"The people of Seattle have no idea how hard this process is," Griffey told the Seattle-P-I before finalizing things in his own mind. "If it is Seattle, then I won't see my family more than two or three times in seven months. They have their schedules, and they're not going to change them." (Hickey)
I guess that sends a message to little Trey, Taryn, and Tevin. "You may be my own flesh and blood, but you don't mean as much to me as the crazies in the Northwest who won't let me go."
What an asshole.
Anyway, at last, it's over, with the only real casualty from the saga being the full Griffey-to-Atlanta post I wrote up last night, hid, and deleted an hour ago. That sucked. But while erasing finished content is super annoying, this is good news, or at least it's good news when viewed in the context of a reality in which we end up with either Griffey or Garret Anderson. It's good news for fans and it's good news for fanboys, because the Mariners get both the more useful player and the bigger draw. I mean, how many players get attendance incentives built into their contracts?
He has accepted the Mariners' one-year contract offer that includes a $2 million base salary and up to $4 million in incentives based on at-bats and attendance. His return to Safeco Field is expected to lure an additional 200,000 fans this season. (Pravda)
It's perfect, really. Instead of guaranteeing Griffey a chunk of money under the assumption that he'll bring out the crowds, this way he only gets that chunk of money if the crowds actually come, under which circumstances I imagine the team would be earning enough revenue to throw their budget concerns to the wind. All things considered, Griffey's contract couldn't be better.
So, he's back. Officially. Griffey has signed with the Mariners, and in so doing saved us from interring dead Angels and saved Atlanta from certain doom. And while the whole thing may not have gone as smoothly as many would've liked, in the end, Griffey chose "family" over family, which - come on, that's just an incredible gesture. I don't have the kind of unconditional Junior loyalty that many of you possess, but even I can't help but feel touched by his decision. This is a guy who wants to make up for his messy departure nearly a decade ago, and I'm perfectly willing to give him that chance. Make us happy, Junior. Make us all happy, the way you used to do.
His first home run in Safeco is going to be God diddly damn insane.
0 recs | 89 comments
No big loss.
That post sucked
Graham MacAree - February 18, 2009
It was faster.
Sec 108 - February 18, 2009
That's an excellent contract
I was worried it was going to be more.
OlSalty - February 18, 2009
Just post it anyway.
It can play like a baseball version of Philip K. Dick’s The Man In The High Castle.
esoteric - February 18, 2009
Attendance based incentives?
Suddenly I’m OK with it
Corco - February 18, 2009
They pay for themselves
Don’t they?
tait644 - February 18, 2009
I'm sorry.
But Bwahahahahahahahaha…..
ThundaPC - February 18, 2009
Welcome back Griffey
Could someone please photoshop a Mariners hat onto this
OlSalty - February 18, 2009
That has to be one of the top ten greatest Simpsons episodes ever.
BrianL - February 18, 2009
I say top 3
Sportszilla - February 18, 2009
The "talkin' softball" song is my favorite baseball song ever.
Ken Griffey’s grotesquely swollen jaw … Steve Sax’s run in with the law …
Jed MC - February 19, 2009
Ozzie Smith falling into a bottomless pit
OlSalty - February 19, 2009
KingCorran - February 18, 2009
Thank you very much
OlSalty - February 18, 2009
"erasing finished content is super annoying"
just ask John Hickey
msb - February 18, 2009
Huh
From MLB.com:
Ken Griffey Jr. = Peter Angelos
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
So who has the degenerative hip condition?
BrianL - February 18, 2009
This is too easy
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
It baffles me how that has anything to do with his decision.
Kermit. - February 18, 2009
Jeffrey...
You’re going to hate yourself for deleting that post when you get around to writing a book… that would have been a great addition to a chapter (and great filler too). Bad form!
jameslcrockett - February 18, 2009
It had the perfect title, too.
I’m pissed.
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
Tease.
