Welcome To Heartbreak

I feel like I got dumped.

Maybe it's just me, but I could have sworn Ken Griffey Jr's imminent return to Seattle took up the entire front page of the Seattle Times sports section last Friday. I'm also pretty sure that I spent way too much time listening to the blow hards on KJR 950 AM rant and rave about how great it would be to have Griffey back.

Am I living in some alternate reality?

While I was cautiously anticipating disappointment once the Atlanta Braves got a jones in their bones for Junior, I couldn't have imagined feeling this bad.

It's like Junior left all over again. Seriously.

This is like your favorite ex-girlfriend deciding she wants to get back together, only to call you up right before a dramatic reunion to say she's going to marry some douche bag who drives a white BMW 323i and wears white linen party shirts.

Atlanta? Atlanta? Atlanta? I've always hated the Braves. Jeff Blauser. Terry Pendelton. Dave Justice. I'm going to puke.

Just because the Braves screwed the pooch on John Smotlz, doesn't mean they need to hijack the most beloved athlete in Seattle sports history.

Atlanta won't appreciate Junior. They didn't appreciate the Braves making the playoffs for 14 straight years.

This entire deal is foul. Junior is going to platoon with Matt Diaz? That's like telling Prince he's opening for Miley Cyrus.

Now I understand that this was ultimately Junior's choice. True to form, he chose family first. He did it originally to get to Cincinnati. He's doing it again now. But we were so close. The Mariners made space for Junior in their spring training locker room!

With my visions of a glorious summer spent at Safeco watching the greatest player of our generation now dashed, I ask all fellow Griffey supporters to remember this:

For 11 seasons, we witnessed one of baseball's all-time best in his prime. Cincinnati can't say that. Chicago sure as hell can't say that. And Atlanta won't be able to say that. We were lucky to have him and have the incredible memories Junior gave us.

But it would have been nice to have a few more.

There's a line from the Stevie Wonder song, "Rocket Love" that sums up how I'm feeling:

You took me riding in your rocket gave me a star
But at a half a mile from heaven you dropped me back
down to this cold, cold world

Now please excuse me. I need a good cry.