I have received more than 200 Ken Griffey Jr. e-mails, but it's time to move on, considering we published some of them Friday. E-mailers also have jumped on the Move Adam Dunn, Austin Kearns Or Juan Encarnacion To Third bandwagon. Read on:

        Question, from Mike in Cincinnati: If the Reds are going to bench anyone, bench Aaron Boone. I'm sure Kearns or Dunn would fit in quite nicely at third base.

        Answer: Boone entered the season with a .284 career average; you have to judge him on that, not 120-something at-bats this year. Dunn and Kearns have played extremely well. But they are young. To ask either to take on an unfamiliar position during the season is a stretch. However, if the Reds decide Boone is not their future third baseman, it might be worth trying to convert Kearns. He played all over in high school.

Juan Encarnacion and Fernando Vina look back to umpire Angel Hernandez for the call as he is safe on a stolen base. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        Q, from Bill: Who gets sent down when Ken Griffey Jr. returns? ... If Bob Boone goes to a five-man rotation with Dunn shuttling between 1B and LF, there won't be many chances left for (Brady) Clark, Reggie Taylor and Ruben Mateo to get playing time. On the same topic, will Juan Castro's return move Gookie Dawkins back to Louisville (and will his bat ever catch up with his glove)?

        A: Either Taylor or Mateo is gone when Griffey returns. Mateo has a better bat, but Taylor has more speed and is better defensively. Yes, Dawkins is gone when Castro returns. He needs to play every day to have a chance for his bat to develop.

        Q, from Jeff: I am really getting tired of hearing everyone complain about Sean Casey's lack of power. Sure, he has never been at the top of the league in home-run production, but he is a good clutch hitter and is very difficult to defend because of the way he sprays the ball all over the field. The popular comment I keep hearing is that you need power out of your corner positions. I think that is overrated. Casey reminds me of Don Mattingly and Mark Grace. Give me a team full of Sean Caseys over a team full of Albert Belles any day. What do you think?

        A: I like Casey also. I think he'll hit about 20 home runs this year. The key stat on Casey: entering this season, he was a career .349 hitter with runners in scoring position.

        Q, from Chris in Los Angeles: Why not set up a five-man platoon rotation involving Griffey, Dunn, Kearns, Encarnacion and Casey? Each player plays four out of every five games, with Dunn taking over first on Casey's day off. That way, Griffey can get his hacks and still take every fifth day to rest his knee while everyone else gets a chance to play nearly every day. It keeps a fresh bat for late-game heroics and provides insurance against injuries. With interleague games coming up, it also keeps that extra bat around to DH. Financially, it gives Griffey time to heal while Dunn/Kearns are making well below their value.

        A: Works for me. I think Boone will use some version of that, but it won't be a strict rotation. Lefty-righty matchups will play heavily into it.

        Q, from Robert: What's with all the low ERAs in the National League? There are about two dozen pitchers with ERAs under 3.00 (including Elmer Dessens). Tom Glavine, Al Leiter under 1.00? The last few years, there have been only a handful around those numbers at this time in the season. Has something changed that I missed, or is this just an aberration?

        A: You have spotted a trend. Last year, the Braves led the NL in ERA at 3.59. Five teams — including the Reds at 3.42 — were under that entering Friday. Last year, only three teams finished the year under 4.00. Nine teams entered Friday under that mark.

        Q, from Marc in Chicago: After watching the bullpen blow the game vs. the Giants on Sunday, is it time that (Bob) Boone lets the starters stay in the game a little longer? Both (Scott) Sullivan and (Danny) Graves have been hit a little the past couple of games. Also, any plans on letting Scott Williamson change roles with Graves and close some games? Against the Dodgers, he was unhittable.

        A: It is hard to argue with how the pitching has been used when the team ERA is 3.42. Boone is trying to rest Sullivan and Graves. As for Williamson, the Reds are bringing him along slowly. I think that's a good strategy. But I would have given him another inning in that Sunday game.

Reds 8, Cardinals 1 Reds box, runs Reds Q&A with John Fay DAUGHERTY: Austin's swinging has fans drooling Miller hits first, explains later Notes: At-bats getting better for Boone Cinergy Countdown No. 28: Sept. 1, 1997 Down on the farm Reds chatter Louisville 4, Syracuse 3 Baseball History - You could look it up Hermansen taking what might be last shot with Pirates MLB notebook NL roundup AL roundup John Fay's MLB power rankings Notes from Saturday's games

Kimmel claims 'Channel 5-155'
Speedway notebook
Brazilian force stays at front of pack
Fisher turns in fastest Indy qualifying time by woman
Junqueira takes pole at Indy
Four Big Ten teams headed to NCAA championships
Freshmen make Muskies matter
Michigan snags Big Ten tournament title
NKU baseball plays for GLVC title today
Kings 115, Mavericks 113, OT
Leafs' Tucker to miss rest of Battle of Ontario
Red Wings 4, Blues 0
Sharks 5, Avalanche 3
Baffert plots new strategy
Day Trader wins Matt Winn Stakes
Artistry of early baseball cards on display at Toledo museum
Maruyama hanging on at Byron Nelson
Patriots new home opens with soccer game
Sarah Hughes' whirlwind tour stops in Queen City
Trinidad stops Cherifi
Coming up this week
Page Two power rankings
NFL mothers find support in each other
Bengals Q&A with Mark Curnutte
NFL insider
Lakota East wins 2 games
Lloyd victory is school first
She's 'Mom' at home, 'Coach' on court
Group aims to create equity in new national equestrian league
Kentucky 12th Region tennis tournament
Saturday's results

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