ken griffey jr.?

Question

if ken griffey jr. would have stayed injury free do you think he would have been the greatest baseball player ever?

p.s. i would have to say yes hands down.

Answer 1

Yes he would have. First of all, he would likely have the home run record. Secondly, he would have stayed healthy so he would have been able to make even more fantastic catches in center field. Imagine Willie Mays - Barry Bonds - Hank Aaron in one person! And he would have had healthy legs so he could have stolen more bases. So, now he's a great defensive player, the HR kinf and a great base stealer. With a .300 or better lifetime batting average. Wow. Who else has ever done that? Sure, maybe Bonds, but he is under a cloud of suspicion. Aaron? He was not great defensively. Ruth? Also not good defensively and didn't steal bases. Mays? Yeah, maybe, but Junior would have him in home runs, so that's a moot point. Yep, greatest ever, hands down.

Answer 2

I think so. Jr was, and still is, one of my favorite players. And it was talked about a lot during the year McGwire broke the record that Griffey slowed down towards the end of the season because he didn't like the spotlight, which I feel he may have done on other occasions as well. And if it wasn't for the injuries, he probably would be pressing Hank Aaron for the record in due time. As it is he'll still likely come close to 700 if he plays a few more healthy years.

Answer 3

Certainly one of the greatest. However, the greatest belongs to Babe Ruth. Ruth did things so far above and beyond what others have done, it really isn't close.

He often outhomered entire teams. In an era where 10 homers was quite a feat, he hit 60. He did this while hitting well over .300 for his entire career.
His homer and RBI career numbers far eclipsed anyone of his era.
He also won over 20 games as a pitcher with an ERA well under 3.00.

What he did relative to rest of the game was equivalent to Carlos Zambrano deciding tomorrow to become a LF and then going out and hitting 100 homers next year and driving in 200 runs, then going on to becoming baseball's all-time home run and RBI leader while hitting well over .300.

When looked at in that light, hard to imagine Griffey coming even close to Ruthian levels, no matter how healthy he had been.

That being said, had he stayed healthy he certainly could have been the best player of this era and one of the greatest all-time.
He is close to that status despite the injuries.

Answer 4

I still think Babe Ruth is the greatest ever. Griffey would be up there, but its a "what if" question. No one doubts he is one of the best. I think if Arod can win a ring he will go down as the greatest. Babe Ruth would have won the home run title and cy young in the same season. That is greatness.

Answer 5

Ken Griffey was someone who was dominating and was someone who took the country by storm. Being in the west hurt him becasue, no one cares about sports in the west. So, at the pace he was going may have made him the greatest, there is no way to tell if he would have slumped or just stopped caring it is hard to say.

Answer 6

I wouldn't stay best ever, Ruth has that honor.
But I think that he and Bonds would be in a race for the all time Home Run Record. He would be right up there and if he were to play another 3 years he probably would have surpassed any number Bonds could post by the end of next year.

Answer 7

Greatest ever? No. He cannot pitch and he doesn't have god-like OBP. Probably around the 10th greatest ever, no lower than 16th. But that's not the Kenny we got to see, dangit.

But he'd have put up some impressively big numbers. Either way, he's Hall-bound.

(I haven't read the responses yet. I do hope someone has, or will, chime in with the standard twaddle about how Griffey has the sweetest swing they ever did see. yawn.)

Answer 8

not the greatest just one of the tops...I think in time arod stays injure free he will be the top player all time to play the game. I mean willie mays was a better fielder than griffey was griffey doesnt have a catch that is named after him. He is good but not the greatest. For pitchers its Nolan Ryan hands down followed by Roger Clemens!

Answer 9

Not a chance.
A great player, yes. But he never led the league in on base percentage, OPS, runs created...he led in RBI once and ditto for slugging and runs.

We don't have to imagine a Willie Mays who could do it all...he already did, and his name was Willie Mays.

And anyone who thinks Aaron was bad in the field needs to explain how Aaron won 3GG (if they matter for Junior, they do for the Hammer) and had above average numbers in FP and range factor.

I won't even worry about bringing Ruth into it.

I will bring sources and actual evidence into it instead of just a wish and a prayer.

Answer 10

Not the greatest ever. He probably would have broken the home run record first.
Unless someone comes along and reinvents the game, no one but Ruth will have the crown of greatest ever.