From the Sideline

Griffey Jr. joining elite group

Brandon Finley

By BRANDON FINLEY

The moment is here staring Ken Griffey Jr. right in the face. It's a moment that many believed would have come some years ago. It's a moment that almost seemed destined for Jr. as he broke onto the national scene nearly twenty years ago. Now Griffey Jr. stands on the edge of breaking into a club of only five other men.

When Griffey hits his next home run it won't just be another score for his Reds ball club. It will be Griffey's mark at history. He will join the likes of Bonds, Ruth, Mays, Aaron, and Sosa as the only men to hit 600 home runs in their careers.

The question is why this moment didn't come a long time ago for Griffey. They early years of his career showed promise, and in the early nineties there was even talk of Griffey Jr. being the one that would break Aaron's home run record. A couple of steroids later and Bonds has that one all wrapped up. Griffey won't touch that record, but he still will be considered one of the greatest players ever. Unfortunately, he will always be remembered more for his potential than the greatness he has achieved.

That's because his years in Cincinnati haven't been kind. He has hit forty home runs only once for the Reds. That's something he was able to do six times before making it to Cincy. He had four times hit more than 48 home dingers, and twice broke the 50 home run mark.

Then came more injuries in Cincy. Griffey has hit more than thirty home runs only three times in his nine years for the Reds. He doesn't look likely to do it this year either. It's a sad note for one of the players that have been portrayed as a good guy during the steroid scandal. However, when he cracks the bat for the 600th time it will be a moment of elation for Griffey. It will also be a moment of what might have been.