Griffey Tabbed Player Of Year In Players’ Vote

Forget the numbers - 56 home runs, 147 RBIs, a .304 batting average. At least Ken Griffey Jr. would like you to forget them. All he really wanted in 1997 was a championship.

“All I’ve wanted to do from Day 1 is to be running from the outfield to the dugout and celebrating a pennant with these guys,” Griffey says. “Individual accomplishments don’t mean anything.”

But apparently they do - especially to his peers. That’s why they overwhelmingly chose Junior as The Sporting News Player of the Year for 1997. Griffey received 183 votes, finishing far ahead of Colorado Rockies outfielder Larry Walker, who got 107, and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire, who got 21. Another Mariner, Alex Rodriquez, won the award last year.

“He had a tremendous season,” manager Lou Piniella says of Griffey. “Fifty-six home runs, the 147 RBIs, the way he played the outfield. Just a tremendous season. That’s a ton of home runs to hit, but he plays to win. I think when the season is over, he’ll reflect on it and put it in the proper perspective.”

McGwire, obtained by St. Louis from the A’s on July 31, prevailed with 58. But Griffey has every right to congratulate himself. Only five players have hit more than 56 homers in a season - and he has the respect of his peers.

San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker was voted by his peers as the National League Manager of the Year, while the Baltimore Orioles’ Davey Johnson was named American League Manager of the Year.

Baker, who led the Giants to an N.L. Western Division championship, received eight votes, while Gene Lamont of the Pittsburgh Pirates had 3-1/2. Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves and Bobby Valentine of the New York Mets each received one vote, while Jim Leyland of the Florida Marlins had 1/2 vote.

Johnson, who guided the Orioles to the American League’s best record, received six votes, while Seattle’s Lou Pinella got three.

Pirates general manager Cam Bonifay was named Executive of the Year in voting by major league team executives.

Grissom extends Series streak

Marquis Grissom of the Cleveland Indians extended his World Series hitting streak to 15 games Tuesday night with an infield single in the eighth inning of Game 3 against the Florida Marlins. He finished 2 for 3.

His .443 average (27-for-61) is the highest ever in the Series for a player with 40 or more at-bats.

Grissom, who had been tied on the hitting streak list with Pittsburgh’s Roberto Clemente, has hit in all 15 World Series games he’s played. Only Hank Bauer of the New York Yankees has a longer streak, 17 games from 1956-58.

Rookies to get call

Tony Saunders got his first look at Jaret Wright’s stuff last year at an Arizona Fall League game. He knew right away that the majors weren’t far away.

“You can tell when you look at somebody, the way they play. I knew he was going to be here sooner or later,” the Florida left-hander said Tuesday.

By here, Saunders meant the major leagues. He never imagined that following his own quick ascent through the minors, that “here” would be a Game 4 start in the World Series.

When the 23-year-old Saunders and 21-year-old Wright take the mound tonight it will be just the sixth time in history that two rookies have started a World Series game. The last time it happened was in Game 2 of the 1983 World Series when Philadelphia’s Charles Hudson faced Baltimore’s Mike Boddicker.

Stewart choice of Padres

The San Diego Padres will name Dave Stewart pitching coach after the World Series, general manager Kevin Towers said.

Towers said he’s finishing negotiations on an agreement with Stewart, who has been a special assistant to the Padres’ general manager since October 1996.