More than a decade ago, one of the greatest players in baseball history was deciding on his free agent destination. Ken Griffey Jr. was expected to choose Atlanta. Despite being past his prime, The Kid was expected to provide enough pop and notoriety to warrant the contract. It never came to fruition despite David O’Brien reporting otherwise, via Bleacher Report.
Ken Griffey Jr., one of only six players to hit more than 600 career home runs, has decided to play for the Braves, a person close to the veteran outfielder and familiar with the negotiations told the Journal-Constitution.
Many believed it was a done deal, but Junior returned to his old stomping grounds of Seattle and ended his career with the Mariners. It was always speculation as to why Griffey didn’t choose the Braves, but it apparently had nothing to do with a reporter jumping the gun. A.J. Pierzynski of Foul Territory says the reason stems from Bobby Cox’s rule of no kids in the clubhouse.
The inside scoop from @aj_pierzynskiFT on #FTLive
Ken Griffey Jr. didn't sign with the Braves because of Bobby Cox's rule that kept kids out of the clubhouse pic.twitter.com/PjluxmqgY8
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 20, 2023
Pierzynski played for the Braves at the end of his career from 2015-2016. It seems like a trivial factor to make a free agent decision, but at the end of his illustrious career, Ken Griffey Jr. probably didn’t want to haggle over his family.
The Braves ended up being just fine without Junior, who struggled in Seattle. However, it would have been electric to see the Hall of Famer roaming the outfield of Turner Field.
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