Griffey stuck at Reds' light

[missionhockey21]

Griffey stuck at Reds' light
The Cincinnati slugger's chances of being dealt to the White Sox are fading
By Dave van Dyck
Tribune staff reporter

August 23, 2005, 11:16 PM CDT

WASHINGTON -- It was plain to see that the "C" on his uniform still stands for Cincinnati, not Chicago.

"I'm a Red—that's it," Ken Griffey Jr. reiterated Tuesday. "Till the organization tells me otherwise."

Yes, he is still a Red, even though White Sox general manager Ken Williams has worked overtime trying to find a way to bring Griffey's bat to the South Side.

And it doesn't appear Griffey's organization will be telling him anything otherwise by Sept. 1, when playoff rosters must be cemented.

So Griffey was still playing for a team whose goal is to play well enough to catch the Cubs for fourth place in the National League Central, not a team trying to catch the Cardinals for the best record in baseball.

When informed before the Reds beat the Nationals 6-2 Tuesday night that Williams still wanted him and chants of "We want Griffey!" had coursed through U.S. Cellular Field, he barely altered what has become a cue-card script.

"It's always nice that somebody wants you," he said. "That's always flattering, but for right now I've got to go out there and play hard for these guys."

Being a veteran of 10 years in the majors and five with the same team, Griffey has the right to veto any trade, though he has cleared waivers and therefore can be dealt. Would he agree to a trade to the Sox?

"I don't have to worry about that," he said. "When I cross that bridge, I cross it. Right now I've got to worry about the other 24 guys in [the clubhouse]."

One major-league source said the Sox had been told in roundabout ways that Griffey would indeed accept a trade to the South Side, even though spring training in Arizona would be far from his home in Orlando.

That includes the Sox's insistence on uniformity in team dress, even during batting practice, and even though he would not be strictly a center fielder. Griffey wears an earring and sometimes takes batting practice with his baseball cap backward.

But he also wants a World Series ring, which is not in the foreseeable future in Cincinnati. And, at 35, his chances are dwindling unless he is traded.

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[Jr's Boy]

Eat the rest of Juniors contract,part with Garland or Buhrle,give up top pitching prospect,then you can have him.And THATS not foreseeable in Chicago.

[Geki Ace]

Give up Brandon McCarthy and Chris Young and I'm all for it.

[redsrbetter]

Good article. I really thought this was all but a dead issue. But it still seems like it is just around the corner. I agree with you guys, give us McCarthy and Young and we are in business. DanO is seeing how badly they want him I guess. Thats a good sign.

[CincyRedsFan30]

Griffey's going nowhere. These non-trustworthy sources continue to look more classless. As I've said MANY times, real sources have said this rumor is false. Who cares if the Sox 'talk' to the Reds? They're not trading Griffey to them.