Danny Graves greets former Reds teammate Mike Cameron. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        The baseball commissioner's office could have had a field day meting out fines for violations of its “no fraternization rule” Tuesday night. But when it comes to interleague play, officials just look the other way. Of course, looking the other way Tuesday would have meant seeing just another interleague hug.

        “I've been looking forward to coming here for a long time,” said former Reds second baseman Bret Boone, who was in town with the Seattle Mariners. “From spring training into October, I don't see Aaron (Boone, his brother, the Reds third baseman). And, yeah, having Dad (Bob) here as the manager makes it a little more special.”

        Ninety minutes later, Boone the elder and Boone the younger were trying to beat the brains out of Bret the middle man.

        The whole scene Tuesday had the feel of the first day of school, following a summer break on which everybody had gone their separate ways. The Mariners and Reds each have a lot of one another's former players on their rosters. It was old home week, because these two teams rarely play one another, not even in spring training.

Ken Griffey Jr. hugs former Seattle teammate Mark McLemore. (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

        Hugs and handshakes abounded. Here's former Reds manager Lou Piniella, skipper of the 1990 World Champions and now field boss for the Seattle Mariners, waving to fans (“this is good for baseball” he said). There's the Reds' Aaron Boone and the Mariners' Bret Boone with their dad, Reds manager Bob Boone. Reds relievers Danny Graves and Gabe White approach former Reds center fielder Mike Cameron, who took over from Mr. Griffey after the big trade of February 2000.

        “Get out of here, get out of here,” Cameron kidded them. “I've gotta go out there and beat you guys tonight.”

        Then, Cameron, who was part of the soul of the 1999 Reds, the team that surprised everybody when they finished one victory short of the post-season, gave each of them a warm embrace.

        Reds chief operating officer John Allen said the Reds were expecting crowds in the upper 20,000s for all three Mariner games. Tuesday's game drew 26,654.

        “The crowds are improving,” he said. “We exceeded our expectations by about 10,000 for the Pittsburgh series (last weekend).”

        Ken Griffey Jr. kidded with his dad, hugged his new shipment of bats, and razzed the teammate he sometimes calls “Convict,” Adam Dunn, probably because of the big Texan's resemblance to a big guy on a chain gang.

        Junior was flitting about like a lightning bug at dusk. He lit up Cinergy Field before the Reds game against his old team, the Seattle Mariners, but he would not alight.

        “This is like the first day of school for you,” Dunn told Junior.

        “No, I had to quit school when they no longer did recess,” said Junior, grinning.

        Griffey doesn't like being the center of attention at pregame moments like this — he wants the game to be the focal point — but how could he not be in the spotlight, given the monster seasons he'd had in Seattle? What mattered most to Griffey was not who his team was playing, but that he would be in the game.

        “What eats at Junior is not being able to play, rather than how he does once he's out there,” said former Reds relief pitcher Norm Charlton, now a Mariner. “Junior's like a kid in first grade who just had the teacher tell him, "Go sit in the corner — you can't go play basketball at recess.' It's not sitting in the corner that eats at him, it's not being able to play.”

        But Charlton, a friend and fan of Junior's, dished it out straight.

        “Dude's one of the nicest, best guys I ever played with,” Charlton said of Junior. “But I'd like to see our pitching staff overmatch him and strike him out four times in big situations. Nothing personal, but Junior's secondary to us winning.”

        Charlton didn't get his wish. As soon as the game began, Junior did something special: in his first at-bat, he made the 2,000th hit of his career.

Mariners 8, Reds 1 Reds box, runs Griffey's return soured by loss Griffey still not 100 percent Sweet Lou glad to be back DAUGHERTY: Piniella managed with fear Mariners visit begins with hugs, handshakes Hall of Fame plan completed Gullett finds Chen's problem Reds Notebook: McKeon reassigned Broadcaster Jack Buck dies Devil Rays 8, Giants 3 Blue Jays 2, Dodgers 1 Diamondbacks 6, Orioles 3 Red Sox 4, Padres 2 Yankees 10, Rockies 5

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