Notes on the Griffey-Fans v. Mariners Game by a Non-Fan

Friday night, waiting to be let in to the center field beer garden because there was a private party going on-- a group of lawyers or something who'd rented the space until game time. We stood patiently at the barricades, listening to the big 'ol tongue-in-ass Griffey ceremony. We couldn't see anything from our vantage except Junior's bright red hat in the distance. Couldn't see the TV to see what was going on because we were sandwiched between the barricades and the beer-fueled fratboy meatheads pressing to get into the garden. We watched some girls as they looked overhead to the jumbo scoreboard thing. They were crying.

There's no crying in baseball!

As we listened to the Griffey love fest and the fans going wild and the "house that Griffey built", we felt kind of... embarrassed.

Here's the thing. We didn't live here during the huge 1995 season. We heard all about it. We knew Griffey was a major catalyst for getting the Ms to the American League Championship, but beyond that, we didn't (and don't) know anything. We're just generally aloof when it comes to sports. So when we heard about all the hoopla surrounding Friday's game, we thought, "Huh. That's cool. Good for Seattle." During a little pre-game reading, however, we started getting the impression that all the hype surrounding Friday's game was for the fans only and that Griffey was kind of indifferent about it.

Which is why, as we stood there at Safeco Field, listening to the grandiose ceremony honoring Seattle's most favorite baseball player, we felt kind of uncomfortable about the whole thing. Like the throng of screaming Griffey fans had fallen victim to an elaborate publicity stunt, the honorary subject of which, couldn't give a rat's ass.

But what do we know? (Nothing). Are we wrong? Seattlest Seth would probably say so (see post below this one). Unless he's a goddamn liar.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@seattlest.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jack in News on June 25, 2007 7:30 AM

Comments [rss]

JC

Honestly, the fan reaction had nothing to do with how this series was marketed (though I am glad management did something right for once). And Griffey's indifference was more of how he responded to the press leading up to the series... all of his closest friends painted an entirely different picture. And if you had read any of his quotes or listened to Jr speak at the ceremony you would know he wasn't indifferent to Seattle.

Dan

re the booing of Feierabend: I suspected it was in jest, but it didn't necessarily come across that way on TV and it did occur around the time his command fell apart. Just givin' the view from the couch.

re sammy sosa: Every Cubs fan I know reviles him, so it's a legit guess, but no.

Morgan

I booed Feierabend too. It was much more light-hearted than people are making it sound -- the entire section I was in busted up laughing mid-boo.

:: shawn ::

@8....Sammy Sosa?

Jason

Dan, rep for listing Peter Nowak.

And yeah, if you didn't suffer through the pre-Jr. Kingdome M's you don't get what he meant to the Seattle baseball fans. Still, booing our pitcher is a bit much.

Seth

I was among those booing Feierabend. C'mon! It was fun! It's a baseball game, not a church ceremony. I don't think Feierabend gave up 7 runs because people booed, he gave up 7 runs (or howevermany) because he had no command.

Nate

Regardless of whether you think all the hype over the weekend was justified or not, it was nice to see so many M's fans cheering in unity at Safeco again. I'll be going back to that happy place while Safeco endures 20,000 loud, obnoxious Red Sox fans over the next three days.

Dan

@5, I mean an active player, not currently playing in Chicago, but worshiped in Chicago. Jordan, of course, is a deity and he did play elsewhere, but only sorta and that was ages ago. Roenick maybe? But hockey doesn't really count. Frank Thomas? I love the guy, but he's no Griffey. Aaron Rowand? C'mon. Peter Nowak? No one even knows who that is.

Max

if you don't know anything about sports or the mariners you shouldn't post about them.

it's pretty clear you don't know anything about the topic you're writing about. try sticking to something you know. this way you don't sound like an idiot.

Jason Josephes

The M's had a ceremony for a guy who plays for the other team. They even let him give a speech before the game. That's just plain sad.

g

you "can't think of any comparable sports figures from Chicago"????

Dan

I wasn't around for the Kingdome years and I'm not really a Mariner's fan, but I kinda got it this weekend. The guy did things for Seattle baseball. He's a great guy and a great player and it's cool that people here love him like they do. I can't think of any comparable sports figures from Chicago where I come from or anywhere else for that matter and I'm a little jealous. I hope he comes back here and if he does I'm buying a Griffey jersey. Or, at least one of those t-shirt jerseys...

That said, it was a little much this weekend and you could tell he was a little overwhelmed at times. My personal lowpoint was when people started booing Feierabend for holding the runner on first when Jr. came to the plate Friday night. In my mind that contributed directly to the 13-1 loss.

Ryan

I second D Huygens comments.

Also, Griffey was far from indifferent about the ceremony and fan reaction. He’s an enigmatic guy, is all -– holds his cards close to his vest. I went to Friday’s and Sunday’s games. I sat in right field, directly behind Griffey, on Sunday. He was clearly touched by the fan reaction to his return and when he caught the final out in the bottom of the 8th inning, he turned around and waved goodbye to the fans in right field who cheered his presence every time he took the field.

D Huygens

Unless you lived through the misery of Kingdome baseball in the early 80's ...

Unless you experienced the joy of drafting KGJ and seeing him and his dad play together ...

Unless you experienced the total heartbreak in 1999 when he left town ...

You don't get to tell us this past weekend was overblown.