Jr. achievements are many

We likely never will be able to separate the ballplayers of this generation we believe experimented with steroids, human growth hormone, or amphetamines from the ones who didn't.

The majority of us seem to have a good feeling about Ken Griffey Jr. We see him as the genuine article, a guy who is steroid-free, who did everything naturally. Whether that's true, who knows? We just believe it.

Last week, he surpassed one of the perceived "dirty" players, Mark McGwire, for seventh on the all-time home run list. Griffey is not limping toward 600, but rather is having a renaissance at 37 after years of injuries, which also makes you wonder that if he hadn't missed so much time, might we be talking about Griffey being on Barry Bonds's tail to break the home run record? Griffey had played in 443 of a possible 810 games over the five seasons prior to 2007. A lot of time, and a lot of home runs, lost.

There probably isn't a more beloved superstar in baseball than Griffey. When Sammy Sosa, whose name has been linked to possible steroid use, hit his 600th home run recently, there was acknowledgment, but far from what such a milestone would normally bring.

With the possibility that Griffey, hitting .289 with 21 home runs and 50 RBIs, and with 584 career homers, could reach 600 before the end of the season, it's too bad his resurgence can't be tied into a similar upswing by his Cincinnati Reds.

If there's one guy you'd like to see celebrating a world championship soon, it's Griffey, but that won't be happening in Cincinnati this season. In baseball's poorest division, the National League Central, the Reds are last. The consolation for Griffey is that he's playing in his hometown, where he's become one of the few reasons to pay for a ticket.

Owner Bob Castellini, who wants a winner and has devoted sizable resources toward that end, can't seem to get the organization heading in the right direction. Until that happens, Griffey will be playing for individual honors.

"I know he has that fire in his belly for one ring," said John McLaren, Mike Hargrove's bench coach in Seattle who also coached Griffey with the Mariners. "I spent a lot of time with him at the World Baseball Classic last year and saw him when he came back to Seattle last week, and I'll tell you this, if your team needed a hitter in the middle of the lineup, Ken Griffey can get it done. He's still an elite power hitter and run producer. He's healthy again, and he can still run down a fly ball even though now he does it as a right fielder."

There have been reports the last two weeks that Griffey would accept a trade to the Cubs, and then last week he said he wanted to retire a Mariner. He's also said he wants to stay in Cincinnati. The mixed signals show how conflicted he must be.

Does he want to be traded to Seattle or just sign one of those "sign and retire" contracts? There's no doubt Griffey enjoyed playing for Lou Piniella in Seattle, which is the reason for the supposed interest in the Cubs. But Griffey wants to play where he can win a title, and the Cubs' situation is volatile, not only on the field but with the impending sale of the team.

Griffey's contract allows deals to Atlanta, St. Louis, Los Angeles, and Houston, but players change their minds, much like Torii Hunter has taken Boston off the list of teams he can't be traded to.

"Trade talks have been around me for 7 1/2 years," said Griffey in Philadelphia last week. "I don't worry about it. I can't control what goes on upstairs [in the front office]. I can control how I play. Everything else is out of my hands. I have the same desires I had when I was 19, to win a championship, to win a World Series. So far it hasn't happened. I'll just keep pushing and hope the dream comes true. I still get to put on a big league uniform, sometimes not as often as I'd like, but I still get to do it."

Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky declined comment on Griffey's status.

Griffey last appeared in the playoffs for Seattle in 1997 and went 2 for 15. In 1995, he got as far as the American League Championship Series against Cleveland and hit .333 in that series with one homer and two RBIs. For a guy who won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves (1990-99), and with the gaudy offensive statistics, that doesn't seem like enough.

"I know this, he can still turn on a ball," said McLaren. "He can also go the other way as well as anyone. There's a lot of baseball left in Junior. He's not the guy he was in the field, but at the plate . . ."

At the plate he still has one of the sweetest swings you'll ever see.

J.P.’s team is suddenly OK

A few questions for Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi, whose Blue Jays have gone from near comatose after a three-game sweep by the Red Sox May 8-10, to wild-card contention.

