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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Once Again, Small-Town Welcome Turns Sour For Griffey

Larry Larue Tacoma News Tribune

The quiet little town of Zebulon, N.C., got a taste of what it was like to be Ken Griffey Jr. - and neither the town nor the man came away with particularly pleasant memories.

Griffey was in town with his Seattle Mariners teammates Monday for a long-scheduled exhibition game against a Southern League All-Star squad. Like most Mariners, he signed autographs.

But after Junior had signed for a little more than 20 minutes, police at the stadium providing security asked him to stop - they couldn’t control the crowd, which was threatening to crush those in front.

So Griffey stopped, waved and began to walk away.

As he did so, many in that crowd, unaware of the police request, began cursing Griffey.

“What’s new?” Junior asked Tuesday. “It happens a lot.”

Actually, it does happen a lot.

This spring in Peoria, Ariz., police had to stop Griffey three times in a two-day span because they couldn’t stop fans from pushing in. Twice young fans had to be lifted out of the stands to avoid being hurt.

It is also one of the reasons Griffey and his family often go to late-night movies rather than pregame matinees - the crowds are small.

“I took Melissa and Trey to see a Disney movie and about 20 minutes into it, they’re both asleep and I’m watching this cartoon,” Griffey said Tuesday.

Notes

Seattle will face Japanese right-hander Hideki Irabu in New York on Friday, and players were shaking their heads at the speculation - after three starts - about whether Irabu was overrated. “George signed him,” manager Lou Piniella said of Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, “and that means George is going to be a little more patient than if it wasn’t his decision.” … Just how long had it been since a Seattle reliever worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning in a save situation? When Bob Wells did it in the Kingdome on Sunday, it was the first time it had happened since June 12… . Norm Charlton’s wife, Nancy, got her first look at her husband’s shaved head Monday thanks to a video he sent. “The first thing she asked was, ‘You’re not going to keep it that way are you?”’ Charlton said.

xxxx ON DECK Game 2 of the three-game set with Cleveland begins today at 4:35 p.m. at Jacobs Field and will be televised on Fox Sports Northwest.