Tuesday, August 11, 1998

BY SCOTT MacGREGOR
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Willie Greene ESPN profile Jeffrey Hammonds ESPN profile

At one time, Willie Greene looked to be the power in the Reds' youth movement, the potential slugger with the bat speed "as quick as Barry Bonds," according to General Manager Jim Bowden.

But Monday, during a season in which he failed to live up to both the team's and his own expectations and was pushed out of the picture, Greene became the latest ex-Red, traded to Baltimore for 27-year-old outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds.

In Hammonds, Cincinnati gets a talented but injury-plagued outfielder with speed, power and solid defensive credentials whom the organization had coveted for some time. Baltimore wanted Greene's bat to bolster its chances of winning the American League wild card.

Bowden said he is aware that taking on Hammonds' injury-prone body is a risk -- but believes it's worth it. Hammonds hit .264 with 21 homers and 55 RBI and had 15 stolen bases for the Orioles last season and hit .269 with six homers, 28 RBI and seven stolen bases this season.

Hammonds currently is playing with a fractured wrist and has never played a full season in the majors because of a variety of leg, knee, Achilles and concussion problems.

"I compare this to the Ron Gant deal," Bowden said. "This guy has been injured, hasn't shown durability, but the talent's there, the potential's there. We think this guy has a chance to succeed. We've seen some special things out of him.

"He can run, he can catch the ball, and he's a hitter. If he's healthy, he can hit 15 to 20 home runs and play left, center or right. He's a complete player."

Hammonds was signed to a three-year, $7 million contract this season by Baltimore owner Peter Angelos against the advice of General Manager Pat Gillick, who believed he was too much of an injury risk to sign long-term. Greene, who won a $1.75 million arbitration case this season, will be eligible for arbitration again next year.

Bowden said he still loves the 26-year-old Greene, but he just didn't fit in the Reds' future plans anymore. The left-handed hitter from Haddock, Ga., was hitting .270 with 49 RBI and a team-leading 14 homers, but it had become clear he was being pushed out.

Greene, who hit 26 homers and had 91 RBI last year had set of a goal of 30 homers and 120 RBI this year. Greene started the season as the everyday third baseman but was bumped to the outfield when Pokey Reese got hot and took over in late June. And with Reese and Aaron Boone the future at third and Dmitri Young, Mike Frank, Pat Watkins and Paul Konerko in the outfield picture, Greene became expendable despite his power potential.

"This trade allows Aaron Boone to play third base," Bowden said. "(Greene's) bat speed is tremendous. I think he has the potential to be a 30-to-40 home run guy. He just wasn't able to do it here. Our situation changed with the trades we made (acquiring Sean Casey and Konerko, among others.)"

Bowden said he believes Greene, who isn't a good defender either at third or in the outfield, will fit in better in the American League.

"He's more of an American League-type player, with the DH," Bowden said. "He can play some third, some first, some outfield over there."

Greene said he was sorry to leave the Reds' organization, with whom he made his major-league debut at age 20 in 1992, but is pleased to be going to team with a chance at the playoffs and an organization that's not so crowded with young players.

"I have a chance to go to a team in the wild-card race, and that will be good for me," Greene said. "I'll probably be playing every day. It'll be different scenery, but I'll have to adapt. Trades are part of the game."

Trading Greene was not an easy process.

Bowden tried to deal him before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline but was not able pull anything off. After the deadline, players must clear waivers before they can be traded, so Bowden put Greene through the waiver process. When Baltimore claimed him, Bowden pulled him back and tried to make a trade.

First, Bowden said, he asked for two Single-A players, but Baltimore wouldn't give them up. Then he asked for two more, and got the same answer. So he tried to work a Greene-for-Hammonds deal but was turned away repeatedly because, according to reports, Angelos nixed the deal.

"They just kept saying "No, no, no,' " Bowden said. "I called them early this morning and they said no, maybe we can talk in the offseason. I told them our price in the offseason will be three times as high."

Finally, just a few hours before a Monday deadline mandating Greene be traded or taken off waivers, the Orioles anted up and gave up Hammonds.

Greene will likely DH and come off the bench for the Orioles, while Hammonds will get a look in center field for the Reds. Bowden likes Hammonds' defensive prowess, but says he'll continue to search for Jim Edmonds-Ken Griffey Jr.-Andruw Jones type of top-quality center fielder.

"I wouldn't say this deal solves center field, but we think it's an upgrade on players," Bowden said.

"It helps to get more athleticism. (Hammonds) isn't the burner he was coming out of Stanford, but he's still faster than anybody we've got."