No Going Home For Griffey: Junior Chooses Braves Over Mariners

[UNHWildCats]

Ken Griffey Jr. has chosen the Atlanta Braves over the Seattle Mariners, a person close to the veteran star told the Atlanta Journal-Consitution.

Braves general manager Frank Wren met with Griffey at Disney's Wide World of Sports complex on Monday afternoon, mlb.com reported.

Griffey, 39, was reportedly leaning toward a reunion with the Seattle Mariners last week, but also made it known that he would like to join the Braves by contacting Chipper Jones and making sure Atlanta general manager Frank Wren know he was interested.

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/29199886/

[Ivytalk]

The Braves have better wheelchairs!:D

[Big Dawg]

YES!!! LET"S GO BRAVES!!!

I've always been a huge Griffey Jr. fan.

[JMU DJ]

This will only make watching the Phils beat up on the Bravos at Turner Field more enjoyable this coming season.

[Big Dawg]

This will only make watching the Phils beat up on the Bravos at Turner Field more enjoyable this coming season.

We'll see...Scalp 'em

[JMU DJ]

We'll see...Scalp 'em

I'll be in my usual spot... dollar ticket, Budweiser deck, heckling the pitchers in the bull pen :D (I don't heckle... but I did laugh when someone heckled Mike Hampton last year when he started warming up... "Where do you think you're going? Sit back on the bench and earn your money the real way"... and he sat back on the bench). Great part of the stadium to be in if Griffey gets put in Right.

[asucrutch23]

If nothing else, this is a great business move for the Braves. Griffey should put some more butts in the seats. Go Braves!

[SunCoastBlueHen]

Adding a .250 / 18 HR / 70 RBI guy to the line-up should strike fear in the rest of the NL East. :p

[mcveyrl]

Adding a .250 / 18 HR / 70 RBI guy to the line-up should strike fear in the rest of the NL East. :p

I heard somewhere that the Braves left field position produced only 6 HRs last year. So, it should be an improvement!! :D

Also, if they platoon Griffey he bats .275 against right handers.

So, yea, take that NL East!!

[dgreco]

good for griffey! except he doesnt have much of a chance winning his ring in Atlanta either.

[blueballs]

Griffey will platoon in LF with Matt Diaz... which should work out okay for the Braves because Griff hits RHP well and Diaz destroys LHP.

It will be Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco or Jordan Schaefer in CF- my bet is on Anderson to win the job in the spring and Schafer to assume the spot by July and man it for 10 years- and Francoeur in RF. Obviously it all boils down to Diaz and Griffey staying healthy and Francoeur returning to his pre-2008 form.

The Braves will be better because there is absolutely no way they can be as snakebit with injuries as they were last year. All in all, getting Griffey was a good signing for the price.

[SuperJon]

I've been wanting this since I was five years old.

[Big Dawg]

I just hope that he can stay healthy. That's my biggest concern with signing him at this point in his career.

[Touchdown Yosef]

good for griffey! except he doesnt have much of a chance winning his ring in Atlanta either.

I thought at the end of last year his goal was to play for a competitor? Nothing against atlanta but I don't see them playing for a title this year. I guess he changed his mind but I would have thought there were better options for him. I would have liked to see him show up in Tampa or St. Louis.

[JMU Newbill]

This will only make watching the Phils beat up on the Bravos at Turner Field more enjoyable this coming season.

I'll be back down there sooner rather than later my friend

[ISUMatt]

The White Sox had Jr at the end of the season last year and offensively, he didnt have it anymore...better than average in CF, even threw Cuddyer out at the plate in the play-in game, but on O, he had nothing

[ISUMatt]

I just hope that he can stay healthy. That's my biggest concern with signing him at this point in his career.

In the NL, you can really only play him 4 days a week

[andy7171]

Why wouldn't he go back to the AL to DH?

[whitey]

Wow. The Braves usually don't make bad decisions.

[Hood]

Holy Smokes! JUNIOR is 39!?!!? Sheesh! Seems like yesterday his upper deck rookie card was lighting up the trading card hobby.

[Marcus Garvey]

As a Phillies fan, I think the phrase that best sums up my reaction to this signing is "whoopdee f--king doo."

[ngineer]

Griffey will platoon in LF with Matt Diaz... which should work out okay for the Braves because Griff hits RHP well and Diaz destroys LHP.

It will be Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco or Jordan Schaefer in CF- my bet is on Anderson to win the job in the spring and Schafer to assume the spot by July and man it for 10 years- and Francoeur in RF. Obviously it all boils down to Diaz and Griffey staying healthy and Francoeur returning to his pre-2008 form.

The Braves will be better because there is absolutely no way they can be as snakebit with injuries as they were last year. All in all, getting Griffey was a good signing for the price.

Unfortunately, the last five years or so for Griffey have been just that--snakebit with injuries. Won't be surprised if he lands on the DL by July. I hope not, as I really like Junior, but it just seems the body is broken down.

[I Bleed Purple]

As a Phillies fan, I think the phrase that best sums up my reaction to this signing is "whoopdee f--king doo."

As a Braves fan, it's a little more significant.

We found out last year that Diaz is not an everyday player. I think his avg. dropped 100 points as a regular last year over his platooning duties of the year before. Braves play against a lot of lefties, so the playing time should be around even.

[gmoney55]

Griffey will platoon in LF with Matt Diaz... which should work out okay for the Braves because Griff hits RHP well and Diaz destroys LHP.

It will be Josh Anderson, Gregor Blanco or Jordan Schaefer in CF- my bet is on Anderson to win the job in the spring and Schafer to assume the spot by July and man it for 10 years- and Francoeur in RF. Obviously it all boils down to Diaz and Griffey staying healthy and Francoeur returning to his pre-2008 form.

The Braves will be better because there is absolutely no way they can be as snakebit with injuries as they were last year. All in all, getting Griffey was a good signing for the price.

Probably not, but you know that Chipper and Griffey at least are both going to have their yearly injury.

[blueballs]

... and while I am in complete agreement about Chipper and Griffey being brittle the odds are against the Braves having 4 out of their 5 startering pitchers they break camp with on the DL for at least 2 months at some point in the season like last year, nor is it likely they will have their top 3 relievers on the DL for at least 2 months at some point in the season like last year.

The Braves will be better if for no other reason than better durability in the pitching staff. Whether that's enough to compete for the division or a wild card... well that's why they play 162.

[LehighFan11]

Atlanta needs to stop breaking stories before they are true. This could be the 4th huge disappointment of the offseason. First Peavy, then Burnett, then Furcal. I'm throwing something if Griffey goes to the Mariners. Griffey isn't the answer, but it helps alot in the OF and boosts team moral with a signing like Griffey.

[whitey]

I'm surprised two teams actually want to sign Griffey...

[ISUMatt]

Javy Vazquez is not an upgrade for your pitching staff turst me...that guy has no balls in any big game

[Shellin]

Griffey is coming to Seattle after all!!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3917214

[UNHWildCats]

ok so apparently you can go home again lol

[dgreco]

just read it on ESPN. A little bizarre, I thought he signed a contract, but I guess not.

[gmoney55]

just read it on ESPN. A little bizarre, I thought he signed a contract, but I guess not.

That is bizarre....that's twice this offseason for the Braves, too. Strange.