Griffey
A few days after my least favorite Indian was traded, my favorite Red gets dealt.

Ken Griffey Jr. is going to Chicago, to help the White Sox in their attempt to hold off the Twins and Tigers and win the American League Central.

Some will tell you that Junior's return to Cincinnati was a flop, marred by injuries and horrible baseball teams.

But Griffey seldom complained, and seemed to like playing in his hometown. He also was a victim of the time period. When contemporaries like Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire were slamming homers and obliterating records, Griffey was often on the disabled list.

Maybe the long recoveries were the price Junior paid for playing the game right, and not falling victim to the temptations which soiled the legacies of so many others.

Regardless, I will miss seeing him in a Reds uniform. The columns tomorrow will talk about how the Griffey-Reds' era was a mess.

I will remember it as a triumph. The greatest player of our generation playing ball with a team I loved. It was too bad the Reds never reached the playoffs in Griffey's tenure, but no matter what anyone says, it wasn't his fault.

Thanks for the memories, Junior. Good luck.