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
There's always next year
Faux - February 18, 2009
He's Just Not That Into You
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
Ahahaha!
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
*sigh*
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
Yep
that’s the difference between Elliot Bay Books and a West Coast Tour of Borders and Barnes and Nobles… I’m just saying…
jameslcrockett - February 18, 2009
You bitch I knew that this was the title before you posted it here
Robert - February 19, 2009
*He's Just Not That Shin Soo-Choo
Aaron Campeau - February 19, 2009
Way to make Fogel look like an asshole
JI - February 19, 2009
`
Armstrong on KJR:
“Junior is prepared to DH.”
BrianL - February 18, 2009
he also said that Harold Reynolds was a big part the whole thing.
Harold called him to tell him that Willie Mays wanted to talk to Chuck about the importance of Griffey to Seattle, and did Chuck think Ken would mind if Willie called Ken to talk about the importance of legacy? So he did.
Armstrong says the deal is the same one they talked about last week, it wasn’t sweetened to get him here, and that they were told it was pretty much the same as Atlanta’s offer.
It sounds like the plan is a mix of LF and DH.
msb - February 18, 2009
If this subplot to the story is true, this is then one of the coolest things ever.
Willie Mays personally intervening as an elder statesman? Wild.
esoteric - February 18, 2009
Right? That would be incredible.
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
I can't wait for "fuck Willie Mays" to become a meme come June
JI - February 18, 2009
Fuckin right
Double06 - February 18, 2009
I'm pretty happy with this if that ends up being true
OlSalty - February 18, 2009
It is Spring Training time of the year. So I am trying to be positive.
GO Mariners!
mark sobba - February 18, 2009
Now THIS is awesome.
Per Baker:
ThundaPC - February 18, 2009
Bahaha fuck you GA
OlSalty - February 18, 2009
That is fantastic.
Sec 108 - February 18, 2009
Hot damn!
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
I like this but am simultaneously skeptical
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
Willie Harris is available, right?
JI - February 18, 2009
Well said, Jeff.
An hour ago I wasn’t that interested in this whole kerfuffle one way or the other. But the way you phrased it made me salute the Griffey flag now waving from my inner flagpole.
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
Kerfuffle.
Inner flagpole.
Fearless Frog - February 18, 2009
Yes?
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
.
Big Jared - February 18, 2009
Whoa.
royalcurve - February 18, 2009
He's so old now he looks like Ken Sr.
JI - February 18, 2009
I just took the Griffey jersey out of the washing machine..
Kinda thinking about calling in sick to work to head up to Peoria…. Gawd I hope he is a DH against righties and not a whole lot else
seattlesundevil - February 18, 2009
Wait until you know he is in camp and will be viewable.
Wilder. - February 18, 2009
Chuck was told maybe saturday...
so his plan was to unpack the bag, re-pack the bag, and head down to Peoria.
msb - February 18, 2009
Those things are going to fly off the shelves this year...
Omerta - February 18, 2009
"Ken Griffey Jr. (CF - ATL)"
Even SBN was convinced it was going the other way!
J.W. Pezzino - February 18, 2009
Norm Charlton on KJR now
“I used to help him do his homework in Cincinnati”
msb - February 18, 2009
I get home from a fantastic day and this is the news I get?
Boo! Boo!
katal - February 18, 2009
I think I might have to pull out my old copy of Ken Griffey Jr. Slugfest.
isoldout - February 18, 2009
I'll update my roster for KGJ Presents Major League Baseball
katal - February 18, 2009
How Many
tickets do you think Griffey will buy in order to get the extra $$$ if he’s short on attendance? Spend a million – get 2 million isn’t a bad deal.
Of course its attendance based, which mean he’d probably have to find a bunch of people to show up with the tickets he purchased… but still. That would be awesome.
zeeehjee - February 18, 2009
I expect him to sign autographs before every game to help spur attebdance.
Sec 108 - February 19, 2009
He'll tear a muscle in his forearm.
