The Junior Trade

[Bengalholic]

I was just a little kid during the Big Red machine days, so I didn't really get to experience that run of greatness, so the highlight of my time as a Reds fan is still the 1990 World Series. However, the day that it was announced that they had traded for Ken Griffey, Jr is still probably my favorite memory outside of the '90 sweep. 

Unfortunately, Junior's time in Cincy didn't go as well I had hoped, for various reasons. How excited were you found out that we had landed Junior and what are your memories of his time here? 

[grampahol]

Not nearly as excited about him as i was when they made the huge trades in the 70s for the BRM teams..Too bad they didn't lock him down when he was still in high school in town.. Heck, I wore #14 my first year in little league and probably had the same goofy haircut to match..

Just read about the baseball scribes predicting the weather in 5 years about Hunter Green.. He didn't particularly fare well in rookie ball, but that doesn't stop them from making him the consensus greatest thing since sliced bread in the future.. 

My favorite memory of all time was begging mom and dad to let us watch the rest of the game instead of beating the traffic home only to see JB hit a grand slam in the bottom of the 9th behind by 3.. 
My dad's 89 now and I still ask him, 'Aren't ya glad we stuck around for that?' He doesn't remember it, but my brother and I do..  I can still hear dad saying on the way home something to the effect of 'Ok! Jesus Christ!  So he hit a grand slam and they won. Now shut the hell up about it so I can drive! ' lol

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

I loved it when they signed him.  He got his 500th HR in a Reds uni, and when healthy, he still had it.  The injuries, and not taking roids and growth hormone to combat them were ultimately his undoing......but that's part of what makes him so great.  It was all natural talent.  That's the best swing I've seen in baseball.

[Goalpost]

Yea. He had a great swing. 'The Kid' was mega when he was very young. ROY at 19. All Star at 20.

[J24]

It was a Lebron like signing at the time unfortunately he got hurt and we never saw him live up to the hype.

[fredtoast]

(01-17-2018, 12:22 PM)grampahol Wrote: Not nearly as excited about him as i was when they made the huge trades in the 70s for the BRM teams..

Morgan was an amazing player with the Reds, but he was not a mega star when we traded for him.

The Tom Seaver trade was the only thing that compares with getting Griffey, but unfortunately that did not work out as well as planned.  Seaver got robbed of the Cy Young award in 1981 due to the hype of "Frenandomania", but we got him ln '77 when we were coming off back-to-back World Championships.  Like most fans I was sure we would win a couple of more.

[*Go Cards*]

Stoked and went straight out and bought 2nd row seats in center field for the opener for my nephew and me.

[*Go Cards*]

(01-17-2018, 12:55 PM)Wyche Wrote: I loved it when they signed him.  He got his 500th HR in a Reds uni, and when healthy, he still had it.  The injuries, and not taking roids and growth hormone to combat them were ultimately his undoing......but that's part of what makes him so great.  It was all natural talent.  That's the best swing I've seen in baseball.

By far best swing i have ever seen and kudos to him for resisting temptation to juice like everybody else too.