Griffey to skip All-Star game

Ken Griffey Jr., the leading vote-getter among National League outfielders for the All-Star game, didn't sound too disappointed about missing Tuesday's mid-summer classic with a sore knee. Tonight's home-run hitting contest, though, is a different story.

Ken Griffey Jr. argues a called third strike with umpire Justin Klemm.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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“I'm going back to defend my title,” he said with a slight grin after the Reds lost 5-3 Sunday to the Cleveland Indians.

Reds medical director Tim Kremchek recommended Griffey not play in the All-Star Game, and general manager Jim Bowden and Griffey agreed. “We just felt it was the right thing for me to do,” Griffey said.

“I have no say. I do to a certain extent, but he (Kremchek) is the doctor. I guess they feel I don't need to aggravate it anymore.”

Griffey is the two-time defending champion of the home run derby, and he wants a three-peat.

In 1998, he initially decided not to participate, but changed his mind and won at Colorado's Coors Field. Last year, he outlasted an early Mark McGwire barrage to win at Boston's Fenway Park. He also won in 1994.

Griffey's 28 home runs this year are tied for second in the majors with Barry Bonds and Carlos Delgado, behind McGwire's 30. And his 72 RBI are tied for fourth in the National League, behind Jeff Kent's 85. Griffey was 0-for-3 with a walk Sunday before being ejected in the eighth inning for arguing a called third strike. He's hitting .238.

Fans won't get to see Griffey and McGwire go head-to-head for homers, though, in Atlanta. McGwire also has knee tendinitis and won't participate in either the home run derby or the All-Star game.

“With Mark not participating in the home run competition, if I don't, something's going to be said,” Griffey said.

Reds pitcher Danny Graves was added Sunday to take Maddux's spot on the National League roster. Arizona outfielder Steve Finley was added to replace Griffey.

Griffey was also injured in 1995 and '96 and didn't play in the All-Star game, but both times was on the disabled list — first with a fractured left wrist, then a broken right wrist.

Griffey's right knee has been hurting for about two weeks, and he re-aggravated it running the bases Thursday in St. Louis. He has started all but one game in that span — last Wednesday against the Cardinals, which he said he missed because he was sick. He has come out of six games early, all routs, but played all nine innings of Saturday's 14-5 blowout of Cleveland. He only attributes three of the early exits to the knee.

“We feel it's in the best interests of the baseball team that he not run, not run the bases, not play the outfield, and take three days off,” Bowden said. “It's about winning games.”

But Griffey can still participate in the home run contest because swinging shouldn't put stress on the knee. He said it bothers him in spurts, slowing down his initial first steps in the outfield and not allowing him to slam on the brakes as quickly when he tracks fly balls.

He has been taking anti-inflammatory medication and getting aggressive treatment on the knee, and wearing a neoprene sleeve to keep it warm and a brace to give it strength. He hates the brace, which is one reason he wants to get the injury healed as quickly as possible.

Griffey was ejected Sunday when he heatedly argued a called third strike. Home plate umpire Justin Klemm tossed him immediately, but Griffey got his money's worth, drawing a line with his bat in the batter's box where he thought the pitch had been. He also threw his bat and helmet in disgust and then tossed a bat from the bat rack onto the field.

“I don't get mad very often. A lot of umpires around the league know that,” Griffey said. “It's over with. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize next time I see him. If he's wrong, we'll shake hands and move on.”

It was the second time in his career, Griffey said, that he has been ejected from a regular-season game, the first since his rookie season in 1989. He was also ejected once in a spring training game. “So, every 12 years or so,” he joked. “I've got one coming in 2012.”

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