Thursday, February 17, 2000

Griffey merchandise a big hit

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BY JIM HANNAH
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Shoppers inspect shirts at the Reds Dugout Shop downtown. (Saed Hindash photo) | ZOOM |

        The addition of hometown hero Ken Griffey Jr. sent Reds memorabilia flying off shelves Wednesday, but prices kept some people at bay.

        Fans, both young and old, lined up Wednesday morning at the Reds Dugout store in the Westin Hotel and forked out $80 for the newly unveiled replica Griffey home jerseys, $15 for Griffey T-shirts and $6 for Griffey memorabilia baseballs.

        “I was thinking about getting a jersey until I found out the price,” Sue Tedtman, 41, of Bridgetown said while she waited in line at the shop to buy tickets to four home games. “But I will probably still get one for my son. He is a big Reds fan.”

        First-day sales of Griffey merchandise at the Dugout was brisk, said Reds Merchandising Manager Jill Perrin.

        The shop received its first Griffey merchandise — which included 900 replica jerseys and five styles of T-shirts — Tuesday night.

        The signing of Mr. Griffey has raised interest in the Reds to a point not seen since before the baseball strike of 1994. His jersey is the most sought-after item.

        “I think it will be a collector's item, but I don't know if I'll be able to put it away,” Matt Schauseil, 29, of Hamilton said as he shopped for authentic No. 30 jersey Wednesday afternoon. “I'll probably wear it.”

        Mark Stapleton, manager of the Cincy Shop in the Tri County Mall, called the acquisition of Mr. Griffey huge.

        “It will really push the Reds merchandise forward,” he said. “All the Reds merchandise, not just Junior's stuff.”

        Dick's Sporting Goods, with five area stores, is hawking Griffey T-shirts in quarter-page newspaper ads.

        “We are out of most Reds hats, but we still have Griffey T-shirts,” said Brad Riffle, a manager at Dick's Eastgate location.

        Wednesday afternoon, Koch's sporting goods store, downtown, had authentic Griffey road jerseys for $159.99 and replica jerseys for $69.99, said receptionist Liana Owens.

        “Sales are going through the roof,” she said. “Everyone and their brother wants a Ken Griffey Jr. jersey.”

        Former Seattle resident Carol Schoenborn of Fort Mitchell was shopping for Reds memorabilia for her son in Washington, D.C.

        “It's a good thing for Cincinnati,” she said. “I'm amazed of the impact this has had on the city.”

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