Because of his unsoiled reputation and natural athleticism, Ken Griffey Jr. someday will be able to leave the game he loves on his own terms. He wishes that Barry Bonds, one of his best friends, and Roger Clemens, another player he admires, could leave the same way. But he knows the chances of that aren't good, as both are looking at perjury accusations regarding their steroid use.
"That's the one thing I hope for Barry and for Roger Clemens," said the soft-spoken Griffey after taking hacks with his sweet swing before a Reds-Rays game Friday morning in Sarasota, Fla. "These are the guys that fans came to watch. They made it exciting for the fans to watch baseball. They gave their heart and soul to the game and they put on a great show for 20 years or whatever it was. They should be allowed to go out on their terms."
Steroids and deceit aside, one of the many sad sidebars to the Clemens and Bonds stories is that, like Griffey, both can still play at their advanced ages.
Judging by the way Clemens, 45, threw batting practice to Astros minor leaguers last Wednesday, there is little doubt he could have been a half-season help to the team. But it seems unlikely now that an FBI investigation is underway to determine whether he should face perjury charges for lying to a congressional committee under oath.
According to several scouts and general managers who were asked about the 43-year-old Bonds, he could easily step into any American League lineup and offer a lefthanded bat with power who gets on base.
Yet the chances of either Clemens or Bonds playing baseball in 2008 are slim.
The Rays acknowledged last week that they had "very limited" discussion within their organization about adding Bonds, and don't pretend that other teams haven't considered him.
But, as one American League GM told me, "From a purely 'can he play?' point of view, the consensus in our organization is that he can he still hit. Do we want that distraction and everything that comes with it? No, we don't. If we were in position to go after Clemens, we'd feel the same way.
"I can't speak for other organizations, but you'd have to say that both Bonds and, to a lesser degree, Clemens, can still play baseball and help any team. Many teams, I'm sure, are thinking, 'The Mitchell Report just came out, so do we disrespect the findings and go with guys who are front and center in this thing?' "
"No doubt, we've concluded [Bonds] could help us," said an adviser to an AL Central team who was attending the Rays-Reds game. "But, no way for the rest of it."
Tampa Bay executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has been weighing the pros and cons: As an on-base machine and power hitter, Bonds would boost attendance, but he also could disrupt a group of promising young players who have created the most excitement in the team's short history.
For Seattle, Bonds makes total sense because it's a team not far from being a playoff contender that could use some lefthanded pop. Seattle is also a place where Bonds was received well among the venues he visited the past two seasons. But management doesn't want the circus. Oakland is another place where Bonds remains popular.
"Let's hope he gets back in baseball," said Cubs manager Lou Piniella. "He has had a great career. I'm sure he still has gas in his tank. I'm sure that, with the bat, he can still help some teams."
Griffey speaks to Bonds now and then, but there are no words left for him to say.
"He has a lot of supporters," said Griffey. "He knows that. He knows I'm his friend and I support him. But he's 43 years old and there's not much advice or anything I can say that's going to make this situation better for him."
If there were transgressions by Clemens and Bonds, admitting them would have been a shock and a disappointment to baseball fans, but it would have been over by now, and in some circles both would have been forgiven. Instead, we are left to hear stories of Debbie Clemens's own enhancements, and Clemens's oldest son, Astros minor league catcher Koby Clemens, has come under so much scrutiny.
These were two of the greatest players of their generation. The hitter was off the charts, graceful and powerful. The pitcher was exciting and dominant.
While they'd assuredly have faced the slings and arrows of their deeds, admitting to them would have allowed them to end their careers with dignity.
But now? Leaving on their own terms won't happen.
"The court of public opinion is very powerful," said Griffey.
If only they had been like Griffey.
No dodging the questions
A few questions for Dodgers manager Joe Torre:You're inheriting a team that had some personal clashes inside the clubhouse between veterans and young guys. Do you plan to address it?
JT: "I'm not sure last year's incidents were anything more than a product of a club that was going bad. It didn't seem that it's any kind of issue that has needed to be addressed. I don't think it's fair if I come in here and start talking about last year. I wasn't here. You start with a clean slate. As for how important is it to have cohesiveness? It's nice. It's comfortable to have that. If a club wins and they don't get along, they call it 'fiery.' If they don't win, they call it 'dissension.' The one thing is, I can't ignore things. If something needs to be talked about, we'll talk about it. The chemistry part, winning creates that more than the other way around."
What are your impressions of (Japanese free agent pitcher) Hiroki Kuroda so far?
JT: "Really good. He has very good command of the strike zone and both sides of the plate. I saw a variety of stuff from the same release point. He's pretty impressive. He doesn't throw anything straight. He's not overpowering all the time but he has the knack of changing speeds. He knows what he's doing and he's certainly anxious to get started on our schedule and pitching once every five days. It will be a little bit before we get to that. The discipline is a big part of what he's all about."
What can Andruw Jones mean to this team?
JT: "He hit .222 or whatever it was [last year], but he still hit 26 homers and drove in 90-something runs. He didn't fall off the Earth. He still kept going to the post every day. That's what I like: He didn't have the best of years compared to what he's used to, but he tried to fight through it and showed up every day to play."
Will you miss the Yankee-Red Sox rivalry?
JT: "No . . . and I think Terry [Francona] feels the same way. Terry and I used to talk just about after every series and we'd always say, 'I'm glad this is over, at least for now. I'll see you in a month or two months or whatever it was. Just because of the carnival-like atmosphere. And again, not to say that it shouldn't be that way. I think players from both teams fed off that, but it did wear you out."
Is it time to designate this rule for an adjustment?
