News
Griffey, Mariners pay visit to Rockies
Seattle (30-30) at Colorado (28-32), 6:10 p.m. PT
By Pete Kerzel / Special to MLB.com
06/12/09 1:00 AM ET
BALTIMORE -- If the recently concluded three-game road series is the last visit Ken Griffey Jr. makes to Camden Yards as a player, he'll always have an iconic Baltimore moment to cherish. Griffey hit one of the most memorable home runs in Camden Yards history, even though it never counted and can't be found in a box score. During the Home Run Derby before the 1993 All-Star Game, he became the first -- and still only -- player to tattoo a ball hard enough to hit the B&O Warehouse, which forms the perimeter of the ballpark beyond the center and right-field walls, on the fly. |
Ask the 39-year-old Griffey if he was surprised that no one's duplicated his achievement and he'll smile the same toothy grin he flashed as a 23-year-old on that humid Tuesday night in July.
"I'm real surprised," Griffey said. "The right wind, trajectory, velocity of the pitch -- I figured somebody a lot bigger than me would. At that time, I was 210 pounds. I just wanted to get it over the fence, that's it. I mean, [the warehouse] is a long way. You really don't realize how far it is out there." Griffey's warehouse shot in 1993 was measured at 445 feet, and a bronze baseball-shaped plaque adorns the spot on the façade beyond brick pillars and black fences in right-center where Griffey made contact.He's headed to another hitter-friendly park Friday, when the Mariners open a three-game Interleague series at Colorado. How much Griffey plays at Coors Field will probably depend on the health of center fielder Franklin Gutierrez, who is day-to-day with a left knee contusion and missed Thursday's game.
If Gutierrez is healthy, Griffey could move from full-time DH to pinch-hitter. If Gutierrez is slow to heal, Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu might need Griffey to play the outfield, something he's done in only three games this season.
The Mariners slugger -- who is a career .262 hitter at Camden Yards with nine home runs and 32 RBIs -- thinks a few of today's best left-handed mashers have a chance to reach the warehouse. Washington's Adam Dunn, Philadelphia's Ryan Howard and Milwaukee's Prince Fielder are his best bets. Unless they change leagues, it would have to come in Interleague Play though. "Those are the three guys who, if they get a hold of one, could," Griffey said. In the meantime, the memory will have to suffice. The Home Run Derby shot may not be one of Griffey's most memorable blasts -- those are shots that counted in win-loss records -- but fans in Baltimore won't let him forget it. On Wednesday, as he waited in the on-deck circle, Griffey heard someone mention the warehouse, a suggestion that elicited that megawatt smile. "For an opposing player, it's nice to have people say nice things about what you did in their ballpark," Griffey said. "That's the beauty of baseball, more than any other sport. People are really die-hard fans of their team, but in baseball they're die-hard fans of their team but have great respect for guys on other teams. It's cool." Pitching matchupSEA: LHP Jarrod Washburn (3-4, 3.07 ERA)
It's difficult to tell by his record, but Washburn is having his best season since 2002, when he won 18 games for the Angels. Washburn is coming off another solid start, when he held the Twins to one run over six innings, striking out six and walking one. It was the eighth time in 11 starts the lefty has allowed two or fewer runs this season, but he has not won a game since April 21. Washburn is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in two career starts against the Rockies at Coors Field. COL: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-6, 3.91 ERA)
Jimenez struck out a season-high nine in his last start, but not with the use of his blazing 98 mph fastball. Instead, he fooled Cardinals hitters with offspeed stuff early in counts in eight innings and allowed two runs on four hits for the win. Since May 1, Jimenez is 3-3 with a 2.63 ERA in eight starts. Jimenez will be looking for his first win in Interleague Play, where he's a career 0-3 with a 5.00 ERA, against the Mariners in his next start. Tidbits
Griffey blooped a ninth-inning single to left off Baltimore's Alberto Castillo against an exaggerated shift Thursday night, marking his first single against a left-handed pitcher this year. Griffey had four previous hits vs. southpaws: two doubles and four home runs. ... RHP Sean White has not allowed a run over his last 14 outings, covering 17 innings. It's the longest active scoreless innings streak in the American League. ... Ichiro Suzuki is 126-for-339 (.372) in 81 career games against the Orioles, the highest batting average by a Baltimore opponent in Orioles history. Tickets
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• 710 ESPN Up next
• Saturday: Mariners (Erik Bedard, 5-2, 2.47) at Rockies (Jason Marquis, 8-4, 3.98), 5:10 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Mariners (Jason Vargas, 2-1, 2.35) at Rockies (Jason Hammel, 3-3, 4.33), 12:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Off-day
Pete Kerzel is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