The next time the Red Sox see you, after the All-Star break (July 12-15), they're going to see a different Blue Jays team, aren't they?

JPR: "I think we've proven that out of adversity can often come opportunity, and we've had a chance to give our young guys that opportunity and they've really come up big for us. The other thing is I don't think I ever heard anyone around here whine about the predicament we were in with all of our injuries. We never made excuses for anything and I think that's the great tribute to Gibby [manager John Gibbons] and his staff."

You've got a bunch of guys who normally wouldn't have had a chance to step up if you didn't have the injuries.

JPR: " I think we have to remember that we're a relatively young club and we're going to have our hiccups along the way, but we're pleased that our kids have responded the way they have."

Early on, it seemed your big hitters weren't clicking, either. Now it seems the lineup, which was supposed to be the strength of your team, is coming together as well.

JPR: "I know the next time we play Boston after the All-Star break will be the first time, really, that we've had our entire lineup together. Sometimes it's just tough when you have some pieces missing to get everything to jell. We've got a long way to go here, but I think we're pleased with the direction things are going in."

With the wild card in view, you probably won't be a seller at the trading deadline, though I know scouts are always looking for a way to extract Troy Glaus from you. How will you approach this?

JPR: "It would be awfully hard for us to give up 35 home runs [potentially from Glaus]. It's not that I wouldn't listen, but I wouldn't give him up for Joey Bag of Doughnuts, either. But we're certainly going to have to evaluate where we are at that point and see if there's an area we feel we need to plug."

He’s got stars in his eyes before the teams are announced

With All-Star teams being announced today (4 p.m., TBS), here's one opinion. The rules: 27 players on each squad (every team need not be represented), including six starting pitchers and four relievers, one setup man, and three catchers.

AMERICAN LEAGUE 1B -- David Ortiz, Red Sox. Where's the power, Papi?

2B -- Brian Roberts, Orioles. Nice all-around season.

SS -- Orlando Cabrera, Angels. Deserves top billing over Derek Jeter.

3B -- Alex Rodriguez, Yankees. Simply the best.

LF -- Magglio Ordonez, Tigers. See why Theo Epstein wanted him for Nomar Garciaparra?

CF -- Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners. Ageless. 33 going on 23.

RF -- Vladimir Guerrero, Angels. Replacing Ortiz as AL's scariest hitter?

C -- Jorge Posada, Yankees. Better with age.

SP -- Josh Beckett, Red Sox. Tough choice, but Beckett is the most deserving.

Bench -- Jeter, Yankees; Carlos Guillen, Tigers; Victor Martinez, Indians; Placido Polanco, Tigers; Kevin Youkilis, Red Sox; Torii Hunter, Twins; Justin Morneau, Twins; Pudge Rodriguez, Tigers; Alex Rios, Blue Jays.

Pitchers -- Justin Verlander, Tigers; Dan Haren, Athletics; C.C. Sabathia, Indians; John Lackey, Angels; Johan Santana, Twins; J.J. Putz, Mariners; Jonathan Papelbon, Red Sox; Francisco Rodriguez, Angels; Hideki Okajima, Red Sox.

NATIONAL LEAGUE 1B -- Prince Fielder, Brewers. Prolific home run hitter.

2B -- Chase Utley, Phillies. One of the best all-around players in the game.

SS -- Edgar Renteria, Braves. Another excellent year.

3B -- Miguel Cabrera, Marlins. Still hasn't hit his prime.

LF -- Matt Holliday, Rockies. Best hitter in the NL.

CF -- Aaron Rowand, Phillies. Heart and soul of the Phillies.

RF -- Ken Griffey Jr., Reds. A factor once again.

C -- Russell Martin, Dodgers. Most athletic catcher in baseball.

SP -- Brad Penny, Dodgers. Another former Marlin who's been untouchable.

Bench -- Albert Pujols, Cardinals; J.J. Hardy, Brewers; Jose Reyes, Mets; Alfonso Soriano, Cubs; Barry Bonds, Giants; Bengie Molina, Giants; Johnny Estrada, Brewers; Eric Byrnes, Diamondbacks; Derrek Lee, Cubs.

