The Aging Superstar

Somone once said (and apologies to who that person for the lack of citation) that the toughest thing about being a sports manager is how to deal with an aging superstar. I think folks in Seattle would whole heartedly agree right now. The Mariners beloved superstar, Ken Griffey Jr appears to be on his way out and no one in the city feels good about it.

I actually feel sorry for Griffey and the M's fans so I won't go back in time and relive my thoughts on his signing. Anyone who has talked to me knows my opinion on the subject. Instead, I will take this time to say that I appreciate the fact that Seattlites are finally discussing the idea of him retiring or being released. It is a sign that they are finally thinking about the team first.

MOst sports fans have a "What have you done for me lately?" mentality when it comes to its stars. The minute their once beloved stars stop producing at the level they have become accostumed to, fans will want them replaced. Mets fans felt this in 2005 after Mike Piazza finished his 7 year deal with the Mets. Clearly, he was not the same player we knew from 1999-2001. In his final season with the Mets he hit .251 with 19 hr and 62 rbi in 110 games. As Mets fans, we owed a lot to Piazza. He made us relevant again. He helped the city forget 911 for one night with his home run against the Braves. He was the franchise for 7 years, but we were not willing to re-sign him for more than market value just to see his face at Shea. He felt he was worth more money than the Mets were willing to give him and he signed a 1-year contract with the Padres. He played one more year in Oakland and retired after the 2007 season .

The Piazza situation was a tough one for us even though the logical decision was clear. Upon his return to Shea as the oppostion, we gave him a standing ovation. I hoped he would hit two homers in a Padres loss. Still today he is beloved by Mets fans and recently he said he wanted to enter the Hall of Fame with a Mets hat. The divorce was not a bitter one.

That is what I wish for the Mariners and Griffey. His return was a great story last year. He came back to the city where he was idolized earlier in his career. While he didn't come anywhere close to his stats from ten years ago, he was loved by the city and his team. In fact, his teammates carried him off the field after what was thought to be the last game of his career. I can handle last years decision to re-sign The Kid. It made sense for the chemistry and character of the ballclub. This year's decision to re-sign was very short sighted. He was not going to bounce back. I think that was clear. Most thought if he was ok with his role than it was money well spent. Well, he has been ok with the role but a silly off the field incident like sleeping through some innings has now put the spotlight on him. The M's aren't likely to take the high road - they already went out of their way to pay him more money than he is worth. It's up to Griffey to bow out gracefully.