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Griffey's hand in cast after accident in home
It's not clear whether 37-year-old will be recovered in time to participate in spring training in mid-February.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
The misfortune that has plagued Ken Griffey Jr. throughout his seven-year career with the Cincinnati Reds — always on-the-field before — struck Griffey at home this time.
Griffey broke his left hand in a mishap at his Orlando, Fla., home this week. He preferred not to reveal the details of how the accident occurred or even when it happened.
Extras
But two sources familiar with the situation told the Dayton Daily News that Griffey broke the hand while playing with his kids. Griffey and wife Melissa have three children — a daughter, a son and an adopted son.
The injury is to Griffey's throwing hand, which will be in a hard cast for at least three weeks, then examined, the Reds said.
It's not clear whether the 37-year-old center fielder will be fully recovered to participate in spring training when the team reports in mid-February.
"We don't know enough right now and it is too early to talk about it," Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky said. "We'll know more after it is re-evaluated in three weeks, but until then we don't know much."
Brian Goldberg, Griffey's Cincinnati-based agent, did not return a phone call.
Griffey signed an eight-year, $116.5 million contract extension with the Reds before the 2000 season, with a club option for 2009, after being obtained from the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Brett Tomko, outfielder Mike Cameron, pitcher Jake Meyer and infielder Antonio Perez.
Griffey missed nearly a month early last season with inflammation in his right knee, then missed 22 of the last 24 games after dislocating a toe, banging it against the wall while trying to snag a Barry Bonds home run. He made two appearances the rest of the season, both as a pinch-hitter. One resulted in a game-winning home run, the 563rd homer of his major-league career.
Fragile star
Ken Griffey Jr. has been on the disabled list eight times since joining the Reds in 2000. He's also missed significant playing time at the end of the past two seasons without going on the DL. Griffey has played 699 games in seven seasons with the Reds. His year-by-year totals:
——————————
2000 — 145
2001 — 111
2002 — 70
2003 — 53
2004 — 83
2005 — 128
2006 — 109
Comments
By Jim
January 4, 2007 10:52 PM | Link to this
Tom, you are blind. How many games has he played with the Reds since he has been here? Why is his strikeouts on the rise? How many SBs does he have since he has been here? Reason, he has no speed left. He is not a CF no more like he thinks he is! We get our real Reds back in 2009! They year he is gone!
Jealous of Junior? I have heard it all now! Nope, next post I will read another. Get Real People!
By Stephen
January 2, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
As a Cubs fan, I can relate to injuries…Relax folks, it happens. As a baseball fan, I hate to see a tremendous talent like Ken not on the baseball field. Lastly, as an American, I am HORRIFIED after reading the comments above that contain consistent misspellings, horrific grammar, and content that would make the 3 Stooges seem intellectual.
By Ed
December 27, 2006 02:02 PM | Link to this
Only in Ohio do we have people who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a baseball or swing their way out of a wet paperbag with a bat, yet consider themselves worthy of deciding who sucks and how much they should get paid. You are lucky to have a star like Ken Griffey for what you losers are paying him.
By Ed
December 27, 2006 02:01 PM | Link to this
Only in Ohio do we have people who couldn’t hit the broadside of a barn with a baseball or swing their way out of a wet paperbag with a bat, yet consider themselves worthy of deciding who sucks and how much they should get paid. You are lucky to have a star like Ken Griffey for what you losers are paying him.
By Tony Byrkett
December 26, 2006 10:00 PM | Link to this
That bloke needs to catch a break - not bone.
By JoeFundo
December 25, 2006 02:35 PM | Link to this
The game of baseball is again deprived of a few more days of seeing the greatest ballplayer of his generation grace the baseball field.
By andy
December 24, 2006 12:09 PM | Link to this
everyone talking bad about griffey are the same people who jumped on the bengals bandwagon when they started winning and then claimed they were always fans….if griffey has a seattle type year you all will eat your words and act like youve always loved the guy ..he doesnt get paid crap compared to other superstars so he is already getting paid less ..he makes a little less than 10 mill how much does A-rod make? or Barry bonds dont hate the only guy that doesnt take steroids but chasing H. Aaron
By David Rea
December 24, 2006 12:51 AM | Link to this
Get well soon! Plenty of time to be ready for the season. Griffey is a great guy, ballplayer, teammate, and father! It gets old seeing people dog him all the time. We love you here in Indiana.
Merry CHRISTmas!
By David Rea
December 24, 2006 12:51 AM | Link to this
Get well soon! Plenty of time to be ready for the season. Griffey is a great guy, ballplayer, teammate, and father! It gets old seeing people dog him all the time. We love you here in Indiana.
