Friday, August 24, 2001
Reds 12, Cardinals 2
Griffey looks like All-Century self again
By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Over the last four days, Ken Griffey Jr. has hit an inside-the-park home run, beaten out an infield single and tried to stretch a double into a triple. He has hit three home runs and driven in seven runs. And he has played center field with the speed and grace that won him 10 Gold Gloves.
So, Junior, is the hamstring OK?
“No, not really,” he said. “I'm just not trying to do too much.”
Griffey said that after he went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a home run in the Reds' 12-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals before 23,887 at Cinergy Field.
Apparently, when Griffey tries not to do too much, he does a lot more than most players. Thursday's victory wrapped up a series in which the Reds took three of four games from the Cardinals, who came in as baseball's hottest team after winning 11 straight.
The Reds, not the Cardinals, looked like the pennant contenders. Elmer Dessens (9-10) pitched six strong innings and the bullpen followed with three innings of scoreless relief.
St. Louis starter Bud Smith entered the game 3-1 with a 3.14 ERA. But the Reds hit him early and often. They had 18 hits, including six doubles. Pokey Reese went 3-for-5 with a homer and four RBI. Sean Casey, Kelly Stinnett and Dessens each had two hits.
Griffey's outburst wasn't a one-game thing. He went 10-for-17 (.588) with three homers and three doubles in the series, raising his average to .291 — the highest it has ever been as a Red.
Griffey has a seven-game hitting and RBI streak. He has four homers and 10 RBI in that span. In 22 August games, he has 10 home runs and 24 RBI.
He has thrived lately, despite getting little protection from the hitters before him (Adam Dunn) and after him (Casey). Dunn has four hits in his last 25 at-bats; Casey has seven in his last 39.
That points to the fact that Griffey — when healthy, or close to healthy — can carry a team. Reds fans may wonder what might have been had Griffey not torn his hamstring in March.
Griffey does not.
“I never look back or never look forward,” he said. “I try to keep on the task at hand. What happened in spring training, I can't change.”
Griffey returned from the disabled list June 15. The Reds were in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. Griffey was still tentative about the hamstring, but he pressed — tried to do too much.
“I always do,” he said. “I hate losing.”
The leg injury, he says, ultimately got him to back off a little.
“I'm taking what they give me,” he said.
Pitch him away and he goes to left. Thursday, one double was to left, one was to center and the homer was to left-center.
On the second double, Griffey saw the ball kick away from center fielder Jim Edmonds and tried to go third. He slid in just after the relay arrived. Had he beat it, he would have ended up with his first career cycle.
“I wasn't even thinking about that,” Griffey said.
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Reds 12, Cardinals 2 
