One month later, Griffey feeling at home with Sox
Ken Griffey Jr. admits he's not the same superstar player he was 10 years ago.
It's been a full four weeks since the White Sox acquired the 38-year-old outfielder/designated hitter in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds, and Griffey has clearly taken several steps down from the towering perch he long occupied.
That's not saying the Sox are unhappy with the aging icon.
"We knew what we were getting with Junior," Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He makes our lineup better; he can be a dangerous hitter. But he's not here to carry this ballclub."
Griffey has played in 21 games with the Sox, batting .266 with 1 home run and 9 RBI.
Not great, but not too bad.
"There was an adjustment period coming over here," Griffey said. "But I don't think the adjustment period is ever really over. That's just this game."
Considering he is tied with Sammy Sosa for fifth place in major-league history with 609 home runs, Griffey could have stormed into the White Sox' clubhouse upon his arrival and demanded star treatment.
After all, teammates like Nick Swisher and A.J. Pierzynski used to collect Griffey's baseball cards, and Alexei Ramirez said it's an honor to be in the same lineup.
The awe factor is still there - without a doubt - but rather than acting like a sure-fire Hall of Famer, Griffey has carried himself more like a rookie. He usually sits, quietly, in front of his locker and generally tries staying out of the way.
"I'm starting to feel more and more comfortable around these guys because I'm learning what their routines are," Griffey said. "I don't want to interrupt anybody's routine. But it's been special to be in this clubhouse because it's not owed to you. You have to earn your respect."
It's been a whirlwind month for the sweet-swinging lefty, and it's been particularly memorable for Griffey in one important sense - he's actually participating in a playoff race.
"Been a long time," Griffey said in a hushed voice.
Playing in Cincinnati afforded Griffey the opportunity of working in his hometown, but the perks after that were few. Joining the Reds in 2000 after breaking in with the Seattle Mariners in 1989, Griffey played on a winning team (85-77) in his first year back in Cincy.
Since 2001, the Reds never finished over .500.
"The last contending team I was on was in 1997," Griffey said. "So to come here, it's really special to get an opportunity to be in something. Hopefully, I'll be holding up the trophy at the end."
Griffey twice played on playoff teams with the Mariners - in '97 and '95. But he's never played in a World Series, so Griffey's motivation with the White Sox is obvious.
"You can't let it define who you are, but you also think about it every day," Griffey said. "And this team, yes, they can get there. So my thing is being able to win a championship. That's something that just never materialized in Cincinnati."
As for his future, Griffey hinted he'd like to play three more seasons.
"I keep joking that when my son (Trey, a high school freshman) moves out and goes to college, I'll move in," Griffey said.
Until then, Griffey wants to keep doing the only thing he knows, preferably with the Sox.
"I'm always happy, but I'm very happy here," said Griffey, who is eligible for free agency at the end of the season. "These guys in the clubhouse, they go out there and play hard, they have a lot of fun and they're great as people. I'm not the guy that goes out there and chases every dollar. It's more important to me to be happy and be playing for something."