Ken Griffey Jr. amended the remarks he made Friday to the Enquirer about retirement, saying Saturday that his concerns focused mainly on the condition of his injured left hamstring, not the composition of the Reds' roster.

Ken Griffey Jr. and Adam Dunn clown around before the game. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        Two years after Pokey Reese was deemed untouchable, his statistics suggest he has become unteachable. He was hitting .219 after an 0-for-2 Saturday night, locked in a season-long slump and a sustained contractual stalemate with general manager Jim Bowden.

        “Some days I do think, "What the hell am I doing?'” Griffey said, referring to the concluding quotation in Friday's article. “But the whole thing is about my leg and how I feel. It has nothing to do with my teammates or anything else.”

        The Reds center fielder, whose homer opened the scoring in the Reds' 5-0 victory over the Florida Marlins Saturday, had hinted that he'd leave baseball if reliever Danny Graves, infielder Pokey Reese and left fielder Dmitri Young were traded. Speculation about deals has increased as Tuesday's non-waiver trading deadline approaches.

        Another day passed without the Reds making such a trade, though the appearance of St. Louis Cardinals special assistant Bob Gebhard at Cinergy Field was intriguing.

        Gebhard has been scouting starting pitchers for the Cardinals, who are in third place in the National League Central. But the Reds are unlikely to trade the starter he watched, Elmer Dessens, who shut out Florida on six hits. Dessens' $300,000 salary makes him easy to retain.

        But a Colorado source said the Rockies are pondering a three-way trade that would bring them Reds shortstop Pokey Reese. The source said Colorado's interest in St. Louis shortstop Edgar Renteria has cooled, though the Cardinals or Toronto Blue Jays could be one of the other teams involved in the deal.

        Still, the deadline could pass with Griffey's designated trio intact. Young is no longer a candidate to be shipped to the Chicago Cubs, who obtained Fred McGriff from Tampa Bay. Philadelphia stopped coveting Graves or Scott Sullivan after acquiring Turk Wendell and Dennis Cook from the New York Mets.

        But Graves expressed caution that won't ebb until the deadline passes. “To be continued Wednesday,” he said, declining further comment.

        Asked if he was serious about quitting if the team's core was gutted, Griffey said: “In a way. I want to win. I don't want to see a bunch of good players ... that were on this team go somewhere else and win.”

        Citing his nine-year, $117 million contract, of which more than half is deferred to give the Reds payroll relief, Griffey said, “If I didn't care (about winning), I wouldn't have deferred as much as I would have and offered to defer more if they needed it.”

        But later in his pregame remarks, Griffey mocked one of his statements from the previous day: “"If they trade three guys, I'll go home. If they trade two guys, I'll be in Atlanta.' Why would I move to Atlanta? It's just as hot, and it's got snow. I don't want to see any snow.”

        Griffey addressed reporters after meeting with Reds general manager Jim Bowden. “I can't tell y'all what was said. If he wants to tell you, he will,” Griffey said.

        Both Bowden and chief operating officer John Allen had no comment on Griffey's remarks.

        Reds first baseman Sean Casey sensed Griffey's dismay over his hamstring.

        “Maybe he's just frustrated about his injury. I know he is,” Casey said. “That brings up some other emotions and feelings, too.”

        On Saturday, Griffey's heart and mind were with his hamstring, which he injured last September, tore in late March and will have examined toward or after the end of the season.

        “If I didn't tear my hammy, would we be talking about this? No. My decision (to play) will be based on my hamstring,” he said.

        Emphasizing the importance he places on his health, the 31-year-old Griffey said: “I'm not going to be sitting around for six or seven years with a hamstring injury just to collect a check. That's not what I'm about. It's more important for me to be 100 percent sure (of his health) than 50 percent or 25 percent or whatever.”

        Griffey indicated he could find some physical relief in September, when rosters expand to 40 players and another outfielder might join the Reds. “When they start calling up some guys, I may not have to play every day,” he said.

        Griffey offered clubhouse visitors a sure way to determine his playing status: Just look at his cubicle.

        “If you don't see my wife's picture in my locker,” he said, “that means I'm gone.”

Reds 5, Marlins 0 Griffey amends retirement remarks SULLIVAN: Hold on to Reese 88 lineups later, Boone likes this one Dunn finally takes O-fer Fan's eye view of the Reds Five Questions with Tony Perez Road woes continue for Marlins Reds runs, box

Bengals' QB race in neutral
DAUGHERTY: Rookie Johnson energizes Bengals
Kickers 0-for-2 on field goals
Brown ignores Griffey's slam
Training camp still fascinates Brown
Olympic proposal difficult to score
What readers say about Cincinnati's bid
Where Cincinnati stands on key Olympic topics
Pitino, Duke highlight Kentucky schedule
Kentucky men's basketball schedule
Tennis tourney gets fast start
Best and worst of week in sports
Baseball program embraces diversity, opportunity
Bonds Watch: No homers
Local teams win on national level
Champs as sons aim to repeat as fathers
Father-Son tennis schedule, results
Rain wreaks havoc on Metro softball
Metro Softball scores
Auto Racing Insider
Great Outdoors Games a big project
High School Insider

• Return to Reds front page...