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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2000)
SPORTS Page 10 THE BATTALION •riday. Februar Griffey traded to Cincinnati Reds CINCINNATI (AP) — Junior has come home. The final piece of the deal came when Griffey agreed to a nine-year contract worth $116.5 million, the richest package in baseball history. The pact covers from 2000-09, and the Reds even have an option for a 10th season. While Gri (fey boarded a plane in Flori da to fly to Cincinnati for a news confer ence, euphoric fans honked horns on the streets, put up “Welcome Home” signs in their yards and reveled in the team’s most celebrated trade since Pete Rose returned as player-manager in 1984. “His name comes up like Pete Rose’s name as far as Cincinnati,” said coach Ron Oester, a native who played for the Reds. “That’s the magnitude he’s at for Cincinnati fans.” And for all of baseball, too. Widely regarded as the best all-around player in the game, the 30-year-old Griffey is considered a threat to break Hank Aaron’s career home run record of755. Ju nior already has hit 398 with his sweet, left- handed swing, and was voted onto base ball’s All-Century team last fall. Perhaps never before has such a great player been traded in his prime. Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby and Frank Robinson are others that come to mind. Cincinnati is the only place the 10-time All- Star center fielder wanted to play. And when spring training begins later this month, his trademark backward hat will have a “C” on it. Pitcher Brett Tomko and outfielder Mike Cameron were sent to Seattle for Griffey, along with a pair of minor lea guers: inllelder Antonio Perez and right hander Jake Meyer. “It’s like being traded for Jordan or something,” Tomko said. Indeed, Griffey could be his sport's Michael Jordan. No wonder the Mariners were so reluctant to lose him. “We hope that Ken decides to go into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner,” Seattle president Chuck Armstrong said. “We might not have baseball here except for Ken, and we might not have Safeco Field.” The Mariners, though, had little hope of keeping him after this season. He was eli gible for free agency, and said he wanted to be closer to his home in Florida. He eventually limited his list of eligible teams to one — Cincinnati, where he grew playing in the Clubhouse during the days when his father, Ken Sr., was part of the Big Red Machine. Ken Sr. is now the Reds’ bench coach and a candidate to eventually succeed Jack McKeon as manager. Junior seeing red Ken Griffey Jr. will become a Cincinnati Red if a new contract can be worked out by this weekend. Career statistics Regular season (Seattle, 1989-1999) AB 5,832 R 1,063 H 1,742 HR 398 RBI 1,152 Avg. .299 Division Series (1995, 1997) AB R H HR 38 9 11 5 RBI 9 Avg. .289 League Championship Series (1995) HR 1 RBI 2 Avg. .333 Most home runs (Active) Mark McGwire Barry Bonds Jose Canseco Cal Ripken Jr. 522 445 431 402 Ken Griffey Jr. 398 Best at-bat to HR ratio (Active) Mark McGwire 10.8 Juan Gonzalez 14.2 Ken Griffey Jr. 14.7 Albert Belle 14.8 Jose Canseco 15.0 Sources: Elias Sports Bureau: Compiled Iron AP wire reports HEA0BANGERS mtgjw ,0 sS> ° E T < 1 LYRcb "ttmu o IClrM heads Digital revolution courtesy of DSPs from Texas Instruments. ^ Cool. You might be surprised to know that we tech heads and headbangers have something in common. Like a real appreciation for music, as well as for digital solutions. • At Texas Instruments, our digital signal processing (DSP) technology is a catalyst behind the digital revolution. 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Non-tech heads are welcome, too. www.ti.com The World Leader in DSP and Analog Texas Instruments Sports in Brief Baseball trave to face UT-Pan The Texas A&M .basebai heads to Edinburg this week take on the University of Tes American in a three-game se The Aggies (1-3) are conur 4-0 loss to the University of San Antonio Tuesday at Olser It was the first time in 209 that A&M had been shutout. A&M plays Friday at 3 p.m doubleheader Saturday at Ip Aggies try to ke streak alive at Ti The Texas A&M womens ketball team will head to Lis for a Saturday game again seventh-ranked University o' Tech Red Raiders. The Aggies (10-10,2-8) are ing off a big victory over the l sity of Baylor, which broughta to an eight game losing stres' A&M will have its work cutoc when they take on the Raiders. Texas Tech is 18-3,7-3inf 12. and have not lost a homea this season. They are ledbu Johnson with 14 points per- and Plenette Pierson, whof close behind with 13.3 por; game. Softball heads! Fiesta Bowl Gas The Texas A&M Softba will have its hands full this« end when it competes in zona Fiesta Bowl Classic, This is the Aggies first la ment of the season, andtte take on the ISth-ranked Ite of South Carolina in theirfirsif at 2:30 today. A&M will also have to bat: ranked University of Arizona,1 ranked Oregon State Unr Mississippi State Universit the University of Georgia. GOf Track compet; ( in ISU Class/c The Texas A&NWtacY \ea| headed to Ames, lomfoith! Classic this weekend, field team is headed toHous a smaller competition. Head coach Ted Nelsons sociate head coacli Marcinkiewicz said the tear ing to Iowa with hopes of sol qualification spots in then meet in March. Yintong nese da ebration conflicts Men’s Tennis tal or on Cornhusker The Texas A&M men's!' team will open its dual mate! son Friday at 6 p.m. again University of Nebraska in Lin Neb. The 17th-ranked Aggiesw travel to Champaign, III. fora against llth-ranked UnivefsP te P liei i vil *e, Illinois Sunday at 1p.m. i Davis sem The Aggies are the these] highest ranked team in trailing only No. 12 BaylorUiw I Col. Joe E Corps ofCadei day morning Davis, an A (Osition as th as being tr (neumonia at ars in which ✓—-v Schulman Theatre] College Park! www. schulman-theatres cod' 2000 E. 29th St.. Bryan 775-2463 BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 12:30 r/mn* Only AGGIE OWNED STUART LITTLE <pg) THE GREEN MILE (R) [il THE BEACH <R) C33 3:05 4:1 THE HURRICANE (R) HJ SNOW DAY (PG) THE T1GGER MOVIE <G) ■ $ 5 BEST MOVIE DEAL IN TOWN! 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