1982 Topps Home Run Leaders Featuring Eddie Murray!!!

1982 Topps Home Run Leaders

This card celebrates the top home run hitters from the 1981 baseball season.

Mike Schmidt led all hitters with his 31 dingers during the 1981 campaign.  In the American League, there was a 4-way tie for the league leader spot at just 22.  The group included Tony Armas, Dwight Evans, Bobby Grich, and Hall of Famer Eddie Murray.

It’s amazing how much the game has changed over time.  During the 2009 baseball season 23 players had more than Schmidt’s tally of 31.  And there were well over 70 players to eclipse Murray’s league best 22.

Ken Griffey Jr. Is Bound For Cooperstown…

This appears to be a ‘No-Brainer’.  Ken Griffey Jr will gain entry into Baseball’s Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility.

With a resume to back it up, Griffey is one of the best players from the last 20 years.  His ability to hit, run, field, throw, and crush home runs makes him a solid ’5-tool Player’.  His ability to excel in an extraordinary manner in each of these aspects of the game makes him a very rare talent indeed.

I cannot imagine that he will have to wait long once he is officially added to the Hall of Fame ballot.

And when he gets enshrined, this is the hat he should be wearing!!

Ken Griffey Jr. And The 600 Home Run Club!!!

You better believe it – He belongs.

This amazing feat happened in my back yard.  I should have been there.  Dolphin Stadium, home of my Florida Marlins, was witness to this event.  You don’t know how many times I have cursed myself about not making this a priority.  Who knows when I may be able to witness baseball history of this kind again.  And he is a player I like too - even more reason to have been there…

Ken Griffey Jr is 1 of only 6 players to have surpassed the 600 home runs plateau.  Sitting in 5th place all-time with 630 dingers, Griffey is poised to make a run at 4th place as he trails Hall of Famer Willie Mays by just 30 homers.  Regardless of his final ranking, which will change in a few years as A-Rod narrows the gaps, Ken Griffey Jr will go down as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball history.

And to think that he has never really been classified as a ‘Home Run Hitter’.  This truly is a testament to the all-around superb offensive skills he possesses!!!

Ken Griffey Jr. Is Just 237 Hits Away From 3,000!!!

Personally, I want to see this happen.  But honestly, Ken Griffey Jr does not need this to happen.

Currently he stands just 237 hits away from the milestone of 3,000 hits.  This magical number separates baseball’s elite hitters from the very good.  To really have a chance of obtaining this goal, Griffey would need to play in 130 or more games during the 2010 and 2011 seasons. 

We all know Griffey’s history with injuries.  He missed significant playing time(roughly 200 games) between 2002-04.  Had it not been for that terrible stretch, there is no doubt that he would either be a member of the infamous 3,000 Hits Club or would be knocking on the door as we enter the 2010 season.

Like I said before, I would love to see this happen.  Any true baseball fan knows that he belongs with that elite group of hitters!!

Ken Griffey Jr’s 1997 MVP Season – SPECTACULAR!!!

Ken Griffey Jr’s 1997 season is one of the most well-rounded seasons of both offense and defense that the baseball world has seen in the last 25 years!

Offensively, ‘The Kid’ was lights out!!  He batted .304 on the year and compiled a .646 slugging percentage.  He collected 185 hits while smacking 34 doubles and 56 homers.  He was also a big run producer for the Mariners as he scored 125 times while also driving in 147.

To round out his amazing offensive output, Griffey had a stellar year in the field.  He committed just 6 errors and ended the ’97 campaign with a .985 fielding percentage.

Al in all, 1997 was an incredible season for Junior.  He was an All-Star, A Gold Glove Award winner, A Silver Slugger Award winner, and the 1997 American League Most Valuable Player!!

Congratulations Junior!!!

Ken Griffey Jr Has Been An All-Star 13 Times!!!

With 13 appearances in the Major League All-star game to his credit, Ken Griffey Jr. cemented himself as one of his era’s greatest players.

Of his 13 trips to the ‘Mid-Summer Classic’, eleven of his appearances were in consecutive seasons from 1990-2000.  Griffey had a stranglehold on a roster spot as he was one of the decades most accomplished players.

And of those 13 contests, none was greater than the 1992 All-Star Game.  Griffey won the Most Valuable Player Award in that game that year due to his solid performance.  On the day, he went 3-for-3 while driving in 2 runs and also hitting a home run.

Ken Griffey Jr Is A Defensive Master.

If anyone made playing the outfield cool, it was Ken Griffey Jr.

While he was never classified as ‘the fastest guy on the team’, Griffey definitely had a knack for getting to the ball and putting his body on the line in the process if needed.  With tons of running grabs, shoe-string catches, and over-the-head acrobatic plays to his credit, Ken Griffey Jr. earned each of the 10 Gold Glove Awards he won during his career.

A very well-rounded player, Griffey did not have the best arm, best feet, or best anything.  Well, there is one exception – he had the best desire!  Griffey did anything and everything to routinely make plays in the outfield.  His play won the hearts of fans across the country as they saw a player that just simply loved to play baseball!!! 

Thank you for making it fun for us!!

Ken Griffey Jr Has One Of The Most Recognizable Rookie Cards In The Sport!!

If you were a baseball card collector in 1989 there is only one card that made it to everyone’s wish list. 

Sure there were some very impressive players that debuted around that time.  And Jose Canseco was coming off of his amazing MVP, 40/40 season.  And the stars of the Dodgers, Orel Hershiser and Kirk Gibson, received a bump in hobby popularity after their 1988 World Series championship.

But there was just one card, a rookie card, that took the top place on everyone’s list.

The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card:

In their inaugural year, Upper Deck decided to give the first card of their premier set to a kid that had yet to play a single inning in the big leagues.  While other sets played it safe with guys like Nolan Ryan, Rickey Henderson, and Don Mattingly, Upper Deck took a risk and placed all of their chips on a smiling teenager with a famous dad.

20 years later, I would have to say that the reward Upper Deck received after this set debuted was worth much more than their risk!!!

Ken Griffey Jr. And That Perfect Swing…

Classic.  Textbook.  Sweet.  Natural.

All of these words have been used time and time again to describe that beautiful left-handed swing of Ken Griffey Jr.  And deservedly so…

Griffey’s swing is the perfect mix of balance, power, speed, and just a hint of upper-cut.  And the results???

How about 12 seasons of at least 140 or more hits.  And then there are the 15 seasons of at least 20 or more home runs.

Either way you look at it, Ken Griffey Jr. is am amazing sight to watch while at bat.  He is one of just a handful of players that if I am surfing the channels and see him at the plate, I will stop each and every time!!!

Ken Griffey Jr. And His Very Famous Father

It’s not often that both father and son can enjoy the same profession at the same time.  And even more than that, it is not often that the younger member of the family outshines his veteran father at an early age.

But that is exactly what happened when Ken Griffey Jr. joined the big leagues back in 1989.  His dad, Griffey Sr, was still active and playing with the Reds at the time.  But as soon as Junior entered the league, all of the attention went his way.  Normally anyone that was used to being the center of attention would have a problem with the sudden decrease of spotlight aimed at them.  But not Senior, he wanted to take part in his son’s big league career so he finished his playing days on the same team as his superstar son.

The Griffeys were the first father/son duo to suit up for the same team at the same time.  They are also the first pair to ever hit back-to-back home runs in a game!!!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all of us could have these kinds of experiences with our dads??  Family bonds would be so much stronger!!!