Saturday, December 11, 1999McKeon: Don't trade Pokey
Reds manager says 2B National League's best
BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati EnquirerANAHEIM, Calif. — In Jack McKeon's estimation, Pokey Reese is untouchable.
“I wouldn't trade him,” the Reds manager said Friday of his starting second baseman, whom the Seattle Mariners have insisted upon in talks regarding Ken Griffey Jr. “I have no control over it. But I'm attached to him. If I had a vote, I'd vote no. He's my man.”
McKeon called Reese, who hit .285 and won the Gold Glove, the best at his position in the National League.
“You can talk about (New York's Edgardo) Alfonzo; he may be a better hitter,” McKeon said. “But defensively, there's none better.”
SURPRISE, SURPRISE: Reds General Manager Jim Bowden was pleased to find in “serious” trade talks with three teams that promising young players were unexpectedly available.
Bowden wouldn't name these players, but as a parallel, he cited Cincinnati's 1998 first-base surplus of Sean Casey and Paul Konerko that the Reds relieved by trading Konerko to the Chicago White Sox.
“It would be a successful day if we could trade for one of them,” Bowden said.
Though the Reds remain interested in pitchers Rolando Arrojo of Tampa Bay and Hideki Irabu of the New York Yankees, they didn't discuss possible deals with either club.
ETC.: Bowden tried to defuse the fuss he created with his remark published Friday in the Los Angeles Times (“I'm not coming to Anaheim to go to Disneyland ... I'm not interested in Goofy. I'm coming to get Griffey”). Said Bowden, “That's my humor. I'm trying to be funny. Sometimes my jokes don't work.”
• The relatively little interest commanded by free agent Greg Vaughn, who collected 45 homers and 118 RBI this year with the Reds, has been among the more intriguing phenomena of the offseason. Bowden suggested Vaughn's supposed eight-figure salary demand has discouraged suitors: “We would have re-signed Greg Vaughn without question if his price was closer to what he was making when we had him ($5.6 million) rather than twice of what it was.”
• The Reds released minor-league infielder Juan Melo, clearing a spot on the 40-man roster. Melo hit .219 with six home runs, 29 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 89 games for three Triple-A affiliates this year.
• Bowden said that he and his lieutenants haven't decided whether the Reds will add a player to the roster by making a selection in Monday's Rule V draft. Bowden pointed out that though the Reds have targeted four or five desirable minor leaguers, they might all be taken by the time Cincinnati's turn comes with the 24th pick among 30 teams.
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