MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 6, 1998

Ken Griffey Jr.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I don't like to get booed. I don't think anybody does. This is not a time to get booed, All-Star Game. And, you know, if they want to see me in the home run competition, the fans, that's the reason why I did it, for them. I'll be a little worn out. Hopefully I can be ready for the second half.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Just taking it a little differently, hitting the ball higher, waiting to pitch up so I don't have to lift it. It worked.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: On the field award, top vote-getter. We came here. I was looking in the paper, one of my friends called me.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I usually get booed on the road, you know. In this situation, All-Star Game, I really didn't like it. But, you know, they felt that they wanted me in the home run competition, so I did it. I mean, I wasn't expecting to win. I was just going to go out there and do my best, see what happened.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Well, I don't know. I think it was the younger players who didn't want to do it. So I talked to them and said, "Hey, if you guys really don't want to do it, then I'll do it."

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: No. But, you know, it hasn't been -- there hasn't been a situation like this.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I can't tell you that (laughter).

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Yeah. He ended up making the final decision.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: People don't realize how grueling our schedule is being in Seattle. Like I said earlier, all our off days are travel days. I mean, they're not where we can go to a city, have a nice meal. I mean, we're getting there sometimes at seven o'clock after our flight, after being on a plane for six hours. All you have time to do is grab something to eat, go back to the hotel, go to sleep. Some days we've got, you know, day games after night games in different cities.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: 12:30, 1:00 maybe, 1:30, somewhere around there.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Did Frank tell you?

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: That's what we talked about.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I listen to the guys with those type of numbers and credentials. You know, you don't know everything. This is my tenth year in the big leagues. I'm still learning. If a guy with his type of numbers, you know, relays something to me that's positive, then I've got to do nothing but listen to him.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I have butterflies and get nervous when I play a game. It's still exciting for me to go out there and compete with everybody in my division or on the other side of the field. I enjoy going out and playing baseball but still get nervous about doing it.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: They may not invite me next year. Usually they take the top guys. I may not be a top guy next year.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Well, hopefully we don't have that tough travel schedule, that's ahead.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I was upstairs, grabbed something to drink. Then I came down and messed with my son a little bit. I haven't seen him for ten days.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I don't say too much. I'm not one of those guys that rip people and joke around with people unless they joke around with me first.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: He just said, "If you really don't want to do it, you said your reason, stick with it. That's it. They can't take that from you."

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: No. I didn't even really notice the time because of everything else going on.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: Just the way I am. I mean, you could ask the guys who travel with me. They know me.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I figured there would be a few but not like that.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I think it's a little unfair because a lot of people, like I said, don't really know our schedule. If you would have traveled 70,000 miles in six months, you know, with maybe -- I mean, we have three days off at home I think this year. Everybody else, you know, has that time off at home. It's tough.

KEN GRIFFEY, JR.: I hope so. This is something that McGwires, the Woods, the Jordans, Sammy, I mean, it's something that we need. Hopefully we can continue it.

End of FastScripts….