A New Griffey in Cincinnati

There have been a lot of negative stories around baseball recently. The John Rocker controversy stands out for its unpleasantness. Darryl Strawberry's failed drug test marked another sad point in a pointlessly tragic story. Pedro Astacio's bad legal advice and alleged behavior has created even more confusion in Denver than usual. And let's not even talk about Bud's idiotic realignment plan.

The return of Ken Griffey to Cincinnati is a very different story. True, it wasn't all sweetness and light during the winter, as Junior's suggestion to the Mariners that it might behoove them to trade him turned into a bitter demand that he be traded to the Reds. There were mistakes on both sides - the Mariners early efforts at spin and negotiating with teams Griffey had previously vetoed, as he had a right to, pushed Griffey into creating a much more bitter farewell than either side had wanted, leaving an unfortunate sour taste in the mouths of many Seattle fans.

But no one's sour in Cincinnati. The Reds gave up little in talent for Griffey because the Mariners were painted into a corner. Meanwhile, Griffey agreed to take on a salary that was half of what he could've gotten on the open market. The Reds thus get a huge gate attraction and a great player without giving up anything significant in this deal. That'll put them in a great position for the future.

The euphoria right now in Cincinnati is so high that it might lead to a big letdown this season. Griffey's arrival, along with the upcoming induction of Big Red Machine members Tony Perez and Sparky Anderson into the Baseball Hall of Fame, has essentially led to a big party in southern Ohio. Fans, however, will have to realize soon enough that no one player, not even Griffey, is enough to drive a team to a championship - just ask Seattle. The Reds had a terrific year last season, but are unlikely to get the same production out of many returning players, especially the bullpen artists who were such a key part of the success. Griffey's acquisition may add 5 more games in the wins column to the Reds' bottom line, but that may not be enough to overcome the competition they'll get from the Astros and other National League teams in 2000.

Still, Griffey will probably be in Cincinnati for a long time to come. And the fundamentals of the deal for him are so strong that it's clear that the Reds will have a far stronger chance to build up a championship deal than they would have had without this deal. The extra revenues that Griffey himself brings in will enable them to add quality players, and in the long run they will be stronger for it. As long as they don't bring in more Dante Bichettes, who will be one reason the Reds just don't make it all the way this year.

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