From an aesthetic standpoint, the presence of the visiting Seattle Mariners will dress up Cinergy Field tonight.

        The Reds host the M's for the first of a three-game series beginning at 7:10 p.m. It is root-sy (present-day M's Lou Piniella, Bret Boone and Mike Cameron all have fond memories here) and ritzy (the M's are in first place in the American League West; the Reds are tied for first in the National League Central).

        But, it could also be rocky, with the Reds eager to show that they can fend off the St.Louis Cardinals, now that the two teams are tied.

        This is basically the Mariners team that won 116 regular-season games last year, even though they've been playing .500 ball the last several weeks. They are a sound, exciting club. Fans have plenty of reason to come out: Will Sweet Lou show some of that old-time fire he made famous here? What about this Ichiro guy? How good has Mike Cameron become? Will the buff Bret Boone bust a ball over the Black Monster in center field?

        The story lines are many.

        Not the least of which is this one:

        Will Ken Griffey Jr., who judging by his last few at-bats as a Reds pinch-hitter has definitely recouped his swing, be able to return to the Reds' lineup and wreak some havoc on his old team?

        The Reds, who have been able to claw into first place and hang in there, despite their star being on the shelf, are eager to get Griffey back.

        “If Junior can play healthy and perform, that changes things,” Reds shortstop Barry Larkin said. “Junior hasn't been in the lineup, and we've been able to be in first place, so we've been doing it. But when you're not playing as well as you have in the past (i.e. the Reds are struggling offensively) and you are missing your superstar and your stud, it (Junior's absence) becomes a little more obvious.”

        As a fan of rivalries, you no doubt would have preferred the Cleveland Indians coming in here instead of the Mariners. But, as a fan of the theatrical, you have to like the Reds-M's on center stage.

        “We're going to have to (show up) with our pants pulled up and our boots on,” said Reds rookie Austin Kearns.

        The Reds players are fans. They get excited about these interleague matchups, even though clearly the Cardinals are getting a break on the schedule with six interleague games against the lowly Kansas City Royals.

        But Reds third baseman Aaron Boone, who is looking forward to taking on his older brother, Bret, has the right idea about the schedule.

        “One hundred and sixty-two games should settle it enough,” he said.

        Longtime Reds Larkin and Jose Rijo are looking forward to visiting with Piniella, who led them to the 1990 World Championship, and everybody wants to hook up with Cameron, who fostered so much of the togetherness that distinquished the Ya Ya Brotherhood on the '99 Reds.

        “It'll be good to see Cam,” said Reds first baseman Sean Casey. “He's one of my favorite teammates of all-time.”

        After signing a multi-year deal with the Mariners, Cameron went out of his way to call some of his former Reds teammates and thank them for helping him to get established as a big-leaguer in Cincinnati in '99.

        “That's just the kind of guy he is,” Casey said. “It's funny how you can play with a guy only one year, and yet the impact he can have on a team. Mike Cameron had that impact on our team in '99. He brought a fun nature to it. He's the kind of guy you want to keep running into.”

        The beauty of the Reds' situation, however, is that they have largely been able to recapture the espirit de corps with a new set of guys this year.

        “The same feel we had in '99 we kind of feel here, too,” Casey said. “Look at some of the games we've won this year. Look at the faces in here, the people in here. We've got good people in here. We've got character guys, work-ethic guys, guys who want to win. It all matters.”

        The fans have started catching on to this team a bit earlier than they did to the '99 group. Last weekend's three-game series with the Pittsburgh Pirates drew more than 90,000.

        “To see all those fans staying around after the long rain delays (Friday and Saturday) was impressive,” said Reds closer Danny Graves. “It's awesome, great to see. I hope they keep coming out.”

Storylines abound in Reds-M's Mariners-Reds series preview Junior top vote-getter on Reds for All-Star Game Louisville 11, Norfolk 2 34-year-old rookie joins the majors Brewers win game, fill injury report Baseball notebook

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