Though it was overshadowed by Armando Galarraga’s nearly perfect game, Ken Griffey Jr. announced his retirement on Wednesday, marking the end of a historic career. Griffey’s various injuries over the last 10 years prevented him from breaking the all-time home run record, but The Kid will still go down as one of the very best of his era. He was a 13-time All-Star (including 11 in a row) and totaled 2,781 career hits, 630 homers (good for 5th all-time) and 1836 Runs Batted In. He won 7 Silver Sluggers and an MVP Award, and his 10 Gold Gloves tie him for third-most among outfielders; he won them in consecutive years. Known for his sweet swing, tremendous defense in center field, and contagious smile, Griffey will take his place in Cooperstown before we know it.
How ‘bout that?
How about Justin Morneau? The Twins’ first baseman is hitting .369 – over 100 points higher than he hit in 2009. In addition to his improved batting average, Morneau’s slugging percentage of .674 is second in the majors to Miguel Cabrera’s .684. Though his power numbers are better away from home (10 out of 12 home runs on the road), Morneau has fared well at Target Field, compiling a line of .378/.517/.567 in Minnesota’s brand-new open-air stadium. Along with teammate Joe Mauer, Morneau is a major reason the Twins lead the AL Central by two and a half games over the Tigers.
How about Robinson Cano? The Yankees’ second baseman is leading the big leagues with a .373 batting average, has 43 RBIs (third in the majors) and 30 extra-base hits (tied for fifth in the bigs), and is slugging an outstanding .632 (also third in MLB). With Mark Teixeira struggling at the plate with a .220 batting average and A-Rod off to a slower start than usual, Cano has been the heart of the Yankee lineup, helping the Bronx Bombers lead the majors with a .288 average. (The next-closest is Kansas City at .276.)
How about the Blue Jays? Despite the public’s exceedingly low expectations after Roy Halladay was traded in the offseason, the Jays are tied with the Red Sox at 31-24 and trail only the Yankees in the Wild Card race. The only team left north of the border has been hitting home runs left and right; they have 91 in 55 games and their nearest competitor – that team in Boston – has just 74 in the same number of games. If Toronto continues to play good baseball for the next few months, perhaps we will finally have a postseason that features neither the Yanks nor the Sox.
A league of his own
How good has Ubaldo Jimenez been this season? Quite simply, he’s been absolutely extraordinary. He has made 11 starts and allowed runs in only five of them. In 80.1 innings pitched, he has given up just one home run (a solo shot to Adam Dunn). He has pitched at least six innings in every start and has thrown two Complete Game shutouts.
Jimenez has held opponents to a paltry .172 batting average. His ERA is a minuscule 0.78 (compared to Halladay’s 1.99, for example) and his WHIP is 0.90. He leads Major League Baseball in all three categories.
He has been nearly unbeatable, simply refusing to allow other teams to put themselves in a position to win. If the Rockies gave Charlie Manuel their permission (which they certainly will not), the National League should let Jimenez not only start the All-Star Game but pitch deep into the game to give the Senior Circuit their best chance of winning the Midsummer Classic for the first time since 1996.
Keywords: Adam Dunn, Alex Rodriguez, All-Star Game, Armando Galarraga, Boston Red Sox, Charlie Manuel, Colorado Rockies, Cooperstown, Detroit Tigers, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Kansas City Royals, Ken Griffey Jr., Mark Teixeira, Midsummer Classic, Miguel Cabrera, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Robinson Cano, Roy Halladay, Senior Circuit, Target Field, The Kid, Toronto Blue Jays, Ubaldo Jimenez, Wild Card race
