A couple Atlanta journalists have been getting ripped apart for prematurely leaking the Griffey-to-Braves rumor, a leak that many feel led in part to Junior changing his mind. Turns out that, yeah, that's just a pile of poop.
Sources have indicated that Griffey's tide turned shortly after he became upset with the fact that The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was reporting that he'd already decided to play for the Braves.
But Wren said the fact that the silence came after this report was published was purely coincidental. Griffey's decision was based on the lifetime opportunities that Seattle will provide him.
In other words, David O'Brien and Mark Bowman deserve none of the credit for saving Atlanta from a giant mistake. So much for living the dream. Influencing Griffey's decision were his history in Seattle, heavy lobbying by Chuck Armstrong, input from his family, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron, and apparently a lifetime personal services contract that would keep Griffey on the Mariner payroll after he retires. I'm not sure what he'd do, exactly, but Aaron got the same deal with the Braves and currently works as a senior VP, so I wouldn't be surprised if there's the chance for Junior to get pretty high up if he desires. Alternatively he might just fill the pull-me-out-of-my-coffin-whenever-you-need-people-to-forget-about-the-present-for-a-little-while spot currently occupied by Jay Buhner, but now I'm just guessing. In the end, all that really matters here is that, with the lifetime contract, 1995 fever promises to be alive in Seattle longer than many of us. Here's to change, and never having to experience it.