is awesome. But...hey, Griffey, all right. Now that this is out of the way, here's to the front office focusing on the moves that will actually make a big difference.

One(?) More Year of Junior

Matthew — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:52:09 -0000

Well that actually did not take very long. Larry Stone is reporting that Griffey will return to the Mariners in 2010 on a one year contract. No word yet on the terms or expectations, but um... well... it's sort of weird after the send-off this last October. Will they do the same thing at the end of 2010? Awkward.

Junior's Decision Likely To Come Before Long

Jeff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:29:02 -0000

Not a whole lot to say on this, but Dave passed along the link, so I might as well post it:

Goldberg [Griffey's agent] said he was scheduled to meet with the Mariners soon and any decision on Griffey's future with the team -- and in baseball -- would be made sooner rather than later.

We'll tackle this story once it's resolved. For now, just something to think about. It's not exactly news, but at this point in the offseason, it might be close enough to qualify.

84-77, Game Notes

Jeff — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 07:49:43 -0000

More photos » by John Froschauer - AP

Hole In The Wall

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And so we're to that point in the year where it becomes less about wanting to see these guys win at all costs and more about wanting to see them be happy. It's a transition that, I think, makes you more forgiving, and it's with that in mind that I'd like to congratulate Miguel Batista on a job well done. He made that ninth inning look easy.

We've flipped Batista a lot of crap for a long time. It'd be hard to say he didn't deserve it. From his poor performance to his laborious pace to his seeming aloofness and detachment from his teammates, he didn't do a whole lot to win anyone over. He just never really looked like he cared very much, and as a professional athlete, that's a bad attitude to convey. He never endeared himself to the fan base, and the list of people counting down the days until his contract expires would take longer to read off than the time between any two of Miguel's pitches.

But fanhood changes as the summer winds down and you realize you're not playing for anything. When you root for a competiting team, it's all about performance. It has to be. You're cutthroat about it, because you know you need the best performance to bring home a title. When you root for a team that's faded out of it, though, it becomes less about the numbers and more about the actual players. More about finding enjoyment in the fact that the players are still enjoying themselves despite being out of the race. It's a different sort of satisfaction, but a fulfilling one. Smiles and celebrations give us glimpses of personality, and nothing draws us closer to the players than when they come across as people.

After Miguel Batista struck out Taylor Teagarden to end the game, he leapt in the air and pumped his fists in a rare display of emotion. And where a few months ago I might've joked about it, tonight I just feel genuinely happy for him. Miguel Batista is a person. We have no reason to believe that he's a bad person, and a handful of reasons to believe he's a good one. There are any number of explanations for why he's done things the way he's done them, and just because he works slowly or doesn't participate in the bullpen hijinks is no reason to wish him ill. People are different. And Miguel Batista is a 38 year old reliever coming off a couple rough years. This very well could have been the final appearance of his career, and so for him to nail down a save in such dominating fashion...Miguel was able to close out a difficult chapter and perhaps a whole book with a fairytale ending, and no matter how frustrating he's been in the past, you have to feel good that he feels good. Every author knows the power of a strong conclusion.

Tomorrow afternoon, we're going to say goodbye to Ken Griffey Jr. Even if he's not actually going away. He's going to receive a rousing, thunderous ovation twenty years in the making. But while Griffey's will get all the press, there are dozens of stories in that clubhouse, stories at different stages, some building up and some winding down, but all of them changing. Though they're not all best-sellers, every single one of them means the world. Take a moment to recognize as many as you can, if only because every story in there has in some way affected your own.

A strong way for Ryan Rowland-Smith to cap off a year that wound up way better than anyone would've imagined back in May. RRS breezed through the better part of the first six innings, and though he got himself into trouble there in the seventh with the Elvis Andrus ground-rule double, he pitched himself two-thirds of the way out of the jam before letting Shawn Kelley finish the job. I've said it a million times before, but while pitcher wins don't mean much of anything to us, they mean a ton to the pitchers themselves, and so after losing his win late against Toronto the last time out, tonight RRS is probably one part relieved and two parts ecstatic that he was able to come away with win #5. I'm sure he would've rather taken care of the seventh inning himself, but realistically, this is just about how every pitcher wants to close out his season.

