By John Fay
Enquirer staff writer

ST. LOUIS - Sometimes it pays to be a nice guy.

Ken Griffey Jr. presented Matt Crummley with an all-expenses-paid trip to the All-Star Game in Houston for him and three others. He said he is taking his parents and a friend.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Monday's game

Crummley, of Mount Carmel, Ill., is the 19-year-old college student who caught Griffey's 500th home run and then returned the ball to Griffey.

"It's a way of saying thanks for a great gesture," Griffey said.

The deal had been in the works since Griffey hit No. 500 on June 20 here.

"He's a college student, so we wanted to make sure everything worked with his schedule," Griffey said. "It should be a lot of fun for him."

Crummley will get to shag balls during the home run hitting contest and make an appearance on Fox Sports Net's The Best Damn Sports Show today.

"I didn't expect anything, especially like this," Crummley said. "... He's a great guy. Very nice."

Griffey will participate in the home run hitting contest. He won the contest in 1994, 1998 and 1999.

This is the 12th time Griffey has been voted a starter, but he hasn't gone to the game since 2000.

It's the first time his 10-year-old son Trey will be old enough to enjoy and participate in the activities surrounding the game.

"He's getting into baseball," Griffey said. "He can answer mom's questions."

The Associated Press contributed