Merry CHRISTmas!
By Wriffey
December 24, 2006 12:21 AM | Link to this
Ken probably smashed his hand playing with his boat or something…The only times you don’t her about a player’s injury right after the incident is because they are hiding something. Lets remember Jeff Kent - Motercycle accident, Kevin Mitchell - Baha racing, to name a few.
Hopefully Doc Hollywood will update us as to which bone he actually broke in his hand before we can dream of M. Cabera and a deal to the Yankees.
By Sean, Seattle, WA
December 23, 2006 10:17 PM | Link to this
It really saddens me to read some of the comments from Griffey’s supposed hometown. I grew up watching Griffey in Seattle. I am now 25, and he is still my hero. When Griffey left for Cinci it crushed me, and most of Seattle. Now, to see that Cinci does not care or respect him, it seems like such a waste. If Griffey wants to end his career properly, he should come back to a city that actually respects him.
By Rose
December 23, 2006 03:48 PM | Link to this
As a life long Reds fan I have seen players get hurt and no one ever says anything about them. Let Ken Griffey Jr. get hurt and everyone goes crazy. Well he is like anyone else who plays sports. He is not the only man on the team.It takes the whole team to win ball games not just one person. Good Luck to the whole team in 2007. And Ken Griffey Jr. Heal soon. Merry Christmas everyone Newport News, Virginia
By fed up
December 23, 2006 11:58 AM | Link to this
I say we start paying players on what they do during the season, not what they have done in the past. Give everyone a base salary of say, $100,000 for rookies to $500,000 for veterans. Then, based on thier Batting Average, Fielding Percentage, playoffs, world series, etc. Pay them incentices for that seaons. Then the next season start over again. Unions are ruining baseball just as they hve done with the rest of americas industries.
By Bob
December 23, 2006 10:04 AM | Link to this
Griffey, Griffey, Griffey. A lot of print day after day with the usual comments that he is wonderful, does everything they ask of him and is fun in the clubhouse. How about hiring a PR/comedian for 200M and free all that money up for a full-time producing player(s)?
By mike wolford
December 23, 2006 08:21 AM | Link to this
Ken Griffey JR. HAS BEEN MY FAVORITE BASEBALL PLAYER FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, IM 33 NOW IVE NEVER MET THE MAN BUT IVE HEARD HES COOL, WHEN THE REDS GOT HIM IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE THINGS I’LL REMEMBER ABOUT SPORTS. IVE SEEN THE MAN DO THINGS OFFENSIVELY AND DEFENSIVLEY THAT IS BEYOND REMARKABLE.ONE OF THE BEST TO EVER PUT ON A GLOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Paul Kempff
December 23, 2006 08:02 AM | Link to this
Hey, gang…It’s December. Give the guy a chance to heal! He could have taken a lot more money to go somewhere else; and unlike many sad players of the pathetic “megasalary” era, KG (I have ALWAYS hated referring to him as “junior”; makes you think of the kid down the block you didn’t like!) has always been approachable by fans, and a good influence in the clubhouse. The Reds hung in there till September last season; don’t bury them in ‘07 just yet!
By amanda
December 22, 2006 11:06 PM | Link to this
people need to learn how to spell Griffey is spelled griffey, not griffy. and he’s got to make a living just like the rest of us. but yes, he does get paid too much.
By MPD
December 22, 2006 09:28 PM | Link to this
What JR have you been watching. The one in Seattle was awesome. Seatlly don’t mean squat to the Reds. Now look at what he has done in a Reds Uniform. The bottom line is he has been OVERPAID for the numbers he has out up. It is time to unload him. History will repeat itself this year. He will play a partial season and put up above avg numbers. That will not warrrant the money the Reds are paying. Do the man a favor. Trade him to a team where he can DH and chase 700 HRs.
By Paul Kuppin
December 22, 2006 08:58 PM | Link to this
Ken Griffey Jr. is human. He’s not perfect. He almost always gives his all to the game. He also has a million times better command of the english language than some of the folks have used commenting on this topic.
By Bryan Rodgers
December 22, 2006 07:47 PM | Link to this
Youngest to the all-century team. 583 career home runs. 10 Gold Gloves. Career .290-something average. Still the sweetest swing in the game. Stop hating and start appreciating the man, because he can’t play forever and there have been enough good performances to warrant much more respect than he has been shown. Jr. will be ready to play on Opening Day. It’s only December. Stop hanging the woes on him. When the pitchers start consistently pitching the way they should, the Reds will be fine.
