Ken Griffey Jr. Reportedly Didn't Sign With The Braves Because Bobby Cox Didn't Allow Kids In The Clubhouse

According to AJ Pierzynski, Ken Griffey Jr. would have been an Atlanta Brave if not for the franchise's rule under Bobby Cox that prevented players from bringing their kids into the clubhouse.

It was apparently presumed a done deal that Griffey would sign with the Braves in 2009 — even being reported by Dave O'Brien that Griffey had decided to play in Atlanta — before he changed his mind and ended up back in Seattle. The prevailing theory for years was that the leak to the media led to Griffey's change of heart, but maybe this is what did it.

While it obviously would have been cool to have The Kid play for the Braves, Atlanta didn't really miss out on anything that season. A 39-year-old Griffey hit .214/.324/.411 with 19 HR and 57 RBI in 2009. Not that the rotating cast of Garret Anderson, Nate McLouth, Jeff Francoeur and Matt Diaz was anything special on a team that missed the postseason, but Griffey didn't have an appreciably better season than any one of those guys. His time with the Braves would have been most notably commemorated today by being a cool jersey to wear to a frat party.

It would have definitely been sick to watch that swing in a Braves uniform for a year or two, though.