Hi, my name's Ken Griffey Jr.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Ken Griffey Jr. has long had Hall of Fame credentials, but he just tried being one of the guys during his first day of work with the White Sox.
Acquired in a trade from the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, Griffey joined the Sox in time for Friday night's game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
The 38-year-old center fielder tried downplaying his status before even taking his first batting practice with the White Sox.
Offered his customary No. 30 by Nick Swisher, Griffey instead chose the obscure No. 17.
"I don't want to be a disruption to the team," Griffey said. "I heard that Nick is a little out there, something about Dirty 30, I don't know. So I'm going to stick with 17 and be happy with it."
Why 17?
"They gave me a list of numbers and that was one that was open," Griffey said.
Griffey is just trying to fit in, even though he ranks sixth in major-league history with 608 home runs, 1 shy of fifth-place Sammy Sosa.
"A little nervous," Griffey said when asked how he felt during a pregame news conference that was televised live on ESPN2.
"These guys have done a great job, and I want to help them get to a common goal, and that's winning a title. But the last 35 hours have been a whirlwind for me."
When he met with Ozzie Guillen before the game, the Sox' manager tried easing any pressure Griffey might have been feeling.
"I'm just going to make it clear," Guillen said. "Kenny, he didn't come here to save this ballclub. Make sure you guys (media) know. He came here to help this ballclub to get better. If you're going to put pressure, or people in Chicago think Kenny's come here to save this or we're going to be automatic, he doesn't deserve that.
"He just came here to help his teammates to have an opportunity to be in the playoffs. That's his job. He's not going to be carrying the load, he's not going to be blamed."
With Griffey in center field, Nick Swisher started at first base and Paul Konerko was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game.
"I think anybody who gets traded doesn't want to do anything to jeopardize the team," Griffey said.
"But also, you want a chance to win."