Once upon a time Ken Griffey Jr. electrified baseball fans, launching home runs at a record clip, while roaming center field in Seattle’s Kingdome. Fast forward to May 2010, Junior is back in a Mariners uniform, about to nap his way out of baseball.
At 40 years old chronic injuries have stripped him of his gold-glove caliber defensive skills, so the M’s have him penciled in as Designated Hitter most games. You can find him sitting, waiting in the dugout or team clubhouse for his 4-5 at-bats per game.
When it was his turn to bat Saturday, Griffey was nowhere to be found. The News Tribune of Tacoma reports he was sound asleep in his chair in the clubhouse.
An unnamed player told the newspaper, “He’d gone back about the fifth inning to get a jacket and didn’t come back.”
Another Mariner said to the same reporter, "He doesn't sleep well at night, he's away from his family; he's comfortable in the clubhouse."
Some are questioning the credibility of the story’s author, for citing unnamed players in the report. Griffey was in the starting lineup for the Mariners the following game.
Other news outlets are reporting the Mariner’s are preparing to cut Griffey. He may be the organization’s most celebrated player, but he’s no longer productive. He was hitting .208 through Sunday.
The clubhouse nap would be an obvious factor, if it happened.
Griffey isn’t the only big name in Major League Baseball who couldn’t stay awake an entire game Saturday.
The Met’s Keith Hernandez was busted dozing off in the announcer’s booth in extra innings against the Giants.
At 40 years old chronic injuries have stripped him of his gold-glove caliber defensive skills, so the M’s have him penciled in as Designated Hitter most games. You can find him sitting, waiting in the dugout or team clubhouse for his 4-5 at-bats per game.
When it was his turn to bat Saturday, Griffey was nowhere to be found. The News Tribune of Tacoma reports he was sound asleep in his chair in the clubhouse.
An unnamed player told the newspaper, “He’d gone back about the fifth inning to get a jacket and didn’t come back.”
Another Mariner said to the same reporter, "He doesn't sleep well at night, he's away from his family; he's comfortable in the clubhouse."
Some are questioning the credibility of the story’s author, for citing unnamed players in the report. Griffey was in the starting lineup for the Mariners the following game.
Other news outlets are reporting the Mariner’s are preparing to cut Griffey. He may be the organization’s most celebrated player, but he’s no longer productive. He was hitting .208 through Sunday.
The clubhouse nap would be an obvious factor, if it happened.
Griffey isn’t the only big name in Major League Baseball who couldn’t stay awake an entire game Saturday.
The Met’s Keith Hernandez was busted dozing off in the announcer’s booth in extra innings against the Giants.
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Mr. Hernandez has had better days.
It remains to be seen if either Griffey or Hernandez have some kind of sleeping disorder, were out late burning the midnight oil Friday or were simply bored by baseball.
Let’s admit it, neither the Mets nor the Mariners are all that good this year.
It remains to be seen if either Griffey or Hernandez have some kind of sleeping disorder, were out late burning the midnight oil Friday or were simply bored by baseball.
Let’s admit it, neither the Mets nor the Mariners are all that good this year.
Image courtesy ICCSPORTS
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