Junior is in the Hall

Here. Check out the videos embedded in the article.

Ken Griffey, Jr. was the best player of his generation, owner of the sweetest swing at the plate I've ever seen, tremendous records despite injuries that plagued him particularly while he played for his hometown Cincinnati Reds, and one of the best ever to patrol center field.

Often maligned by Reds fans who questioned his commitment (the way they would later similarly question Joey Votto), Griffey Jr. let his performance on the field speak for itself.

I saw an interview with him yesterday on MLB Network in which he talked about how he practiced in a batting cage at his home each night after games, from 11:30 to 3:00 in the morning. Yes, he had great natural ability. Yes, he grew up around the members of the Big Red Machine. But Griffey worked hard at being a great player. And he was.

Saturday This and That

These are things that caught my eye this past week.

Fast food changes...
...here.

Anne Meara has died...
...and this New York Times obituary gives surprising facts about a woman who I've always associated with comedy. But she did a lot more.

As if Nepal's people aren't suffering enough...
...sex traffickers, often posing as relief workers, are exploiting the country's girls. No punishment a court might give would be harsh enough.

How is it that wonderful people are so often attracted to nasty people...
...of the opposite sex? A researcher claims to have found the answer. (It's plausible.)

Esther and Purim...
...was part of this week's readings for our congregation's Journey Through the Bible. This is a good article on Purim. Esther is a real hero of Biblical faith. Like Joseph, God used her to bring deliverance to His people.

Probably the most creative use of a baseball rain delay ever...
...and it will crack you up. What's even funnier about it is that players from both teams got in on the fun.

Is the Chinese government underestimating the United States?...
...This very good and short article regarding the current face-off in the South China Sea suggests that it is.

An eerie gallery...
...the last known photographs of 49 famous people. Amy Winehouse looks to be in the prime of life. Jim Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, and Steve Jobs all look vulnerable. You find yourself wanting to tell James Dean, "Don't climb into the car." None of us knows the day or moment of our demise. For all our pretenses to the contrary, we are never really in control.

How Luther showed that Christ is in the Old Testament...
...to Donovan Riley. This is one of the best short pieces on this subject I have ever read. It mirrors my own experience of reading and studying the Old Testament, as mentored by Luther's writings. This is the one article you should be sure to read of all linked here.

It's a joy to watch for the athleticism it required...
...but this catch probably cost him a shot at becoming baseball's all-time home run king. Ken Griffey, Jr. was one of my favorite players. And unlike many of his contemporaries, there has never been a hint that Griffey, whose swing was the purest and most beautiful I have ever seen, took Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs). Every hit legit! And he was an amazing defending outfielder, deserving of mention in the same breath with Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle.

On Griffey Trade: What He Said

My brother, Marty Daniels, has the best take I've read on the trade of Ken Griffey, Jr. from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox. For most of the eight years Junior played in Cincinnati, Reds fans didn't deserve him. Junior, we'll miss you...but go win a ring!

See here, here, and here. (Linked sequentially.)

[Picture from The Cincinnati Enquirer. Click to enlarge.]

600!

Junior does it...and not a single homerun propelled by steroids. This is a legitimate and laudable achievement!

Griffey's six-hundredth home run puts him fourth on the real all-time home run list, behind Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays, whose homers, like Junior's, were propelled by that combination of bat speed, braun, and smarts shared by all the best hitters. Even when Griffey strikes out, his swing is a thing of real beauty. He may have the most perfect swing I have ever seen. Were it not for an array of injuries in recent years, one of which should have ended his career, Griffey would have surpassed 600 long ago.

But Griffey doesn't rue that fact; for him, the main thing has always been having the chance to play the game. When at the top of his form, nobody has played better. And even now, in the advanced stages of his playing days, he remains a great player.