No Saving Bonds

Shifting gears from hockey for a bit, did anyone watch the MLB All-Star game this weekend? I'll admit I didn't watch much, but I did get to see the timeless classiness of Willie Mays as he was honored in San Francisco Tuesday night.

Not so classy? The not-so-genuine clapping and smiling of Barry Bonds as Mays made his way around the park. You could tell some major-league stars were downright giddy to have the Say-Hey Kid in their midst, sharing a word with the living legend. Mays also gave away all the items the Giants were giving him ... two jersey-style Giants jackets with "SAY HEY" and "24" on the back were among the goodies. Jose Reyes seemed thrilled to catch the first pitch from Mays, and Ken Griffey Jr. smiled from ear to ear, the way he did back when he was "The Kid," as he walked next to Mays.

Bonds seemed to handle Mays' appearance the way an annoyed teen copes with a visit to grandma's house. He knew it had to be done, but in the end he'd much rather be at the mall.

So as to not make this a totally negative entry, it's worth pointing out that Griffey's enthusiasm and respect for Mays, coupled with Mays himself, made the moment worthwhile.

It's clear that Griffey's gotten a bad rap, both as a player and a person. With the dust starting to settle on MLB's steroid scandal, I think it's fair to say that Griffey is the best position player of his generation (yes, better than Jeter). Yet he was often forgotten to due the home-run exploits of juicers like Bonds, McGwire and Sosa, and his own injury problems (which you could easily say could've been avoided if he'd followed the same path as the previous three), so the second-generation star was somewhat pushed from the limelight. Couple that with Jim Rome's "Grump" moniker for Junior — along with similar comments from others — and Griffey seemed to shed his carefree demeanor of the early ’90s.

As we approach Bonds' imminent overtaking of Hank Aaron's home run record, remember that it should be Griffey who is considered the best of his time — some would say the Willie Mays of his generation.

CL