On the 35th anniversary of the designated hitter, should commissioner Bud Selig revisit the issue of whether it should be used in both leagues or not at all? We asked Tampa Bay special adviser Don Zimmer, Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., and Rays manager Joe Maddon to weigh in:Zimmer: "I've been asked this question many times over the years and the only answer I have is, if it's the major leagues, then why isn't it the same? Why are there different rules? I've never taken a side of yes, there should be a DH, or there shouldn't be a DH. But I've never understood why it's different in both leagues. I guess, after 35 years, it's worked."
Griffey: "It's been this way for this long, why change anything? It's baseball, and it's how most of us grew up in baseball, so I'm not sure why you'd want to change anything for the sake of change. I played in the American League and I played in the National League, and both leagues work. For me, personally, I wouldn't want to do it. I would never say never, but I'm not ready for that. I like playing the game."
Maddon: "Let the argument continue in every barroom in America. We love the National League game but having the DH in the American League allows great hitters like David Ortiz and Gary Sheffield to get 500-600 at-bats. I think things are fine the way they are."
Etc.
Touching the basesApropos of nothing: 1. They keep giving Byung-Hyun Kim a job; this time, it's the Pirates; 2. Shawn Chacon is currently wearing No. 1 for the Astros. If he keeps it, he'll be the first pitcher since 1962 (Jack Jenkins, Washington) to wear "the loneliest number"; 3. Good real estate deals in the desert. Teams are making a mass exodus to Arizona for spring training. The latest is Cincinnati; 4. Dodger blue is the 10th uniform for lefty specialist Mike Myers; 5. What a sweet swing this kid Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay third baseman) possesses.
Hitting it off in Los Angeles
New Dodgers hitting coach Mike Easler has two major projects: Nomar Garciaparra and Andruw Jones. "I've watched so much video on Nomar and spend a lot of time with him," said Easler. "I'm not going to get crazy and say he's going to hit 30 homers or anything like that. Nomar's a line-drive hitter, and I know that if we tweak a couple of things, he's going to hit for average, hit a lot of doubles, and drive in a lot of runs, and that's what we want out of him. He's 34 years old and he has a lot of baseball left in him." Easler said Jones has been very receptive to tutelage; he wants to get Jones back to the things he was doing earlier in his career.
Manny being praised
Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada on Manny Ramírez: "Manny is the best hitter I've seen. He makes it look easy. With him and David Ortiz, that was the toughest middle of the lineup we faced when I was in Baltimore. For me, Manny just gets better. He can probably hit when he's an old man sitting on the porch."
The man with no team
While most 40-plus pitchers prefer a shortened season, David Wells is getting antsy to get into a camp. Agent Gregg Clifton has made calls to the Cardinals, just to make sure teams are aware of Wells's desire to keep pitching. "David really wants to get with a team as soon as possible," said Clifton. "He says he's in good shape and he's always enjoyed spring training and the camaraderie he's developed with the guys. So he's not one of these guys who tries to miss spring training. He wants to partake." Wells is likely to be one of those veterans teams turn to when they have an injury.
Catcher has a lot on his plate
Twins catcher Joe Mauer not only is trying to get back to his AL batting champion form of 2006 and get over leg injuries that hampered his '07 campaign, he's also getting to know several new pitchers on the staff. "It's a lot, because they're new," Mauer said. "We know they're talented. Our rotation was set last year. I think there was one spot last year; this year, there's a lot of spots. We lost some experience and now we have to replace it. I think [Francisco] Liriano was the best pitcher in the league for a while in '06, so we just hope he stays healthy. If he does, we'll be fine." Same goes for Mauer. GM Bill Smith said "absolutely not" when asked whether Mauer would ever be moved to another position.
Ray of hope for Hinske
Former Sox utilityman Eric Hinske has a chance to stick with the Rays, but his best shot is if Longoria doesn't make the team. "That kid is phenomenal," Hinske said. "He's the real deal. You're going to be hearing a lot about him over the years. I'm just hoping to fill a role, get some at-bats, and help a team like I think I can." What will he miss about the Red Sox? "Best team I ever played for," he said. "We had a blast. We won, we were close, and we had a good time. My bench buddy was Alex Cora, and we would dissect the game sitting there and we had a lot of fun with things. The Red Sox treated me so well. They got me out of Toronto and gave me a role. [Terry Francona] was terrific to me. I have nothing but fond memories of the Red Sox."
Cub scouting
One hundred years after their last world championship, the Cubs appear to be primed for a run, though second baseman Mark DeRosa's heart ailment will mean the altering of a lineup that was starting to take shape. DeRosa's surgery could spur the Cubs to acquire Brian Roberts from Baltimore, a deal that has been derailed a couple of times since the winter meetings. Center field is not etched in stone; Felix Pie has to show manager Lou Piniella he can handle the job. If there's doubt, don't be surprised to see the Cubs be a player for Coco Crisp.
An Ivy climber
Orioles president and general manager Andy MacPhail appears to be grooming Medfield native and Dartmouth graduate Matt Klentak as his heir apparent. Klentak, 27, who played ball in college, was given the title of director of baseball operations and will work with the scouting, player development, and contract negotiations departments. Klentak worked with MacPhail in the commissioner's office on the 2006 collective bargaining agreement. He also interned with the Colorado Rockies in 2003.
A few quick things...
In a day when travel for baseball teams is easier than ever - Randy Johnson can fly from Arizona to New York to take in an Eric Clapton concert and still be back in camp the next day - Major League Baseball will end the traditional Hall of Fame Game at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, N.Y., after the Cubs and Padres play June 16. The game has been going on for 40 years but will be scrapped because of "scheduling challenges" . . . Happy 72d birthday, Don Schwall.
Nick Cafardo can be reached at cafardo@globe.com
