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		Junior deserves better recognition for No. 600 By Daniel Dullum June 12, 2008

	For some reason, home run No. 600 for Ken Griffey Jr. of Cincinnati came and went without much fanfare. That’s not right. Griffey hit No. 600 in Miami against Florida lefthander Mark Hendrickson on Monday night, becoming the sixth member of an exclusive club. If he stays healthy, Junior should soon pass Sammy Sosa and will eventually catch Willie Mays, who is fourth on the all-time list at 660. Though Junior’s name has never been mentioned in conjunction with performance-enhancing drugs, it’s unfortunate that his milestone occurred during what is now called The Steroid Era, where any accomplishment of note is now greeted with indifference. As far as anyone knows, Junior has never touched the stuff, but he’s played most of his career in a time frame when plenty of his contemporaries allegedly have, so he gets lumped in with this sorry lot in an unfortunate case of guilt by association. Obviously, Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Brennaman works for the Reds, a fact that needs to be considered when you listen to his comments about Junior. But the long-time Cincinnati play-by-play man made an interesting observation when he said in a published report, “There’s so much difference in what he accomplished and what he will continue to accomplish than what Barry Bonds did. “Barry Bonds will forever be tainted, long after he’s gone,” Brennaman continued in reference to Bonds’ alleged use of steroids. “I don’t think people truly cared that he hit 756 home runs. I think baseball fans will look at what Junior did and be quick to point out that he did it the right way, as opposed to some other guys who didn’t.” Brennaman didn’t name names, but his jab at the likes of Bonds, Sosa, Ken Caminiti, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Jason Giambi, Roger Clemens and others is crystal clear. The general feeling is that Griffey Jr.’s spot in the Hall of Fame is secure, and that he’ll be seen as a player who reached the 600 Club honestly. He reached the 600 mark despite playing fractions of four seasons with injuries. And, when the Mitchell Report came out in December 2007, Griffey Jr.’s name was absent from The Steroid Era players who are on baseball’s all-time top 10 home run list. The big question now is whether or not Junior will remain in Cincinnati after this season. The Reds have the option of picking him up for 2009 at $16.9 million, but neither Junior nor the Reds have made a commitment one way or another. Because of the cloud of cynicism that surrounds baseball after the Mitchell Report and the ongoing legal hassles incurred by Bonds, Griffey Jr. reached an impressive milestone and was greeted with collective yawns of indifference. Junior didn’t deserve that, and if he continues to climb the home run chart as many thought he once would when they saw him at 19, maybe current observers of the sport will be a little kinder when he catches up to the Say Hey Kid. Daniel Dullum comments on Major League Baseball weekly for Sports Radio Service.