Friday, February 11, 2000

McKeon sees Griffey batting third

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BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        Reds manager Jack McKeon was called Trader Jack during his years as general manager of the San Diego Padres.

        The Trader rated the trade the Reds made for Ken Griffey Jr. a great one. The Reds sent Brett Tomko and Mike Cameron, along with minor-leaguers Antonio Perez and Jake Meyer to Seattle for Griffey, who signed a nine-year deal with the Reds.

        “We gave up a lot,” McKeon said. “But look at what we got. You've got to give up something to get a player like him. The way it turned out, him signing a long-term deal, makes it OK. You don't want to give up good players to get a guy for one year.”

        McKeon said, barring injury, his Opening Day batting order will be:

        • Pokey Reese, second base

        • Barry Larkin, shortstop

        • Griffey, center field

        • Dante Bichette, right field

        • Sean Casey, first base

        • Dmitri Young, left field

        • Eddie Taubensee, catcher

        • Aaron Boone, third base

        “Not too bad, huh?” he said.

        Griffey replaces Cameron in the lineup. Griffey hit .285 with 48 home runs and 134 RBI, compared to .256, 21 HRs and 66 RBI for Cameron. Bichette replaced Greg Vaughn. Bichette hit .298, 34 HRs and 133 RBI, compared to .245, 45 HRs, 118 RBI for Vaughn.

        So the Reds took 66 homers and 184 RBI out of the lineup and replaced them with 82 HRs and 267 RBI.

        “I think this trade certainly makes us better,” McKeon said. “How much better is hard to say. It still will come down to pitching.”

        The Reds gave up Tomko, who spent most of the year in the starting rotation.

        The Reds top four starters — Pete Harnisch, Denny Neagle, Ron Villone and Steve Parris — are set.

        “I have no idea who will be the fifth,” McKeon said.

        Candidates include top minor-leaguer Rob Bell and non-roster invitee Mark Portugal.

        Lefty reliever Dennys Reyes isn't a candidate.

        “Our bullpen kept us in it the early part of last year,” McKeon said. “We don't want to weaken that. We want to build on it.”

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Griffey video clips at Majorleaguebaseball.com

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