MLB Network Really Had The Balls To Ask The Fans Who Was The More "Swaggier Slugger" - Ken Griffey Jr Or David Ortiz?

I was SHOCKED today when I looked up at MLB Network and saw this question. Who is the more "Swaggier Slugger?"

 David Ortiz or Ken Griffey Jr. 

Frankly, I was insulted the question was even being asked. I almost felt bad for Ortiz being mentioned in the same sentence as Griffey Jr. It's like one of those Dozen questions when you go "it can't be Julio Jones....right? That is too easy. Am I missing something?" The answer for who the swaggier slugger is far and away "The Kid". Don't even need to say the real name, it's just "The Kid".

Advertisement

Want to know why kids in the '90s started wearing their hats backwards? The Kid. Want to know which signature shoe kids who loved baseball had when they were growing up? The Kid. Whose swing did every single person replicate in wiffleball in the backyard? You guessed it, The Kid. Ken Griffey Jr. made playing baseball cool. He was swag in the '90s, he was swagging it out in Seattle while Ortiz was still a child, this answer shouldn't even need to be defended. 

Again, I'm insulted it is even a question. Like Jimmy Rollins said in the video, he is the most influential baseball player in the '90s and it isn't close. Everyone wanted to be him. We all wanted to be Jr. Griffey. We all played the video game. I can still hear the theme song to his video game on N64. "Call, call, call, call me Jr." Everything about him was cool. The way he made catches, climbed up the walls, laid out on the turf, walking out of the box and putting the bat down after home runs. Quite frankly the most swaggiest person ever?

Michael Ivins/Boston Red Sox. Getty Images.

Don't get me wrong, David Ortiz has swag. He had it. Clutch moments, the sick batting gloves, the big, long, looping swing and then watching the ball fly deep into the Boston night, the guy had it all…..but he literally isn't on Griffey's level. Does Ortiz have his own signature shoe? Not that I could see, and when I did find something about Ortiz being associated with a shoe brand….it was Sketchers. Quite the opposite of swag. Again, he has the look. The nicely trimmed beard, the matching wristbands, batting gloves, cleats. The pose after the swing. But it just doesn't come close to The Kid. Ortiz tried to be cool, Griffey Jr. was cool. You could even argue that Ortiz wasn't even the "swaggiest slugger" on his team! Give me Manny over Papi any day. The dreads, the Oakleys with the ear piece in them, the baggy uniform, the stop and stare after balls went over the monster, give me him over Ortiz easily. I just can't believe we're in a world where we're debating if someone had more swag than Ken Griffey Jr. The answer is just….no. It will always be no. 

Advertisement

This video right here should close the book on any argument. When Michael Jordan came to Baltimore for the 1993 All Star Game in Baltimore who did he go looking for to get his autograph? Ken Griffey Jr. Who then turned around and basically demanded the jersey off MJ's back? Griffey. He got Michael Jordan to take the jersey off his back and give it to him. If that isn't swag, idk what is. Closed case here boys, thanks for coming Ortiz. King of swing and swag will always be Ken Griffey Jr.