Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Ken Griffey Jr. elected IT IS HIGH All-Time Yankee opponent in centerfield


Over his 22-year career, Ken Griffey Jr. played 133 games against the Yankees, roughly one regular season. 

Over that mythical year, he hit 36 HRs, drove in 102 runs, stole 14 bases and batted .311. He was intentionally walked 11 times, and he scored 101 times. Basically, he killed us.

Only two other teams - Cleveland and Minnesota - surrendered more HRs. (By the way, his lifetime MLB career batting average: .284.) 

He deserves to be the all-time IT IS HIGH Yankee killer in center field. 

The final tally: 

Ken Griffey Jr. (78 votes): 31%
Kirby Pucket (34): 13%
Mike Trout (32): 13%

Fred Lynn (31): 12%
Jim Edmonds (29): 12%

Amos Otis (18): 7%
Johnny Damon (15): 6%
Jacoby Ellsbury (8): 3%
Willie Wilson (7): 3%


He shoulda been a Yankee. After all, his dad played five years for us, hitting 45 HRs and .285. Maybe if Buck Showalter hadn't complained about the kid wearing his ball cap backwards, Junior would have spared us a little. 

But in fact, there was never a chance of the Yankees drafting Junior - the first selection in the 1987 draft, by Seattle. (The Pirates, picking second, took Mike Merchant, and the Twins then chose Willie Banks.) The Yankees had no first or second round picks, having squandered everything to finish second in the AL East the previous year. Thus, over the first 58 selections, we watched the White Sox take Jack McDowell (5th), the Royals Kevin Appier (9th), the Expos Delino Deshields (12th), the Reds Jack Armstrong (18th), the Astros Craig Biggio (22nd), the Tigers Travis Fryman (30th), the Indians Albert Belle (47th) and the Jays Dereck Bell (49th.)

The Yankees that year drafted Dave "No Man Is An" Eiland in the seventh round. Later, they picked Gerald "Ice" Williams. Basically, it was a blowout, and we were on our way to the first pick in the 1991 draft (which we would squander on Brien Taylor, but that's another story, right?)

Next up: Right field. Nominees?

13 comments:

  1. Strong consideration to Al Kaline...

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  2. Recency bias. Nominees are basically the guys who played against us that we remember. The guys who came before? What about them?

    I lodge this complaint from the comfort of my desk chair, too lazy to look up any old timers who maybe should be nominated.

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  3. RF tormentors? Three worlds:

    Trot Fucking Nixon

    Feels like he always killed us during his time with the Six in the late 90’s / early OO’s

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  4. Have I mentioned I saw Junior go 5 for 5 one day at the Stadium? All singles but freaking 5 for fucking 5!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Have I mentioned I saw Junior go 5 for 5 one day at the Stadium? All singles but freaking 5 for fucking 5!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'd say José Bautista. But perhaps Tony Oliva, Ichiro or Dwight Evans? Too early to say Mookie Betts but yeah he was a thorn. There are so many good RFers but I'm not sure who was actually the toughest against the Yanks.

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  7. @JM Harry Heilmann had great numbers against the Yanks...

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  8. Ranger,

    Thanks for the link. It's a good one.

    One strange thing it has Bobby Abreu as #16 of all time. Ahead of Bonds, Winfield, Dave Parker, to name but a few. Odd choice.

    Imagine if the game was played without walls, apparently he could have been top ten.

    Doug K.

    ReplyDelete
  9. YES, Unknown! Trot Fucking Nixon—always killing us.

    Evans should also be on there. And Frank Robinson, who should not have been in right field with his wing, but was.

    Another candidate: the Bronx's own Rocky Colavito, who actually hit slightly below his usual against us, but still slugged 44 homers in his career against the Yanks.

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  10. There is but one choice for right field next to Junior Griffey: Jay Buhner, the one who got away!

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