Friday, December 10, 1999Bowden coming for Griffey
'It's the only reason I'm going' to meetings
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati EnquirerANAHEIM, Calif. — The Reds may command more attention at the Winter Meetings than anything at Disneyland, which happens to be a couple of Ken Griffey Jr. home runs away from the hotel where team executives are gathering.
It's an open secret that the Reds are the most serious bidders for Griffey. Reds General Manager Jim Bowden made his intentions a little less secret on Thursday.
“I'm not coming to Anaheim to go to Disneyland,” he told the Los Angeles Times before leaving Cincinnati. “It's no disrespect to Disney, but I'm not interested in Goofy. I'm coming to get Griffey and bring him back to his hometown, where he belongs.
“It's the only reason I'm going.”
Everybody also seems to know that Griffey has told intimates of his preference to return to his hometown. So as the meetings begin today, much speculation and interest will follow Cincinnati's efforts to trade for the Seattle Mariners' spectacular center fielder.
The Reds are scheduled to discuss Griffey with Mariners officials Saturday. Throughout those and subsequent talks, Jim Bowden's steadfast refusal to include second baseman Pokey Reese in a deal for Griffey will be tested severely.
“I've made 12 to 15 offers,” he said. “Pat and I have had dialogue almost every day. We've made very little progress, but we already have another meeting scheduled in Anaheim.”
Bowden is expected to continue offering the Mariners four players from a group that includes Rookie of the Year reliever Scott Williamson, left-hander Denny Neagle, right-hander Brett Tomko, center fielder Mike Cameron, outfielder Dmitri Young, highly regarded shortstop prospect Travis Dawkins or another top minor-leaguer.
The Reds also will seek starting pitching, along with most of the 29 other clubs. They'll pursue trades for pitchers they've long coveted, such as Tampa Bay's Rolando Arrojo and the New York Yankees' Hideki Irabu, while checking low-profile free agents. They can't afford underachievers such as Steve Trachsel or Andy Benes, who want $6 million a year.
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