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SEATTLE -- Mariners fans are sorry to see him go, but most
say Ken Griffey Jr. went far beyond the call of duty in waiting so
long for the M's to field a championship team.
|  | | Ken Griffey Jr., with Jay Buhner tossing Joey Hutchinson into the air at Safeco Field's opening, created good memories in Seattle. |
"How many years has he put in to try to make this team a
winning team?" said Nigel Miller, a house painter having an
afternoon drink at The Central, mere blocks from the Kingdome where
Griffey hit 198 of his 398 career home runs in 11 seasons.
"Let him go! Let's not put $150 million into one player. Let's
get a winning team," said Miller, 35.
Griffey was traded Thursday to the Cincinnati Reds after
agreeing to a $117.5 million, nine-year contract with his hometown
team.
"The guy played his heart out for the (Seattle) team," said Gary Kennedy, 55, of Seattle.
Almost all agreed the 10-time All Star will be sorely missed.
"He was part of the community. He was more than a baseball
player," said James Aston, 62, a merchant marine based in Mexico
who was having a pint at Larry's, another Pioneer Square bar.
"He resembles some of the good spirit that represents Seattle," he said. "We could use that kind of positive image."
"I'm sorry to see him go," said Willie Venable, 49, a
commodity inspector. "I think we got murdered on the deal. You'd
think they'd try to get someone of his caliber."
The deal sends pitcher Brett Tomko and outfielder Mike Cameron
to Seattle, along with minor leaguers Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer.
Some saw that as a good trade.
"I'm not upset that he's gone," said 34-year-old Chris Lufty
of Bremerton, a sales clerk at Sports Den, a Mariners merchandise
store. "The Mariners got some good young prospects that are going
to help us out."
"They'll have a better team with the money they saved on (Griffey's) salary," said B. Dean Rude, 49, of suburban Kent, at the Triangle Pub. "They'll be able to pick up some free agents and help the team."
Miller said Griffey's eagerness to leave Seattle was completely understandable.
"It's ridiculous to say Griffey's a whiner, he's a bitcher,"
he said. "He's one of the top five players and he's playing for
one of the worst teams. ... We're not going to have a winning team
for 10 years."
"He did a lot for Seattle. He helped us get Safeco Field,"
Lufty said, referring to the Mariners' state-of-the-art $517.6
million ballpark, a few hundred yards from the Kingdome, which is scheduled to be imploded in the next month or two.
"Too bad they built that stadium just for him," said 41-year-old Dan Flannery of Ocean Shores. "One player doesn't make the whole team."
"Pity he won't be able to break the batting record here," Aston said.
Hank Aaron, baseball's career home-run leader with 755, thinks
Griffey, 30, has the best chance to top his record.
"If you're not happy where you are, just move on," Rude said.
"It's nothing personal. It's his business."
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