Editing Ken Griffey Jr. (section)

====2000–2004====
[[File:Ken Griffey Jr 2004.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Griffey, batting for the [[Cincinnati Reds]].]]
In 2000, Griffey changed his number from 24 to 30, the number his father wore while playing in both Cincinnati and Seattle; the number 24 was already retired in honor of [[Tony Pérez]]. The 2000 season began what has generally been seen as a decline in Griffey's superstar status. Although his statistics during this season were respectable, they were far below his previous level of play: in 145 games, Griffey hit .271 with 40 home runs and 118 RBI, but his .942 [[on-base plus slugging]] was his lowest mark in five years.<ref name=":0" /> From 2001 through 2004, Griffey was plagued by a string of injuries, including season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004.<ref name="blogging-baseball.com">{{cite web |date=December 24, 2006 |title=Griffey Jr.'s Broken Hand Adds to List of Injuries Over Last 6 years |url=http://www.blogging-baseball.com/2006/12/24/griffey-jrs-broken-hand-adds-to-list-of-injuries-over-last-6-years/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070104221013/http://www.blogging-baseball.com/2006/12/24/griffey-jrs-broken-hand-adds-to-list-of-injuries-over-last-6-years/ |archive-date=January 4, 2007 |access-date=June 16, 2011 |website=Blogging Baseball}}</ref> The cumulative effects of the injuries lowered his bat speed,<ref>{{cite web |title=Baseball Bat Speed |url=http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/A-Ba-and-timeline/Baseball-Bat-Speed.html |access-date=June 16, 2011 |website=FAQs.org}}</ref> resulting in less power and fewer home runs (he [[Slugging percentage|slugged]] only .426 before succumbing to injury in 2002, his lowest output in seven years). Injuries forced Griffey to miss 260 out of 486 games from 2002 through 2004, diminishing both his skills and his star reputation.

In 2004, Griffey avoided major injury during the first half of the season, and on June 20 became the 20th player to hit 500 career home runs. His 500th home run came on [[Father's Day]] in a game against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] at [[Busch Memorial Stadium|Busch Stadium]], with his father in the stands;<ref>{{Cite web |date=June 20, 2004 |title=Ken Griffey Jr. hits 500th home run in victory |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20040620&slug=webgriffey20 |access-date=November 5, 2022 |website=[[The Seattle Times]]}}</ref> the homer tied Griffey with his father in career hits with 2,143. However, the injury bug bit again just before the All-Star break; he suffered a partial [[hamstring]] tear, knocking him out of the All-Star Game and putting him on the disabled list yet again.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 11, 2004 |title=Griffey out of All-Star Game, on DL |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=1837903 |access-date= |website=[[ESPN]] |publisher=[[Associated Press]] |language=en}}</ref>

Griffey finished the 2004 season on the disabled list after suffering a rupture of his right hamstring in San Francisco.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Kinney |first=Terry |date=August 11, 2004 |title=Griffey Jr. nabbed by injury again |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/nl/reds/2004-08-11-griffey-out_x.htm |access-date= |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> The play in question occurred at [[AT&T Park]] in a game against the [[San Francisco Giants]]. Griffey was starting in right field for the first time in his 16-year Major League career when he raced toward the gap to try to cut off a ball before it got to the wall. He slid as he got to the ball, but in the process hyper-extended his right leg, tearing the hamstring completely off the bone.<ref name=":3" /> He later came out of the game, complaining of "tightness" in the hamstring exacerbated by chilly conditions in San Francisco. However, there was far more to it than anyone realized at the time.

Shortly after this injury, the Reds' team physician, Timothy Kremchek, devised an experimental surgery dubbed "The Junior Operation"<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Castrovince |first=Anthony |date=June 24, 2005 |title=Griffey nominated for Comeback Award |url=http://m.reds.mlb.com/news/article/1176033 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125221640/http://m.reds.mlb.com/news/article/1176033 |archive-date=November 25, 2015 |access-date=November 25, 2015 |website=[[Cincinnati Reds]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]]}}</ref> that would use three titanium screws to reattach Griffey's hamstring. For several weeks, Griffey's right leg was in a sling that kept it at a 90-degree angle, and he was not able to move the leg until late October. After an intense rehabilitation period, he returned for the 2005 season. In April, he hit .244 with one homer (on April 30) and nine RBI.<ref name=":4" />