600

600! It's been a long time coming, and Ken Griffey, Jr. has finally reached the biggest milestone in baseball since Barry Bonds hit his 756th home run. Last night, Griffey finally kicked the door open to the 600 Home Run Club, a door he'd been seemingly knocking on for years. Only five players before him had achieved the feat, including names like Bonds, Aaron, Ruth, and Mays. As it stands, Griffey looks up at only five players on the career home run list having hit more homers than players like Mantle, Foxx, McGwire, Williams, and Murray.

The circumstances surrounding the historic home run were somewhat disappointing. When it seems that all major home run hitting milestones lately are achieved at the player's home ballpark, Griffey's occurred on the road in front of a mere 16,003 fans in one of least electric venues in professional sports. Barry Bonds' career home runs number 400, 500, 600, 660, 700, 715, and 756 all came at home. Chipper Jones' 400th came at home five days ago. Jim Thome and Alex Rodriguez both hit their 500th at home last year, as did Sammy Sosa with his 600th. To further take away from the moment, there was a noticeable absence of any reception that could be deemed suitable. With milestones of this degree, it is typical for play to stop for about 15 minutes while the crowd showers the player with cheers and applause, the player returning the crowd's adoration for his accomplishment with waves and hat tips while celebrating with his family on the field. Outside of a few hugs and high-fives from teammates and a curtain call from the fans, this reception lacked the luster of previous milestones. The subpar jubilation was likely a function of the atmosphere, but, considering my continuous praise of Griffey on this site, I'm sure you could have predicted my elation regardless of the context. (By the way, I think the whole anticlimax of the situation was summed up by the fellow who ended up with the 600th home run ball. He was a Marlins fan wearing a Sergio Mitre jersey t-shirt who probably has no interest whatsoever in Griffey's milestone other than the income he can generate by auctioning the ball off on eBay.)

When I turned on ESPNEWS (the ESPN game was blacked out in Erie, therefore inhumanely barring me from the live cut-ins of Griffey's at-bats) and saw that Griffey had hit #600, my initial reaction was one of relief. My relief was quickly replaced by joy and excitement, which eventually turned into a feeling of extreme pride. I don't have kids, but I told my wife that I felt like a proud father despite being almost young enough to be Griffey's son. I also told my wife that this could be the greatest moment of my life as a sports fan as far as individual accomplishments go. I kept walking around the house with my arms raised in the air. When they weren't in the air, I was either clapping or dishing out high-fives to anyone in my vicinity.

Congratulations, Mr. Griffey! S3B gives you a standing ovation.

When I was a young kid growing up, I fell in love watching Griffey play. I knew he was good, but I didn't know how good he was going to be. As I grew older and he put up better and better numbers, I knew he had a shot at not only 600 home runs, but 755. I began to follow his home run progression more intently. As Griffey's prime had past, he was derailed by leg injuries. I knew that 755 was no longer a strong possibility, so I focused on the number that would guarantee his Hall of Fame induction: 600. Last year, I began the Griffey Watch to count down to this hallowed milestone when he was just 36 homers away. Yesterday, on June 9, 2008, nine days after hitting career home run 599, 411 days since I started the countdown, and exactly 7000 days since Griffey hit his first career home run, I was finally able to turn that counter all the way down to zero.

Perhaps the most refreshing and reassuring thing about Griffey's milestone is the purity with which he's accomplished this feat. I don't believe that anyone can ever label him as a steroids user or link him in any way to PED's. While it is hard to fully recognize a player as 100% clean in this era of baseball, Griffey is probably as close as they come. Fellow members of the 600 Home Run Club, Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa, surely do not come without their question marks and skeptics. But the numbers and the injuries speak for themselves. Griffey did what he was supposed to do as he got older. His skills diminished, he broke down more easily, and he lost the athletic ability which once made him an elite center fielder.

Through his first 12 professional seasons, which includes all 11 seasons in Seattle and his first in Cincinnati, Griffey hit one home run every 14.5 at-bats. He also averaged 140 games played and about 14.5 steals per season. He won the Gold Glove award in center field each year in the 90's. Since 2001, his age 31 season, Griffey's numbers have taken a bit of a nosedive. He's homered at a rate of only one per every 16.6 at-bats. He's played in less than 100 games per season, and has stolen only 11 bases. He has also not won a Gold Glove since coming to Cincinnati. Call it what you want, but the way I look at it, Griffey's skills have suffered from the natural deterioriation caused by age. While Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire put up better numbers later in their careers, aided perhaps by steroids, Griffey has maintained the integrity of the game and should be considered the second greatest left-handed power hitter of all-time behind Babe Ruth.

As great of a moment that this was for me, for Griffey, and for baseball, it is, in all honesty, a bit bittersweet. After all, Griffey was the one who was supposed to be chasing Hank Aaron's record last year. That spotlight was, of course, stolen by Barry Bonds who many think unfairly climbed the home run ladder. But that's part of the mystique of career records like the home run mark; you have to do it well, and you must maintain longevity. Hank Aaron played 23 professional seasons and failed to record 450 at-bats in only four. He played in at least 120 games in all but two seasons. He hit 20 home runs in all but three of those seasons. Those are incredible testaments of endurance and health.

Griffey, unfortunately, could not share the same fate as Aaron. But, for argument's sake, let's play the projection game and assume Griffey had stayed healthy for his entire tenure in Cincinnati. Where would he be? How many home runs beyond 600 or even 700 would he have? Using his home run rate over the last eight years (16.6) and a moderately discounted at-bat rate (we'll say 500 at-bats per season) based on his average at-bats per season through his first 12 seasons (529), that would put Griffey at a hypothetical mark of 649 home runs. Throw in the seven he's got in 2008, and that would leave him a mere four homers shy of Willie Mays for 4th all-time. While he wouldn't necessarily be challenging Aaron or Bonds at the moment, Babe Ruth could be in his sights.

Regardless of injuries, decreasing abilities, and age, Ken Griffey, Jr. should be lauded for his monumental accomplishment. He has become only the sixth player in baseball history to hit 600 home runs; this in a game where the average American can't even hit a 95 mph fastball, let alone hit one 400+ feet. Griffey has played the game with respect and obvious enjoyment. He's played it with grace and passion. He's played it with the prettiest swing known to man. He's played it clean, and he's played it the right way. He is the best player of my generation, and he was the greatest player of the 90's. I can't think of any other player more deserving of such accolades than Mr. Ken Griffey, Jr.

I'd like to personally congratulate him.

Next up: the Hall of Fame (and hopefully a World Series ring)