Ken Griffey Jr: Best Player in Last 20 Years
So with all the big name players using steroids it got me to thinking if you eliminate those players, then who is the best player in baseball in the past 20 years? One name and one name only come to mind: Ken Griffey Jr.
Before he got hurt he was assured a gold glove every year and you could count on 35+ homeruns a year(before steroids took place and everyone started hitting 50 a year). Griffey also hit around.285 which is a respectable average. He was a 20/20 guy.
Look at it this way, there has been a hand full of guys that you could make a case for them being the best player. Some are either thrown out because of roids or the others lose out because they aren’t as well rounded as Griff was. Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Arod-All on steroids so they can’t be the best. Ricky Henderson was a solid average hitter, great base runner, good fielder, but he lacked the power Griffey brought to the plate, Frank Thomas was just a slugger and that’s that. Fred McGriff and Wade Boggs were solid players but they weren’t near Griffey’s class. Cal Ripken in my opinion had a great streak but is an overrated ball player.
I’m saying without a doubt Griffey is the best player in the past 20 years and although he is in the twilight of his career, when he was in his prime I have never seen a better ball player. Not to mention the sweetest swing to ever grace a batters box
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Griffey has always been one of my favorite baseball players. And unlike a lot of the stars he stays out of trouble and doesn’t cheat.
couldn’t agree more. spot on here Kittels.
We all know Griffey is truly my guy, I was there with the broken wrist in Seattle, the hamstring issues in Cinci, and now as all the smoke has cleared everyone is starting to realize exactly how good he really was and how pure he was a completely corrupt world… This is the guy I’m telling my kids about when explaining to them baseballs true heroes!!!
A pure player for sure. Too bad he got so injured or he could be breaking the HR record and not the cheater known as Barry Bonds
Pujols should also be in the discussion
class act
I agree with Griffey, but some other names to mention: Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, Mike Piazza, Mark Grace, Todd Helton and Glavine/Maddux/Randy Johnson
I was trying to leave pitchers out. Thome is a slugger nothing else, Mark Grace(give me a break), Todd Helton never and Chipper I guess but Griff is ten times the power hitter
… And Pujols?
Who has more illegitimate kid’s Chipper Jones or Shawn Kemp? those are some fertile S.O.B’s….but Jones has been a solid player for years
I would say Travis Henry takes gold.
A little digging found this
haha what a great article!
Thank you NTJ, officially made my day! lol once again proves that you can find anything on the internet….
Did you forget to mention Larry Walker?