[VanillaGorilla]

Ken Griffey Jr was the third overall selection in the 2038 draft, taken by the Giants.

In his rookie 2039 season he slashed 349/426/646 for a npa OPS+ of 183. He hit 35 HR, collected 100 RBI and scored 94 times in only 108 games to take ROY honors.

From an OPS+ standpoint, this was his best season (minimum 80 games played).

In 2043 he hit a league leading and career high 47 HR while scoring and driving in 111.

For his career, Griffey slashed 281/353/554 for a npa OPS+ of 136 (his RL OPS+ was also 136). He hit 611 HR (23rd, one spot ahead of Al Rosen) on 2331 hits (67th, one more than Duke Snider). He collected 1654 RBI (28th) and scored 1466 runs (t-31st, Snider).

It's hard to say that a guy who gets into the HOF was a disappointment, but this is Ken Griffey Jr. When Junior gets in to the RL HOF on the first ballot in 2016, he will be the best OFer inducted into Cooperstown since Frank Robinson in 1982. Other than Rickey Henderson (whose style of play makes the comparison of the two a bit of an apples and oranges discussion), there is no sustainable argument to the contrary. Of course, this is assuming that come 2016 Barry Bonds is still not in the Hall.

Ken Griffey Jr, IRL, is in the discussion of best OFer ever that is not named George Herman Ruth. Bonds is in that discussion (pre-Balko Bonds was that good) as are Robinson, Mantle, Mays, Williams and select others....Yaz and Reggie (players inducted after Robinson) are not in that discussion.

Here, Griffey is not in that discussion. Though his npa OPS+ here equals his RL OPS+, he just didn't reach THAT level. He played his OOTP career in an environment where about 5 runs* were scored per team per game (a 2012 environment with lowered pitching mounds). Someone drafting Griffey in the game would expect more. But, that is part of what makes this game great.

Just as players like Eddie Williams and Wayne Gross can get favorable development and make it into the HOF, an all-time great, like Jr, can be less fortunate, but still have clear HOF creds.

Griffey was a 6 time AS and won one Gold Glove in CF. Perhaps the best "disappointing" career in league history.

Griffey retired following the 2062 season. He gets into the HOF in his second year of eligibility at the age of 48.

Black Ink: 4 (26)
Gray Ink: 89 (162)
HOFm: 137 (235)
HOFs: 60 (61)

Gorilla Composite: 2.9 (4.9)

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This alternate universe knows no war. Guys like Johnny Mize like that.

Johnny Mize was selected by the Diamondbacks with the 15th overall pick in the 2048 draft. 14 teams were kicking themselves 20 years later.

Mize had one of the most amazing careers I have seen in these leagues.

Mize played 15 seasons in the Majors before a CEI ended his run in 2063 (yes, he is a First Ballotter).

In EVERY season, including partials, he hit at least 23 HR. In all but one year he batted .300. In all but one year his OBP was over .390. In all but one year his slg% was over .600.

10 times in his career he drove in 100 runs, including 7 straight seasons from 2052-2058.

In 2051 he batted .361 to win a batting crown. Twice he had 200 hits in a season, leading the league both times that he did.

In 2052 he hit 40 HR and drove in 117 in only 96 games. That was good enough to win league MVP honors. His slash line? 396/456/811 (npa OPS+ 218).

Mize rapped 2501 career hits (36th, 5 fewer than Frank Robinson). 575 of those were HR (29th, one more than Dale Murphy) and 426 were doubles (90th). He drove in 1646 (29th) and scored 1445 runs (36th). His career slash line is an upper echelon HOF 339/418/644 (10th, one spot ahead of Mike Donlin/9th, between Barry Bonds and Shoeless Joe/10th) for a mammoth npa OPS+ of 174.

Mize ranks 8th on the career OPS list.

Mize won two GGs at 1B. He is the youngest of the entrants, this year, at the age of 42.

Black Ink: 19 (50)
Gray Ink: 210 (202)
HOFm: 279.5 (175)
HOFs: 64 (47)

Gorilla Composite: 5.2 (5.3)

As mentioned, Mize played in 15 calender years at the ML level. He made 12 All Star teams.

ADD: Mize hit 40, or more, HR in a season 7 times...he hit 50 or more 3 times.....the one season where he didn't hit .300 (.286) or have a .390 OBP (.374) he hit a career high 59 HR. Fair swap, that.