This case is a journalist's account (published in Sports Illustrated) of negotiations surrounding a professional baseball player in the U.S. named Ken Griffey, Jr. that took place during the winter of 2000. I realize that you may know little or nothing about Griffey or about the sport of baseball or the nature of U.S. major league baseball teams, contracts, and negotiations. This brief introductory note is intended to bring you up to speed on some basic details that will help you sort through the article on the Griffey negotiations. You do not need to be particularly knowledgeable about baseball to understand and analyze what went on, but it does help to know a little bit about the context in which Griffey's contract was up for grabs. So read this document first before you read the case article itself.

Who is Ken Griffey, Jr.? Griffey (also known as "Junior") is generally regarded as one of the premier professional baseball players in the two North American leagues collectively known as "Major League Baseball." Consequently, many other teams covet his talents and would like to get him. For those who care to know the baseball-related details, he is an outfi

Here are links to evaluations (on ESPN's web site) of some of the key players that ended up involved (or almost involved) in the deal.

Woody Woodward was the team's General Manager before Gillick took over; he is metioned briefly in the article but retired at the end of the 1999 season, before the negotiations described in the case took place.

Roger Jongewaard is the team's Vice President, who gets involved briefly.

Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

elder who has proven to be both an excellent hitter and a superb fielder over a career of several years. But despite his experience, he is only 30 years old in a game where players can be very successful into (and occasionally beyond) their late 30s.

Some topics in this essay:
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