furman at it again

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

furman trying to get all the griffey haters going--and making a big deal about griffey not being the star of the game on the radio after the game.....furman knows as everyone does that griffey will rarely do those post game shows

[redsfan30]

He did both Reds Wrap and Steve Stewart's show after he hit the walkoff homer against D.C. a couple weeks ago. Those were the only post game interviews I can remember him doing in a long time.

[KronoRed]

Maybe he just doesn't like Furman? ;)

[JohhnyBench1001]

KR............I'm listening to WLW online, and don't live Cinci, but in Mississippi now, so don't know the "history" Furman is talking about................what's the story Furman is spewing that Stewart doesn't like JR?? Any truth to it, or is Furman just spewing crap like usual??/

[redsfan30]

KR............I'm listening to WLW online, and don't live Cinci, but in Mississippi now, so don't know the "history" Furman is talking about................what's the story Furman is spewing that Stewart doesn't like JR?? Any truth to it, or is Furman just spewing crap like usual??/
I'm not listening right now, but I'd guess he's talking about last season when Stewart asked Junior to be on the Star of the Game show and when Junior declined, Stewart got Dunn to do the show.

At the end of the show, Steve did the obligitory handing out of gift certificates to Dunn saying something along the lines of Griffey was too good to come on with him.

The issue was Steve Stewart hadn't been around long enough to call out a Hall of Famer on the air like that.

[JohhnyBench1001]

Thanks..........so there might be a shred of truth to this after all....lol. Personally, I would much rather hear actual talk of the GAME instead of some stupid who snubbed who for a meaningless award crap, but that's Furman

[BUTLER REDSFAN]

but on tv-fox had on coffey on their wrap up show-furman hasn't mentioned that at all

[Ron Madden]

I'm not listening right now, but I'd guess he's talking about last season when Stewart asked Junior to be on the Star of the Game show and when Junior declined, Stewart got Dunn to do the show.

At the end of the show, Steve did the obligitory handing out of gift certificates to Dunn saying something along the lines of Griffey was too good to come on with him.

The issue was Steve Stewart hadn't been around long enough to call out a Hall of Famer on the air like that.

That's not true at all.

Furman was the one bashing KGJ at the begining of last season.

Steve Stewart has always shown respect for everyone.

I've listened to every game for as long as I can remember(and that's been awhile ;)

Steve Stewart has shown nothing but class.
Furman is nothing more than a snake oil salesman.

[REDREAD]

Of course Furman doesn't realize that with all the injuries and stuff the Jr has, that maybe on some of those evenings after a game, Jr needed to go to the trainer, perhaps? Or maybe Jr had another commitment on that night?
Very few players are available every single night for the "star of the game" interview.

I recall one time that Dunn had a prior commitment, and couldn't do the star of the game interview. Steve was a bit awkward explaining it, but he tried to be gracious and say that Dunn had a big game too, but was unavailable due to another commitment.. Given that, I have a hard time believing that Steve slammed Jr for not making an interview. Steve isn't the greatest announcer in the world, but he does show class.

[RedFanAlways1966]

According to WLW this morning (the real news and not the Furball crap), Junior was miffed at "the media" for some comments that have been made about his inability to play the game as he used to do (probably his fielding). He chose to not talk last night b/c of that. Nothing to do w/ Steve Stewart. He would not speak to ANY media. Newspapers, radio, TV... all of them.

Freedom to speak, freedom not to speak. Such is life in this country. Furman should try the 2nd one from time-to-time as well... if only we REDS fans could be so lucky!

[registerthis]

According to WLW this morning (the real news and not the Furball crap), Junior was miffed at "the media" for some comments that have been made about his inability to play the game as he used to do (probably his fielding). He chose to not talk last night b/c of that. Nothing to do w/ Steve Stewart. He would not speak to ANY media. Newspapers, radio, TV... all of them.

Lord, how childish.