Pitchers -- Jake Peavy, Padres; Chris Young, Padres; John Smoltz, Braves; Brandon Webb, Diamondbacks; John Maine, Mets; Takashi Saito, Dodgers; Francisco Cordero, Brewers; Jose Valverde, Diamondbacks; Matt Capps, Pirates.

Etc.

Apropos of nothing: 1. The Phillies are the only team in the National League East whose pitchers have thrown a complete game (they have three); 2. No surprise the Phillies took a flyer on J.C. Romero; 3. When Boston plays Tampa Bay Tuesday for the first time this season, it'll be the 82d game for each team; 4. Do I see pinstripes in Shea Hillenbrand's future after he was designated for assignment by the Angels?; 5. Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel is open to joining a contender at the trading deadline.

One of the lefties teams looking for bullpen help are salivating over is Pittsburgh's Damaso Marte. Lefties are batting .105 (4 for 38 with 14 strikeouts) off Marte. He has been excellent against lefthanded batters since 2004, allowing a .197 average, the best success rate of any lefty reliever who's faced at least 300 batters. While the Pirates probably aren't going anywhere this season, they won't just give away Marte.

Whatever gap exists between the Red Sox and Yankees in overall revenue will only get wider when the new Yankee Stadium opens in 2009. Some industry insiders estimate the Yankees will make an additional $50 million-$100 million annually, which will necessitate even better management in Boston. Asked whether the new Yankee Stadium could force Boston's ownership to forgo improvements at Fenway in favor of a new ballpark, Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said, "A new ballpark is not in the cards. But the new behemoth Yankee Stadium in 2009 does militate in favor of us doing everything possible to make Fenway Park a bit bigger, better, and more revenue-producing in the near future."

First the White Sox put out feelers on Mark Buehrle and found they couldn't get what they wanted from the Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, or Cardinals, so they opted to negotiate a four-year, $56 million extension. But while the deal was agreed upon in principle, last night sources indicated the inability to come to terms on a no-trade provision has killed things for now. Buehrle might be back in play, but as of last night Boston had not yet gotten back in, though phone calls have been exchanged. One Sox official indicated that once the team wouldn't give up Clay Buchholz or Jacoby Ellsbury, there was no reason for discussions to continue. But will the White Sox now take less than their original demands?

Have to hold back a tad on calling the Tigers the best team in baseball because their once-potent bullpen is in disarray. Manager Jim Leyland said it in spring training, if you don't have a bullpen, you can't win. Joel Zumaya could be out for the year, Fernando Rodney is out until after the All-Star break, and closer Todd Jones went through a rough patch recently. General manager Dave Dombrowski is searching for an answer or two, but every team needs relievers. He recently traded fifth starter Mike Maroth to the Cardinals for a player to be named, which could wind up being a reliever.

Charlie Manuel is an old-school guy who comes off folksy, kind of in the Grady Little mode, but he's also developed some moxie, perhaps born out of being threatened with losing his job so often. Thus, he's decided to manage the Phillies his way. "I can do anything I want to," he said last week. And he has. He's sat Pat Burrell, with his .203 average and $13 million salary, on the bench. He's had rookie Carlos Ruiz at catcher over free agent acquisition Rod Barajas. He's got nearly $30 million of pitching on the disabled list between Brett Myers, Freddy Garcia, Tom Gordon, and Jon Lieber. When he gets some of that back, you have to believe the Phillies ( six games behind the Mets ) can stay in the hunt. But the fun part of this will be watching Manuel, who once with the Indians got into Manny Ramírez's face because he didn't like his effort . . . Craig Biggio's 3,000th hit and Frank Thomas's 500th home run make them Hall of Famers. Period. "I might be a little biased," said Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi of Thomas's Hall credentials, "but his two MVPs, his 500-plus home runs, his outstanding on-base percentage . . . how do you ignore that?" The answer is simple -- you can't.

Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com.