Saturday, May 22, 1999
Vaughn's ring ceremony less than formal
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SAN DIEGO — Those San Diego Padres sure know how to say thanks.
Avoiding any sort of pomp and circumstance, Padres General Manager Kevin Towers gave Greg Vaughn his 1998 National League championship ring as the Reds left fielder was stretching with teammates before batting practice. All Vaughn did for the Padres last year was amass 50 home runs and 119 RBI.
At least Vaughn got his ring. Arizona center fielder Steve Finley, another former Padre, had to settle temporarily for a replica that was distributed to fans because the team had neglected to obtain his ring size.
The scattered fans sitting near the field realized what was happening when Towers approached Vaughn and they applauded.
Vaughn received a nice ovation when he came to bat in the first inning and he responded with a little tip of his cap before fouling out to first. He ended up 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
"That was big. It was appreciated. It means a lot coming from
the fans," Vaughn said. "I was just trying too hard tonight.
I'm not going to beat myself over the head over it."
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