Cheap Seats

We doubt his veracity

Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr. chose to spend the Reds’ day off Thursday in the Bay Area. Griffey’s team had just finished a series at San Francisco, and Junior wanted to take in the first round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where several of his PGA Tour pals were playing.

Griffey frequently tees it up with Tiger Woods and said, “I outdrive him all the time. And I make sure when I do, I get to my ball quickly so everybody notices.”

As for us, we’d rather be at Hoopfest

Woody Paige of the Denver Post is reveling in the fact that he’s covering the U.S. Open and has the dateline to prove it:

“You read PEBBLE BEACH, Calif., and you’re already way ahead of me. Ahhh, you’re sighing, especially if you’re a golfer. Aw, man, He’s at PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. He gets to go to PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.

“Did I mention that it’s 75 degrees, and there’s a cool breeze off the ocean, and I’m sitting on the veranda with an umbrella in my drink?”

There’s no crying in baseball

Los Angeles rookie right-hander Matt Herges took the Dodgers’ trade of bullpen mate Alan Mills to Baltimore a little hard. Well, more than a little.

“When I heard, I just went into the bathroom, locked myself into a stall and bawled,” Herges said. “I guess that’s pretty bad, a 30-year-old bawling like a baby. But that’s just a testament to the kind of guy he is… . In my opinion, we just lost the best clubhouse guy in the history of the game.”

A safe assumption

Dusty Baker surpassed Roger Craig as San Francisco’s winningest manager with his 587th career victory Monday against Cincinnati. Baker kept the game ball, but gave the lineup card to pitcher Joe Nathan, who homered in the game.

“I’m going to win more games than he hits home runs,” Baker explained.

Don’t trade the franchise

“The Cubs are stupid. Trading Sammy Sosa is stupid,” writes Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald. “Other than getting drunk and stealing opposing players’ hats, he’s the only reason to go to Wrigley Field.”

True inspiration

David Whitley in the Orlando Sentinel: “It might surprise you to know our beloved baseball was largely patterned after cricket.

“Abner Doubleday saw a match, then envisioned four bases, peanut vendors, chewing tobacco, salary arbitration and voila! We had the national pastime.”

Not to mention a good excuse for getting drunk and stealing opposing players’ hats.