Faux - February 19, 2009
He'll be holding one of those Ticketmaster scan thingys to let people into the ballpark
which now I guess are to be called Live Nation scan thingys. Still.
pdb - February 19, 2009
Finally, FINALLY the Kid HAS COME BACK.......to Seattle.
(Heard in the Background) “Griffey! Griffey! Griffey! Griffey!”
Goose - February 18, 2009
That will probably be the plot of one of the commercials.
Fin - February 18, 2009
Be a man not an expletive.
Your use of the term ‘asshole’ offends me and probably a lot of other folks. Why can’t you stick to polite language? Crassness is the refuge of the incompetent. Try using normal English instead of street utterance, it has worked for centuries of fairly good writers.
P.S. Ken Griffy is not an asshole but you certainly are.
cwithboat - February 18, 2009
"Try using normal English instead of street utterance, it has worked for centuries of fairly good writers."
In normal English, we use periods or semicolons to separate independent clauses. Using a comma is what we call a “comma splice,” and comma splices offend me and probably a lot of other folks.
Teej - February 18, 2009
And you're a flaming cunt but it's not nice to say it
Graham MacAree - February 18, 2009
Take pleasure in my penis
Jeff Sullivan - February 18, 2009
Griffey
Goose - February 19, 2009
I love this comment so much and have appropriately flagged it
I’m like 99.999999999999999999% sure that this is sarcasm since it would be very poor form if Griffey actually was a jerk to his family and basically said “screw you” by signing with the Mariners. I have no idea what you’re trying to accomplish, since Jeff does keep saying he’s happy Griffey is back, after all.
seattlebruin - February 19, 2009
JI - February 19, 2009
Erased my comment , huh?
I guess critical comments on your language deficiencies an not allowed.
cwithboat - February 18, 2009
Apparently only masters of language understand that "an" is a verb.
Friend, if you’re going to criticize someone’s “language deficiencies,” you should probably not have grammatical errors in everything you post. It makes you look like an asshole.
Also, you’re either obscenely dense or unfamiliar with Jeff’s writing, because he’s not actually calling Griffey an asshole. There are such things as context, sarcasm and audience involved in writing.
Teej - February 18, 2009
It doesn't make him look like an asshole, it makes him look like an idiot
Graham MacAree - February 19, 2009
I just wanted to say asshole.
Teej - February 19, 2009
Assrorqual
Graham MacAree - February 19, 2009
Resend: Jeff why must you use terms like asshole for a guy who has never none any thing to harm you?
You could take the high road, but instead you take care to desecrate the conversation with unnecessary epithets. Try being a grown up.
P.S. Ken Griffey is not the asshole , you are.
cwithboat - February 18, 2009
Reply to Resend: Who is asshole , you say an?
Fuck Shit Balls
Conversation now ultra-fucking-desecrated.
Eegah - February 18, 2009
Resend:
“Ken Griffey is not the asshole , you are.”
I don’t know how things work in the Magical Land of the Inability to Recognize Beat-You-Over-The-Fucking-Head-Obvious Jokes, but around here, we like to use periods or semicolons to separate independent clauses. Using a comma is what we call a "comma splice," and comma splices are the refuge of the incompetent.
Teej - February 18, 2009
This joke worked better with the first comment.
:(
Teej - February 18, 2009
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/8/14/594057/in-the-land-of-the-binocul
Jeff Sullivan - February 19, 2009
I've been saying this for years.
You good sir, have made a powerful friend today.
JI - February 19, 2009
Wonder Twins activate!
Robert - February 19, 2009
I know that's a real tool thing too do.
Robert - February 19, 2009
Thank you for providing much needed comic relief.
redwolf75 - February 19, 2009
Welcome to Lookout Landing, Mr. cwithboat.
ThundaPC - February 19, 2009
Did you bother to read this paragraph?
seattlebruin - February 19, 2009
Maybe he just isn't that into them?
Robert - February 19, 2009
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