By janet
December 22, 2006 06:40 PM | Link to this
we needed to keep crosley feld that was i got my frist ball and the players sign it and now since you build the new one they don’t care about the people and you charge to much for a family to go see them. Ken Grafey and the rest of them need to get less pay.
By janet
December 22, 2006 06:01 PM | Link to this
to bad that you people tore down the old crosley feld where the reds won games. they didn’t need the new stadem. I got my frist ball. don’t pay the player’s that much money maybe they will win games again.
By Randy
December 22, 2006 03:41 PM | Link to this
I heard JR was in town and was working out with the Bengals. He was taking some snaps under center and the offensive line didn’t protect him.
Merry Christmas from Germany.
By Randy
December 22, 2006 03:38 PM | Link to this
I heard JR was in town and was working out with the Bengals. He was taking snaps under center and the offensive line didn’t protect him.
Merry Christmas from Germany
By Ted Rathfelder
December 22, 2006 03:07 PM | Link to this
I am sorry I do not beleive even for a minute that it is June. I mean the only time Griffey gets hurt is during the season. You can’t fool me. Have been and always will be a die hard Griffey fan even from the days in Seattle. Just a shame that we all have to grow old, even the superstar child prodegies of baseball.
By Tom
December 22, 2006 02:43 PM | Link to this
Some of you apparently haven’t been watching the same Ken Griffey Jr. that I have the past two years. 62 HR in 237 games batting .279 and a glove that is invaluable in the outfield sounds like pretty good numbers to me. How long does he have to play well before we forget the few bad injury prone years when he was first traded to Cincinnati? And he’ll be fine by Spring Training.
By Denny
December 22, 2006 02:23 PM | Link to this
We need to trade him to the yankees for melkey cabrera. Cut your loses and move on !
By Lang Rogers
December 22, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this
as a lifelong Cincinnati Reds fan, I am appauled at the lack of respect alot of y’all so -called fans give to your own home team. Being in Mississippi, I’ve never witnessed a game in Cincinnati, but I have seen a lot on TV and I would never boo or chastise my home town players, especially the ones who bust their asses for the fans everyday. Ken Griffey is one of the elite players to have ever played in MLB. Let’s all just hope he has a trouble free year.
By rick
December 22, 2006 01:25 PM | Link to this
who care’s???????????
baseball fever, catch it!………..NOT!!!
I imagine he’ll be up and spitting, tugging & scratching in no time……
By STEPHEN SANDBERG
December 22, 2006 01:20 PM | Link to this
I FEEL FOR GRIFFY, BUT THIS INJURY BUG HAPPENS TOO MUCH. I WILL SADLY BE RELIEVED WHEN THE REDS CAN UNLOAD HIS BIG SALARY WHICH WILL OPEN MONEY FOR HEALTHIER PLAYERS.
MERRY CHRISTMAS HAL MCCOY!
By Hutch O'Connor
December 22, 2006 01:11 PM | Link to this
Why was there no mmention of “How” he broke his hand????
By Jim Muskera
December 22, 2006 01:05 PM | Link to this
He does have a lot of bad luck, but i am sure he will be ok by the begining of season, and you guy’s who are always cutting him up get a life, he could out play most with one hand.
By Walter
December 22, 2006 12:48 PM | Link to this
Well, hopefully this is his injury for the year. He’s way too good of a player to be as snakebitten as he seems to be.
By Dan
December 22, 2006 12:45 PM | Link to this
Bill,
Come on - no one would break their hand on purpose. He is injury prone for sure, but I imagine his salary isguarenteed regardless….
Merry Christmas !!!
By mitch
December 22, 2006 12:42 PM | Link to this
You guys are idiots. He already has time off… some would call it the offseason. More than likely he will be ready by Opening Day.
By nicole
December 22, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this
You know for people to make rude comments about somebody they do not even know is a sign of jealousy. JR is one of the best ball players and who are we to say things about how much money they make or if he is really injured or not. They are there for our amusement and they take a beating everyday during practice and on the field. I hope he gets better and he gets back on the field soon.
By Tyler
December 22, 2006 12:41 PM | Link to this
I hope he is alright to play by opening day.
By Bill
December 22, 2006 12:27 PM | Link to this
Griffey is just looking to get more time off while drawing that huge salary.
By Thomas G.Gaylor
December 22, 2006 12:24 PM | Link to this
griffey might be like a baked potato —— done ———- stick a fork in him and check.
By doug,bowling,franklin,ohio
December 22, 2006 12:14 PM | Link to this
ihopehe,is,all,right