By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The e-mailers, mostly, were supportive of Ken Griffey Jr. after his most recent injury:

Q, from Brett in Hilton Head, S.C.: I just finished John Erardi's feature on Griffey and still have a hard time believing that even the most cynical Reds' fan can question Junior's desire. Thankfully, the story made some significant points in Griffey's defense. Playing on turf for nine years is bound to take its toll, especially on one who played as hard as Griffey. He's clearly not the same player as he was in Seattle, but should we have expected him to be? He's 33 years old, and I believe he's working hard to try and stay healthy. Sure, this hasn't been the honeymoon that everyone hoped it would be. But as frustrating as it's been for us fans, imagine for a few moments what it's been like for Griffey.

A: When Griffey was booed after getting hurt Thursday night, it made me ashamed to be a Cincinnatian. That was one of most callous displays by fans I've seen. Griffey was playing hurt when the injury happened and was in incredible pain when the boos starts.

Q, from Jared in Greenup, Ky.: Jim Bowden continues to say he will not trade Adam Dunn or Austin Kearns as they are the cornerstones of the future. They currently make $400,000 and $350,000, respectively. What happens when it comes time for these guys to sign a new contract? (I am not sure when that will be.) Do the Reds honestly feel they will be able to afford both of them? Why not trade one of them and get a quality starting pitcher to see if they can get back in the race? With the current mindset of penny pinching, the Reds will be lucky to re-sign one of the two, much less both of them.

A: The Reds don't have to give them long-term contracts until they've had six years in the big leagues. That means they are relatively cheap until then. Trading one of them for a pitcher now to get back in the race would be a huge mistake. The kind of pitcher the Reds need to get back in the race is just not available.

Q, from Rob in Louisville: Why is it that when everyone talks about re-tooling the Reds, John Allen always gets a free pass. He is the president of the ballclub who answers to the owner. He is the one who is accountable for his team's demise. He got the job because Marge got the boot from MLB. At the time his credentials were, uh, accountant. Great! And the record of the Reds during his tenure is what? Abysmal. Our new stadium is mediocre at best and trails far behind every new ballpark built in the last 10 years. I know, I have been to them all. Now his business model is being compared to the Pirates and Brewers. And we are not demanding his firing?

A: Allen certainly shares in the responsibility. He's been with the club throughout the buildup to 2003. But Bowden has put the club together, and Lindner has set the payroll. They deserve more of the blame/credit for where the Reds are.

Q, from Frank: How could they send Ray Olmedo down. He was exciting and had a great attitude. A: I liked what Olmedo brought to the club. The Reds are taking a hard look at D'Angelo Jimenez and didn't want to keep Olmedo as an extra

Email: jfay@enquirer.com