Griffey excited about postseason chances

Aug 1, 2008 - 11:28 PM By Alan Eskew PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- With his new team, Ken Griffey Jr. was in an old spot.

Playing in center field, Griffey was in the lineup for the Chicago White Sox Friday night against the Kansas City Royals after being acquired in trade with the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday for righthander Nick Masset and minor league infielder Danny Richar.

Griffey, who went to high school in the Queen City and could have vetoed the trade, said he talked to several members of his family - including his father, Ken Sr., who played for the Reds - and friends in Chicago before approving the trade. He said it was near unanimous to accept the deal.

"They've obviously done well, being in first place without me to this point," Griffey said prior to the game. "In search of winning a World Series title, that was important. My kids are getting older and it wasn't the situation in Seattle where I wanted to get closer to home. It was a chance for me winning a title, I think that was the biggest draw. Dad said, 'This is your chance.' I'm 100 percent behind you."

Griffey goes from a team that was seven games below .500, had lost seven of its past 10 games and was 14 games out in the National League Central Division to the White Sox, who are 13 games above .500 and in first place in the American League Central, but only a half-game in front of the Minnesota Twins going into Friday night.

In the midst of a 12-game hitting streak, Griffey raised his average to .245 with 15 homers and 53 RBI.

"There are things that I can do to help this ball club," Griffey said. "Having a manager (Ozzie Guillen) who didn't (have) very many home run (hitters), he's very keen on making sure you get the runner over and knock him in, and that's the key to winning ball games. I've been around for a little while, so I understand the game."

Griffey never got a scent of the playoffs in Cincinnati. He has not appeared in a playoff game since 1997 with the Mariners, when he hit .133 in the division series against the Baltimore Orioles.

He said he had "no regrets" about his time with the Reds.

"There were more ups than downs," Griffey said.

How about playing for a fiery manager like Guillen?

"I played for Lou (Piniella in Seattle)," Griffey said. "It can't be that much different. Ozzie has always been a family favorite."

Some of the young Royals said Griffey, who turns 39 in November, was their favorite player growing up and collected his baseball cards.

"Hopefully, they'll take it easy on the old guy and throw it 84 (mph) right down the middle," Griffey said.

Griffey ranks sixth on the all-time home run list with 608, one behind Sammy Sosa, while new teammate Jim Thome is 16th with 527. The White Sox become the first team in history to feature a member of both the 500 and 600 home run fraternities.

Griffey said he opted to wear No. 17, instead of No. 30, which belongs to Nick Swisher. Swisher, who had started 57 games in center, moves to first, where he made his 34th start against the Royals.

"I don't want to be a disruption," Griffey said on not insisting on No. 30. "They gave me a list of (available) numbers and 17 was on it."

He said playing with the Reds since 2000 gave him a chance to spend more time with his family.

"My 6-year-old doesn't know whether I went 0-for-4 or 4-for-4," he said. "He does know when I hit a home run to shoot off the fireworks."