Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Well it looks like we have an all baseball blog today here on Big O Sports Blog, so hardball fans get ready for a good time. On today's slate we have, A Sad Passing, and Remembering a childhood hero. And now onto the show.


Rod Beck Dies at 38

Former major league pitcher Rod Beck was found dead yesterday in his home. Beck was 38. Reports have no revealed a cause of death yet but no foul play is suspected. You may remember Beck for one of several reasons. During a career that spanned 13 years, covering most of the 90's and on through 2004, Beck was one of the best closers in the game. Beck was also well known for his bushy mullet and mustache. You know the guy you see in Wal-Mart wearing a beater and a NASCAR hat? Yeah, that's more or less what Rod Beck looked like. He was the baseball version of a blue-collar, real everyday guy. A player that fans could relate to. While Beck was working his way back to the Majors in 2003, he would park his RV just behind the outfield fence of the minor league team he was with. Soon fans started coming by to see if they could get the former All-Star's autograph. He allowed them to do more than that. Often Beck would have fans in his RV to celebrate victories or commiserate over losses, but either way, they expressed their emotions over beer. Beck soon was not only a former All-Star closer, but he was a folk hero as well.

By all accounts Beck was a great guy, great teammate, and very rough around the edges. When you live as much as Rod Beck did, you almost have to die young. My thoughts and prayers are with Rod Beck's family. Baseball will miss its Ordinary Joe.


Griffey is Griffey Again

On the day that Ken Griffey Jr. completed his first trip back to Seattle with a two homer day, I find this an appropriate time to talk about Junior . . . or perhaps gush about Junior would be a more appropriate term. The way I feel about Ken Griffey Jr. can best be described as man-love. Now there is nothing gay about man-love, it is simply the next level of admiration past being a fanatic. It is the way I feel about Pedro Martinez as well. You don't just follow the player, you don't just root for them to do well. You are emotionally invested in how they do. Now make no mistake, this is an unhealthy and unnatural phenomenon, but once it has occurred there is no getting rid of it, so you might as well embrace it with arms wide open.

Ken Griffey Jr. was my favorite position player growing up. Pedro was my favorite pitcher and favorite overall, but there was just something about Griffey. Maybe the way he was always smiling that made me feel like you really don't have to grow up someday, you can just play baseball your whole life and be happy. Maybe it was that swing, that sweet, sweet swing. It could have been the way he just covered unreal amounts of ground in centerfield before sacrificing his body to make absolutely ridiculous catches. Part of it could have been the fact that when you saw Ken Griffey Jr. you knew you weren't just seeing a great player or a superstar, you knew you were seeing one of the top handful of players to ever put on a uniform. It was probably a combination of everything, but no matter what it was, there was really nothing quite like watching Ken Griffey Jr. playing the game.

And then it happened. The injuries, all the freak injuries. Before I knew it, in a blink of an eye it seemed like, Ken Griffey Jr., MY Ken Griffey Jr. had lost four years of his prime and was considered a has been who didn't look like he would ever find that pure stroke again. He was a step too slow in the outfield and he was behind every pitch. The guy that was a lock to cruise past Hank Aaron as the greatest home run hitter ever suddenly looked like he might not come within 200 dingers of Hammerin' Hank. I would check the boxscores everyday just hoping that Griffey had come of the DL and miraculously found that magic he once had. And everyday the little boy in me died a little as a realized you can't just play baseball and be happy forever.

Then, the miraculous happened. 2005, Ken Griffey Jr. found the fountain of youth. He belted 35 homers, his highest total in five years, and batted over .300. He won the comeback player of the year award, which tells you just how far he'd fallen. Just a few years earlier he was on baseball All-Century team and now he was the comeback player of the year winner. But it didn't matter, it looked like the old Griffey, the Seattle Griffey was back. Last year he took a bit of a step back, the rigors of centerfield allowed him to play in barely more than 100 games, and while he did hit 27 dingers, he hit only .252. After his return to glory in 2005 it looked like Griffey might actually be in the twilight of his career. Could The Kid really be pushing his late 30's?

Well Griffey is 37 now, there's nothing anyone can do about that. But with a move to right field allowing Junior's body to not take such a beating, Griffey found that swing that could be recognized anywhere. He is on pace for 47 homers this year and his average is hovering just under .300. His pitch selection has improved, as he already has taken as many walks this year as he did all of last season. With his two home runs today Junior passed Mark McGwire to be alone in 7th place on the all-time home run list. Griffey may never reach the lofty expectations of his youth, but he may pass 600 homers this year, and 700 isn't out of the question. I don't know how anyone who enjoys baseball can't just be overjoyed at the sight of one of the game's greats playing like he's in his prime again. And while the little boy inside of me found out the hard way that you can't play baseball and be happy forever, there is still a little bit of extra brightness in my day when Ken Griffey Jr. goes yard one more time because it reminds me that finally, Griffey is Griffey again.


We're done for today folks, hope you had a good weekend.