Griffey Takes A Seat As Mariners Take A Loss Junior Gives Up On Home-Run Chase In Order To Get A Rest

Since July 13, when he returned from missing a game to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law, Ken Griffey Jr. had been in the Seattle Mariners lineup every day, batting third and chasing home-run hitters from the past.

Until Friday.

With the prospect of catching Roger Maris’ hallowed mark of 61 home runs dwindling, Griffey sat on the pine with the rest of the Mariners’ regulars Friday in an 8-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics in front of 55,560 in the Kingdome.

The Griffey home-run watch, which has seen more balls carry over fences and bleachers than all but six players in major league history, had been all that was worth watching since Seattle wrapped up the American League West Division title Tuesday.

Although Griffey is all for adding to his 55 home runs, which lead the American League by 12, he realizes a day of rest prior to Seattle opening the playoffs against Baltimore on Wednesday is as important as continuing his trend of going where no Mariner has gone before.

But he didn’t understand the fuss in his absence from the lineup.

“What’s the difference between me taking a day off now or taking a day off a month ago,” Griffey said. “I got six bombs to go (to catch Maris). There’s no reason. I’m not going to reach it so what’s the difference.”

The battle between Mark McGwire and Griffey for the major league home-run crown is one of few intriguing statistical races left in the season. McGwire also has crushed 55 homers.

But Griffey doesn’t look at comparisons as an indicator of the greatness of his season.

“I don’t measure my success by somebody else,” Griffey said of McGwire.

Another reason Griffey wasn’t too concerned about keeping up with McGwire is that when McGwire was traded from Oakland to St. Louis in July, he picked up two games and had the chance to play in 164 games this season.

Griffey has played in 155 of Seattle’s 160 games.

His power at the plate wasn’t missed Friday.

Rick Wilkins and Raul Ibanez each homered for Seattle. For Wilkins, it was his first American League long ball after 78 in the National League. For Ibanez, it was his first major-league home run, a three-run blast into the upper deck in right field on a 3-0 pitch to make it 5-4 Oakland after three innings.

In getting tuned up for his start in Game 2 of the division series against the Orioles, Jamie Moyer wasn’t spectacular. He gave up five runs on seven hits, including a home run, but overall wasn’t exactly hit hard.

“It’s no concern,” Piniella said. “He’s just getting some work in, probably didn’t have the adrenaline.”

The A’s didn’t stop rounding the bases when Moyer left. Three runs came across in the fifth on three hits and an error by Brent Gates. Seattle loaded the bases with one out in the seventh and had Wilkins at the plate as the tying run. Wilkins drove in a run with a sacrifice fly but that was all the Mariners could push across.

The Mariners pitchers did break an American League record though.

When Bob Wells struck out Jason Giambi, it broke the Cleveland Indians 1967 record of 1,189 strikeouts by a pitching staff. Seattle pitchers won’t be able to catch the major league mark which was set last season by the Atlanta Braves at 1,245 strikeouts.

Mariners relievers brought the total to 1,191. Norm Charlton, Paul Spoljaric, Bobby Ayala and Heathcliff Slocumb each threw well in shutting the A’s out over the final four innings.