Junior the Senior

Ken Griffey, Jr. made the decision yesterday to resign with the Seatle Mariners, the team that originally drafted him in the first round in 1987. This decision has more of an effect on a team that he did not sign with.

The Atlanta Braves had been pursuing Griffey to be their center fielder after the position was vacated with the departure of Mark Kotsay. The Braves had been without a power-hitting outfielder ever since long time center fielder Andruw Jones was traded to the L.A. Dodgers.

Despite that he still sports nicknames like 'junior' and 'the kid,' Griffey turns 40 this November. Not to mention that he is prone to injury. This means that although he would fit right into the Atlanta lockerroom, the Braves should shy away from another aging player that could potentially spend 60-70 games on the disabled list.

No question that Griffey is one of the most prolific baseball players of all-time. He is fifth on the carrier home runs list with 611. Not to mention that he is a 13 time all-star selection, 10 time gold-glove and 7 time silver-slugger award winner. But logic would tell you that those days are behind him.

There is always the chance that Griffey could contiune on that pace for another three years, but logic is what the Braves need to use. It would have been nice to see such a great player in an Atlanta uniform, but it would have been nicer if that time had come ten years ago.

What the Braves need to focus on is younger players. A solid minor league system played a large role in supporting a streak of 14 consecutive division titles, and it would be a nice place to start now that that streak has come to a close. Jordan Shafer currently on the AA Mississippi Braves is a top outfielding prospect that could play for in Atlanta in the near future.

Even in pitching, the Braves had signed some veterin pitchers. Let's just hope that means veterin in a good way. Derek Lowe, 35, Javier Vazquez, 32, and Japanese-import Kenshin Kawakami, 33, are the recent additions to a worn rotation.

Perhaps though, with Mike Hampton finally off the team, the stigma of injury will be lifted from the club so that players can actually stay healthy for a season or two.