Junior Headed to ChiTown

Ken Griffey, Jr., as approved a trade from the Cincinnati Reds to the Chicago White Sox, according to news reports.   The news reports also say that the commissioner needs to approve the trade before it is final because money is involved.

Junior is sixth on the all-time home run list, with 608 career home runs.  He is one HR behind Sammy Sosa.  At 38, he is batting .245 for the season, with 15 home runs and 53 RBI’s.  It isn’t clear what the Sox will do with him once he gets to Chicago.  He hasn’t played center field for more than a year and the Sox are set with Nick Swisher stepping in for the slumping Paul Konerko at first base.

Junior, a 13-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove award winner, 7-time Silver Slugger and definite future Hall-of-Famer, has never played in a World Series.  He is leaving a team that is 13.5 out of first place to join the division leaders.

In exchange for Griffey, the Sox are giving up RHP Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar.  Masset has a 4.63 ERA in 44-2/3 innings pitched.  Richar has been playing Triple-A ball this year.

Ken Griffey, Jr. Home Run Watch

Cincinnati Reds right-fielder Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 598th home run in a home-run-a-palooza that saw five four-baggers.  It was Griffey’s first home run after 90 at-bats and his fifth of the season.  His last home run was on April 23 against Houston.  If, as expected, he hits two more home runs in his career, he will become only the fifth (some say sixth) player to hit 600.

The home run came in the first inning of a game that the San Diego Padres won 8-2.  The Padres scored six of their runs on two solo home runs by Khalil Greene and two-run homers by Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Griffey’s most prolific years for home runs were 1996 (49), 1997 (56), 1998 (56) and 1999 (48).  When he hits his 600th home run he will be joining a man who shall remain nameless who is purported to have hit 762, the incomparable Hank Aaron at 755, Babe Ruth (714), Willie Mays (660) and Sammy Sosa (609).

I’ll be looking forward to the next two home runs, and even more after that.