Ken Griffey Jr., OF, Cincinnati Reds

April 24, 2006 @ 14:29:34

By Ryan Erb
Edited by KFFL Staff

Once known as "The Kid" when he made his Major League Baseball debut in 1989 with the Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. (knee) now looks back at his glory days in Seattle as a distant memory. Griffey was baseball's most dynamic player, wielding a dangerous bat and prowled Seattle's Kingdome centerfield with a deft glove, winning six Rawlings Gold Glove Awards.

"The Kid", however, now does a yearly impersonation of an old man in a rehabilitation unit, having played more than 140 games just once in six seasons with the Reds. Griffey hit 40 home runs and knocked in 118 RBI in 145 games during his first campaign with the Reds in 2000, but since then has averaged 89 games per year over five seasons due to a myriad of injuries. He was named the National League Comeback Player of the Year last season, playing in 128 games and recording 35 home runs, 92 RBI and a .301 batting average.

Only eight games into the 2006 campaign and last year already is a distant memory as Griffey yet again finds himself on the 15-day disabled list (DL), retroactive to April 13. This trip to the DL, his eighth trip in six years, is due to an inflamed biceps tendon behind his right knee. Griffey irritated the tendon while chasing a fly ball during batting practice in Chicago the week of April 10-14.

The Reds' management and coaching staff have come accustomed to Griffey being injured since his acquisition in 2000. He went on the DL in 2001 after tearing a hamstring, starting his run of major injuries. He was on the DL twice in 2002 (torn knee tendon and hamstring), twice in 2003 (dislocated shoulder and torn ankle tendon) and twice more in 2004 with hamstring tears.

This newest injury for Griffey does not appear to be as serious as those in the past, which is a good thing for the Reds considering Griffey has missed a total of 274 games since 2001. Dr. Tim Kremchek, the Reds' medical director, has said Griffey is making sure this injury heals properly and all signs point to him returning to the field on April 28.

In the meantime, Griffey's trip to the DL has opened up an experimental period for manager Jerry Narron. The major lineup quandary at the beginning of the season was who to start at second base, second baseman Tony Womack, second baseman/outfielder Ryan Freel or infielder Rich Aurilia. That position battle is old news in Cincinnati. Anytime a player of Griffey's caliber is lost for any period of time it is never a good thing, but Narron has capitalized on this latest Griffey injury by unearthing some new talent with regular playing time.

Freel is the most obvious of the Reds' players who has immediately benefited from Griffey's absence, starting in centerfield in 10 of the team's last 11 games, but it is that pesky second base job that is more intriguing. Three different players have been called on by Narron to start at second base with Freel out of the mix in centerfield. Second baseman Brandon Phillips, who was acquired from the Cleveland Indians April 7 in a trade, has emerged as the clear-cut winner at second base, starting in nine out of the last 11 games and the last eight straight. The games not started by Phillips were given to Aurilia and Womack.

Reds' fans have more than likely seen the end of Aurilia and Womack in the starting lineup sheet, as Phillips has put together a seven-game hitting streak over the last week to guarantee at-bats when Griffey returns. Phillips has hit .452 (14-for-31) during this seven-game stretch from April 17-23, swatting three home runs and plating 17 RBI. Even when Griffey returns to the lineup, the 24-year old Phillips has earned himself at-bats and will receive plenty of starts at second base, as well as spell shortstop Felipe Lopez on occasion.

Entering the season, Freel was unsure of his playing status with the Reds. Unsure not because of how much playing time he would get, but more unsure of WHERE he would physically be playing in the field. Freel has started 10 of the last 11 Reds' games in centerfield and quickly reasserted himself as one of the league's premier utility men. He continues to please fantasy owners with success on the base paths (eight stolen bases in 11 attempts), and has hit safely in eight of the last nine games with a .281 batting average (9-for-32) and two stolen bases.

Upon Griffey's pending return on April 28, the Reds should be all for the better and none for the worse. Griffey's injury is quickly being referred to as a "blessing in disguise" on the local talk-radio sports' shows, as it has put a formal end to the Womack experiment. Womack was hitting .222 with zero stolen bases in nine games for the Reds. Freel and Phillips will likely split starts at second base, while Freel always has value as a fill-in for third baseman Edwin Encarnacion, right fielder Austin Kearns, including any other position NOT kneeling in front of the umpire.

As for the 36-year-old Griffey, Reds' management and fantasy owners always cringe when he pulls up short running out a routine ground ball or makes a diving catch in the outfield, but a decrease in production should not be predicted. This is a player who swatted 35 home runs in 128 games last year with 92 RBI and a .301 batting average. Griffey may never play 140 games in a season again, but that does not rule out a 30-plus home run and 90-plus RBI campaign from here on out. 

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Ryan Erb
Ryan has been a KFFL contributor since 2006.

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