Ken Griffey, Jr. - The Kid Leaves the Field

Good morning,

First, a quick tip of the hat to the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The Flyers climbed back into contention last night, winning game 3. It's Blackhawks 2, Flyers 1. Here's what you can talk up:

> Do the Flyers have the big "mo" - momentum - coming into game 4? (Yup, and the Hawks have to thump it out of them.)

> What do the Hawks have to do? Skate like they own the place and don't let down. Last night, the Flyers scored back to back goals in less than 2 minutes, a feat that the Hawks pulled off on Monday. Chicago's a lean, young and hungry team. They've got to come out big in game 4 tomorrow night.

Next, the Kid leaves the field.

40-year-old Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Seattle Mariners retired yesterday. To some, it was surprising that he even joined the team this season. He was last seen being carried off Seattle's Safeco Field.

Here's why you should care and what you can talk about:

> "The Kid" brought joy to baseball. At the height of his career, he was considered the best player in baseball. He roamed centerfield and made eye-popping, wall-crashing, wall-climbing Sportscenter-featured catches. He was The Kid and The Man all rolled into one.

> He had one of the sweetest swings in baseball. Still does; it just lost its pop.

> He ends his career with 630 home runs but early on, he was on track to break Hank Aaron's HR record, before Barry Bonds started pounding homers late in his career. Griffey's body broke down preventing him from catching Bonds but here's what he didn't do: he didn't juice (i.e. take steroids.)

> He was a players' player. He loved the game. Perhaps because he grew up in a baseball family. His Dad, Ken Griffey, played in the bigs for the Reds and Mariners so Junior grew up in the clubhouse.

> Why'd he leave? He loved his teammates, the game and didn't want to be a distraction. Unfortunately, he did become one. Recently, reports surfaced that when called to pinch hit in a game, he was asleep in the clubhouse. True or not, the deal was done.

So, look up some Ken Griffey, Jr. highlights on YouTube. Talk about the loss for Major League Baseball. And long live The Kid.

Talk it up and enjoy!