Sculpting - ***1/2
After comparing against a number of Griffey photos from the past 20 years, I have to say that the underlying portrait is very, very good. There's some paint issues that make it tough to fully appreciate some of the sculpt quality, but I'll get to that in the next category.

The expression is about right, as Griffey watches another homer leaving the park off his bat. There's some extremely nice skin detail on the face and arms, and considering the scale, the work on the nose, eyebrows and lips is pretty damn impressive.

This is really an older, more recent Griffey in the Mariners outfit, not a 1995 version. He's a bit heavier, the face is a bit older, but it's all Griffey.

One thing that McToys always seems to get right - and not everyone does - is the wrinkles and stretch marks in the clothing in poses like this. The twisted material has to flow properly for an extreme pose to look right, and it's the sort of thing that your mind will pick up on even if you don't consciously realize it. Here, the sculpted wrinkles in the turned shirt and pants are just about perfect.

He stands about 6 1/4" tall in this pose. There's a metal post on the right foot to attach him to the base, and that's a nice touch. We all know how easy it can be to break the plastic posts, and while he won't be able to stand without the base, you wouldn't want to display him without it anyway.

I had a little trouble getting him to stay standing straight on the base, as he wanted to lean back a bit even with the metal peg. I had to dink around with it abit, but eventually I had it about right.

Paint - **1/2
The paint is a little weak under magnification. In person of course, it's harder to see the slightly wonky eyes, fuzzy edges to the belt and belt loops, and random weak cut lines.

Other aspects of the work is good, including the tampo on the helmet, the stripes on the uniform, and the very realistic dirt pattern on his outside right leg. He's already slide into home once today!

Articulation - *1/2
Although he scores low in this category, it won't negatively effect my overall - in fact, it helps a little. The assumption here is that these are plastic statues, really just Sports Nerd Hummels. So any articulation, even a little, is a plus overall.

There are two joints, but cuts at the white sleeves. These allow you to position the arms in his classic pose. Sure, it's not a lot, but it's better than I expected.

Accessories - ***
There are two accessories, of sorts.

While he's a great fielder, he's even a better hitter, so it's no surprise that he comes with his bat. The end pops off to allow you to slide it into his right palm. The bat looks good in terms of scale and paint, and of course is critical to the overall figure.

Fun Factor - ***
For kids who love baseball - there's still some of those, right? - are going to enjoy collecting their favorites, and Griffey is one of the few greats of the last 20 years left unsulleyed by concerns of steroid abuse. Let's hope that turns out to be the case long term.

However, these aren't really 'toys' in the traditional sense. Still, when I was a kid I loved my baseball cards, and these are a mighty fine replacement for that sort of collectible.

Value - **1/2
This guy is an exclusive, and as such pulls a slightly higher price than the average releases. You can pick him up for $18, which is getting to be the norm these days, particularly for the store exclusive figures.

Things to Watch Out For -
If you could pick one off the shelf, it would be a good idea to check over the paint work closely for the best one. But odds are you'll be ordering this online, and there isn't anything else to watch out for.

Overall - ***
The paint work coming out of McFarlane these days isn't what it once was, but you'll have to use a macro lens or some serious magnifiers. It's really nice to see Griffey in this uniform, with this number, and in this pose - it doesn't get much more classic than this.

Score Recap:
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - **1/2
Articulation - *1/2
Accessories - ***
Fun Factor - ***
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***

Where to Buy -
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Clark Toys is the place to pick this guy up for $18.

Related Links -
Other Sports reviews include:

- I checked out the mini NBA figures quite awhile back.

- One of my favorite sports figures recently is one of the most hated sports 'mascots' - the FOX Sports Robot.

- there's also a guest review of an early wave of MLB figures, as well as an early wave of NFL figures.

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