Ken Griffey Jr. retired Wednesday night, ending one of the great careers in baseball history.
Griffey told the Mariners he would never allow himself to be a distraction and that’s what he was turning out to be.
Griffey was hitting only .184 with no homers and seven RBI’s this year. Griffey was a 13-time all-star outfielder and ranks fifth all-time with 630 home runs. He won an MVP award and was an 11-time gold glover.
Jeff Suppan’s numbers aren’t anywhere near those of Griffey’s. The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander currently 0-2 with a 7.28 ERA in 14 games. He’s allowed 26 runs and 47 hits in 29 2/3 innings. Suppan basicly fails almost every time he takes the mound.
If a player of the caliber of Ken Griffey Jr., can check his ego at the gate and step away, knowing that he just doesn’t have it any more, why can’t Suppan do the same?
In my opinion, Suppan is stealing from the Brewers. His contract is paying him a boat-load of money. It’s time for Suppan to realize that there’s not a single person that is confident he is going to get the job done.
Do the right thing Suppan. Announce your retirement. It’ll probably be the first time somebody cheers for him in at least two years.