Griffey just trying to fit in

He's no longer the prime player

It's a game day. Ken Griffey Jr. isn't in the lineup. And he's healthy.

He's available if White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen needs him, but for the time being, he can hang out.

It's sort of one of the perks of his new gig: The boss knows when to give him a break.

"He knows that it's 162 games and there are going to be some bumps and bruises along the way," Griffey said of Guillen. "But he goes out there and makes sure you get the rest that you need to make sure you perform at your best."

So, in the meantime, Griffey can spin stories about his kids. He can talk about how he prefers the Xbox to the Wii, and both of them over PlayStation.

He can stretch and take batting practice and rest up for the next day, when Guillen will probably have him slotted in the outfield.

All Griffey has to take care of is the little things.

"These guys have obviously been in first place without me," he said. "It's my job to go out there and try to stay in first place. I don't have to go up there and drive the big run in, I just have to go out there and be a part of the team."

He's still a future Hall of Famer. Still piling on to his 609 home runs. Still a threat.

But he's not a savior.

That's the difference this time around.

When Griffey arrived in Cincinnati, from Seattle, 8 1/2 years ago, it was like Podunk getting its first Wal-Mart. When the White Sox traded for him at the deadline this year, they were renting a slugger in the last year of his contract with the option to buy.

Griffey never brought Cincinnati its second coming; season-ending injuries in 2002, 2003, and 2004 made that difficult. Griffey was as disappointed as anybody.

"You always want the team that you grew up watching and your dad playing, you want them to do well," he said of his hometown Reds, a dynasty during his childhood that included an outfielder named Ken Griffey Sr. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen and they felt it was time for a youth movement."

That movement sent him to Chicago, and the White Sox are in a prime spot atop the AL Central, with Griffey as their henchman for two months.

"He's been great," Guillen said. "He's been awesome. He's a great teammate. He makes it easy for me. He's not playing right now because I have to keep the first nine guys, the best ones. He plays almost every day; he'll play tomorrow. I think Junior's been unbelievable. A lot of people thought it was going to be different. He's been great."

When they traded for Griffey, the White Sox had just absorbed their third loss to Minnesota in four games, and their 60-47 record was only a half-game better than that of the Twins.

Griffey didn't have to feel the pressure. It was implied.

He went 2 for 3 with two RBIs in his debut in Kansas City. But since then, he's racked up some 0-fers, gone 1 for 6 against Detroit in front of the home crowd, and watched his batting average dip to .248. His biggest coup was clouting home run No. 609 to tie him with Sammy Sosa for fifth on the all-time list.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself," he said, "because I want to do well in front of the home crowd."

The statistics still matter, if only because Griffey knows he's one of the players history will remember.

"Even though it says the name on the front of the uniform," he said, "people remember the name on the back of the uniform. You've got to go out there and do what you can."

But at this point, his main responsibility is doing what the White Sox need him to do.

"These guys have done it all year," Griffey said. "It's just nice to come in and do the little things and big things will happen."