[KittyDuran]

Supposedly, it was the "2 Angry Guys" yesterday morning. This from Hal this morning:

Griffey silences critics, dominates Reds' 7-3 win
By Hal McCoy

Staff Writer

CINCINNATI | On Monday, a Cincinnati sports radio morning talk show, The Two Angry Guys, devoted air time to telling listeners that Ken Griffey Jr. can't play center field any longer, that he needs to move to left field or first base or to the American League as a designated hitter.

Griffey was not pleased, and while he mumbled a few references about the discussion, he let his leather do the talking. And for point of emphasis, he added his bat to the forum.

After an incredible catch, a three-run homer and a sacrifice fly in a 7-3 Cincinnati Reds victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday, Griffey stuck his head around a clubhouse corner and said, "Y'all can go talk to the angry men." Who can? They're never at the ballpark. A trip to their studio would be necessary.

On Monday, he raced to the fence in left-center to snag a sure-fire double. Later in the game, he barged toward the infield to make a beyond-the-call sliding catch.

On Tuesday, he roared to the wall in right-center to snag another ball that was a certain double, crashing into the fence.

That one evoked a standing ovation from the 16,528 in Great American Ball Park.

End of discussion? Probably not. But after his great glovework, Griffey decided to show, just for good measure, that he still has explosives in his black bats. After making the catch in the top of the fifth to keep the game close, Griffey turned a two-run deficit into a one-run lead in the bottom of the fifth with his three-run homer.

That home run was a near bookend to the three-run rip he hit in the first inning Monday to ignite a 15-5 victory.

On Tuesday, he finished with three hits, four RBIs, an ear full of applause and the blueprints to a Gold Glove.

"The guy has a target on his back, and people concentrate on trying to look for what he can't do instead for what he can do," said manager Jerry Narron. "We're in a negative business and that's a shame."

First baseman Rich Aurilia, whose first-inning single drove in his 600th career run, was supportive of Griffey and what he endures.

"It's sad, but what he did tonight is what people expect of him all the time," said Aurilia. "And it's not fair. We as players know how difficult this game is to play, and he is in the top 1 percent. It's not fair to expect it, but when it happens, when he plays the way he did tonight, we're not surprised."

Felipe Lopez and Brandon Phillips, batting ahead of Griffey, each had two hits and each scored two runs.

"Anybody who has questions about Ken Griffey Jr., well, that should be put to rest," said Narron. "He has played outstanding since he came back (off the DL). He is still one of the best hitters in baseball. You can't turn around a 100 miles an hour fastball for a home run like he did in Detroit the other night if you are not an outstanding hitter."

Griffey was on the disabled list three weeks with a knee injury, returning less than two weeks ago, and Narron is incredulous about how quickly he is near the top of his game.

"You have a leg injury and sit around for a month, you are not going to be in playing shape, no matter what you do," said Narron. "I said it would be three weeks to a month for him to get into playing shape, but just the way he is playing is making a liar out of me.

"You can't put a price on his presence in the batting order," Narron added. "You know you are going to get a good at-bat, especially if we get guys on base and they have to pitch to him."

Of his fence-crashing catch, Narron said, "I saw that quite a few times when I was with the Texas Rangers (and Griffey was with the Mariners), so I wasn't surprised by it."

Elizardo Ramirez started for the Reds and wobbled through five innings, giving up three runs and five hits. He trailed, 3-1, after giving up a three-run double to Prince Fielder in the third, with two walks costing him.

But Lopez and Phillips singled to open the fifth, and Griffey smashed his sixth homer, a 411-foot shot into the right-field stands, making Milwaukee starter Dana Eveland the 346th different pitcher against whom he has homered.

[redsfan30]

I, for one, wish fans and media would call him out more often. Seems like everytime he gets called out on something, he goes on a stretch where he plays like he's 25 years old again.

[TeamBoone]

And this from the Post:


05-24-2006

Griffey puts on a show
By Josh Katzowitz / Post staff reporter

Ken Griffey Jr. made an outstanding catch against the center field wall in the top of the fifth inning Tuesday.

