All Things Bubba

The McPaper had a story about Ken Griffey, Jr. today:

Griffey's days in Cincinnati may be numbered

It suggests he might be traded to Seattle. Not terribly shocking. The Griffey trade speculation has been going on for years, and the Mariners are a prime target. They're an AL team, and aging sluggers usually end up in the AL. And of course, it's where he came from.

What I found curious was the part where he talks about how he was traded.

"I wouldn't change anything," says Griffey, who was traded to the Reds on Feb. 10, 2000. "I had to leave Seattle when I did. I just had to. They know the real reason why I left."

...Griffey says he could still be in Seattle if not for a simple question.

When it became clear the Mariners were going to have difficulty re-signing both Griffey and Alex Rodriguez, a team official approached Griffey and asked, "Who should we trade?"

"I refused to answer," says Griffey, who declined to name the official. "That was not my job. So they went and asked the next person.

"I got traded. He stayed one year. Then he left too."

I dunno. Would it really have made a difference if he'd asked them not to trade him? Interesting story, though.

The Yankees game was a heartbreaker tonight. The Yankees were clinging to a 3-2 lead...until the usually lights-out Joba Chamberlain gave up two walks and a home run.

Andy Phillips had a pretty good night. He started at 1B, batting cleanup, and was 2 for 4 with a home run, a double, and a walk. His batting average is now .305.

Final score: Bats 7, Tides 3.