I didn't do any of that stuff. Despite what he thinks was undue criticism for his role in the trade, Griffey said he would do it all over again to get to Cincinnati, where his father, Ken Griffey Sr., is a coach and a smattering of relatives lives. Most important, he said, is being closer to his Florida home. They're only an hour and a half from Cincy. They can leave after school on Friday and still get there in time for the game that night.
People only look at batting average because that's what's in the box score.
There are other things you can do to help your team. And expectations certainly weren't lowered when he became the youngest player to reach 400 career homers in April. Griffey realizes no one will factor in the many distractions he has encountered nor the ailing knee that prompted him to sit out the All-Star Game. He did participate in the Home Run Derby in Atlanta, he said, only because he would be criticized for not defending his title. As for writers who have reported that he's too moody, too defensive and too paranoid, Griffey asked how many athletes could withstand such scrutiny.