In twelve starts a year ago, RRS posted a walk rate of 8.7%. This year he trimmed it to 6.7% while slightly raising his strikeouts. Once the injuries were behind him, he answered every question.

RRS also happened to turn one of the more unusually impressive double plays I've ever seen. With men on the corners and one down in the top of the sixth, Marlon Byrd hit a comebacker on the ground that RRS fielded in midair, behind his back, and between his legs, before firing to second. It was a powerful reminder of the effectiveness of instant human reaction, which, when considered in conjunction with Jose Lopez's error problem on slower groundballs, causes me to entertain the unexpected possibility that Lopez's problem is that he thinks too much.

Before the game, David Aardsma and Mark Lowe apologized to Jason Vargas for costing him a win last night. Inspired, Alan Cockrell left notes in every pitcher's locker.

Sometime in the early going, Dave Sims mentioned the Mariners' positive record and negative run differential in the same sentence. I know sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but between things like this and all the previous on-air talk about UZR and OOZ and so forth, we have to have one of the more statistically-advanced broadcasts in baseball. I like Sims for always being so genuine and enthusiastic, but I think what I love about our broadcast the most is that it so rarely says anything stupid. Godspeed, Hendu.

Weed used to bother me. It used to bother me a lot, and even though, in my head, I knew that it wasn't meaningfully different from drinking, it still took ages to get over whatever obstacle it was and let my brain's reaction be my body's. With that said, one of my greatest regrets is that, even after five years, I still haven't come to terms with the fact that chasing after bad pitches is just part of Adrian Beltre's overall package. Intellectually, I know it's not a big deal. Every player has flaws, and it's not fair to ask them to be perfect. But for some reason, though I'm perfectly willing to accept, say, RRS' fly balls or Russell Branyan's strikeouts, I still respond to Beltre's fishing exploits the same way I did in 2005. "STOP! JUST STOP AND DON'T DO THAT!!" I don't know what it is about certain players that makes us always want them to be better, but I'm afraid that's a burden that Beltre's going to have to shoulder as long as he plays. Unless he maybe stops swinging at those God damn unhittable pitches.

Andruw Jones was once the premier defensive outfielder in baseball. Now he's a fat DH with the occasional spell at first base. He's 32. The way he bluffed towards third on his fifth inning double looked just like how Yuni used to bluff towards any groundball hit to his left.

Kelley got the job done in the top of the seventh, but realistically, Franklin Gutierrez is the reason Michael Young didn't pick up a three-run double. Young smoked a pitch to deep center field that kept slicing to the right, but Guti read it off the bat immediately, set off in a dead sprint, and arrived so quickly that he actually had to slow down before making the catch. This isn't a play I can do justice with words. There wasn't anything visually spectacular about it. He didn't have to dive or leave his feet or crash into the wall. It was just a display of how perfect instincts and awesome range can make a nigh-impossible play look almost easy. When Gutierrez ran it down, I thought "well I guess that wasn't as difficult a play as I thought," but the more I reflected on it, the more I realized that there aren't many other outfielders in the league who track that ball down. Gutierrez is just that much better than pretty much everyone else. And he has a bad knee.

Griffey's line drive home run just barely had enough to squeak out. Hopefully that means he saved up enough strength to hit another one tomorrow. If I have to watch another Mariner legend end his career with a double play I'm going to be mad as a wet hen.

Quick Math

Jeff — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:31:45 -0000

I'm in a rush and won't be around tonight, but while I have a minute:

Ken Griffey Jr., 2009: .215/.324/.408, .221 BABIP

	BABIP
BIP	2003-2008	2009
Grounder	0.204	0.128
Fly	0.117	0.117
Liner	0.696	0.723

Difference: -9 1B, grounders, +1 1B, liner

Ken Griffey Jr., 2009, adjusted*: .236/.342/.430,.249 BABIP

* assuming no park factors, which isn't right, but this gets close enough

Griffey's speed now is probably lower than his average speed over the six years previous, so maybe I shouldn't regress that grounder BABIP all the way up to .204, but this is more of an approximation than anything else, with the conclusion being that, while Griffey's no world-beater, his true talent at this point is higher than his batting line.

I haven't decided what I think about the possibility of Griffey coming back in 2010, but should that end up happening, he could fill a role. Outside of the clubhouse.