With runners on first and second base and the Reds down by two runs in the bottom of that inning, Griffey shot a line drive into the right field stands to give Cincinnati the lead.

In the sixth, he contributed a sacrifice fly, and two innings later, he took advantage of Milwaukee's massive right field shift, knocking a single through the left side of the infield.

This is the Griffey people expect, infielder Rich Aurilia said, and at times, it's an unfair burden to the 36-year-old outfielder.

"It's probably not fair to expect that of him all the time," Aurilia said after the Reds' 7-4 win against the Brewers, "but that's what people do."

And ballplayers? Do they expect it too?

"Probably," Aurilia said. "We as players know how difficult it is to play this game. We do it every day. This is not an easy thing to do. To do what he's done is amazing. You look at everybody who played baseball, and he's in a group of the top one percent. That's ridiculous. When you do it for so long and so well, of course it's expected. When it happens, it's not much of a surprise to us."

The 16,528 fans in attendance at Great American Ball Park showed their appreciation, though.

The love fest began in the top of the fifth when Brewers right fielder Geoff Jenkins smoked a ball to deep center field and Griffey made a nice leaping catch that finished with a dramatic crash into the outfield wall.

After collecting himself, Griffey was bathed in an extra-long ovation.

"It was an outstanding catch," said Reds manager Jerry Narron, who also got a five-inning, five-hit, three-run performance from right-hander Elizardo Ramirez (2-3) and two hits apiece from Felipe Lopez, Brandon Phillips and Austin Kearns. "I saw the same catch quite a few times when I was with the Rangers and when he was with Seattle. I wasn't surprised by it."

When Griffey banged his sixth home run of the season and his third in four games a half-inning later, many of the fans were delirious, and he got another nice round of applause when he hit a single to the opposite field, past diving third baseman Corey Koskie to complete his 3-for-4, four-RBI day.

Maybe the fans expect this kind of action from Griffey, who was playing his 12th game since returning from a knee injury. But they also showered him with affection. As did his manager.

"I really believe that if you sit around for a month with a leg injury - he couldn't get out and run and do leg work - it takes you a while at this level to get into good playing shape," Narron said. "I don't care who you are. Baseball is a very difficult game to play. It takes you a little bit to get back into playing shape. I really thought it would take him a month. I'm really pleased with how he looks after a couple weeks."

But all the praise he received didn't put Griffey in a jovial mood.

Apparently peeved by a few local talk radio hosts who lately have discussed his ability to play the outfield, Griffey refused to comment to the media after the game.

With a gaggle of news cameras waiting at his locker, he walked between them and said he wasn't talking. After he emerged from the shower a few minutes later, and with a few reporters still lurking, Griffey said he wasn't going to change his mind.

Why?

"Sometimes (I) need to shut the (heck) up," Griffey said.

While Griffey wasn't interested in sharing his thoughts, Aurilia didn't mind expanding on his.

"When Junior is out, he's going to affect the lineup the way Bonds does and the way Pujols does," Aurilia said. "Everybody gets pitched differently, whether Junior is hitting home runs or not. There are few guys in baseball that are like that, and he's one of them. Now, that he's back, he's that force again."
http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060524/SPT05/605240320/1027

[lollipopcurve]

Say no to sewage.

[Unassisted]

I was tempted to post that Griffey should stop listening to sports talk radio, but if the negativity of it motivates him, I guess the team is better off that he does.

[KittyDuran]

I was tempted to post that Griffey should stop listening to sports talk radio, but if the negativity of it motivates him, I guess the team is better off that he does.I don't think he listens but the rest of his family and friends do and report back to him what's said.

[traderumor]

It doesn't look like its going to be easy to convince Griffey that, despite the catches the last two nights, that Comerica and parks like it reveal his range definciency and hurt the defense.

Then, I'm not sure that Krivsky and Narron are convinced yet, either.