It’s Only April, but Griffey’s Starting Strong

April projections seldom become reality, but then Ken Griffey Jr. tends to take reality to new levels.

The Seattle Mariner center fielder has 13 home runs, 30 runs batted in and a .376 batting average.

His pace projects to 92 homers and 211 RBIs.

He won’t hit 60 homers, you say.

Maybe not, but he hit 49 in 140 games last year, and he continues to have an important factor going for him: As a left-handed hitter, he hits left-handed pitchers very well.

“With Junior, it really doesn’t matter,” Manager Lou Piniella said.

Griffey began the season having hit 78 of his 238 homers against left-handers--33%, matching Stan Musial’s best percentage among left-handed hitters.

He came in with a .303 average against left-handers, .302 against right-handers. Of his 13 homers this year, three have been hit against left-handers.

“Right now, he’s a combination of Babe Ruth and Edgar Martinez,” teammate Alex Rodriguez said. “He’s hitting for power and he’s hitting [the ball] all over. He’s in a zone. He can’t be stopped.”

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The Mariners may not be reading their own press clippings, but other teams are, gearing up to stop the AL West favorite.

“It’s almost like we have to defend a World Series championship we haven’t won,” Mariner reliever Norm Charlton said.

Most major league clubs are displaying a replica of the Jackie Robinson commemorative uniform patch on outfield fences or another prominent place, but not the Cleveland Indians, who are honoring Larry Doby, the first African American to play in the American League. “We have a special relationship with Larry. He’s one of ours,” club official Bob DiBiasio said of plans to honor Doby at the Cleveland All-Star game in July.

Nobody is paying homage to the Cleveland rotation. Starters had an earned-run average of 7.92 going into the weekend, three runs higher than the league average, and had gone five innings or fewer in 11 of 19 games. “We’ll hit our stride soon,” Orel Hershiser said. “There’s too much talent here not to.”

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Hideki Irabu may be the Nolan Ryan of Japan, but the New York Yankees are ready to see for themselves.

Former Yankee Hensley Meulens, who played three years in Japan, doesn’t think Irabu will have any problems--with the fans or opposing hitters.

“He’s consistently in the mid-90s, pretty close to [Roger] Clemens,” Meulens said. “He’s got a nasty forkball and an eephus curveball. This guy is definitely a better pitcher than [Hideo] Nomo. This guy is definitely going to be an impact player.”

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Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, formerly of Georgia Tech and Bellflower St. John Bosco, is making an April shambles of the rookie-of-the year race. Garciaparra has four homers and a .324 average.

Said pitcher Steve Avery, “We’ve started to take him for granted defensively, but when you also consider the kind of numbers he can put up offensively, you’ve got a special player. You’ve got an all-star for a lot of years.”