The STAR of STARS

He comes to the All-Star game with 30 home runs, 84 runs batted in and widespread recognition as baseball’s best all-around player--and probably its most popular.

He polled more than 3.5 million votes, the third consecutive year he has led the All-Star elections.

“My dad keeps punching all those holes [in the ballot cards],” said Ken Griffey Jr., the Seattle Mariners’ center fielder.

He was smiling that inimitable smile, but he seemed to be laughing only on the outside.

“I’m the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball,” Griffey continued. “I’m well liked but not respected.”

Say what?

“It’s a Catch-22,” he said. “No matter what I do, that’s what I’m supposed to do, and it’s never quite enough. I could hit 55 homers and people think I should hit 70.

“I went 10 games without a home run and it was all over ESPN. People think it’s easy for me, but it ain’t easy.

“I mean, a lot of players would take what I’ve done in a half season and consider it a great year.”

Maybe it’s that fluid swing, so natural even Roy Hobbs would be envious.

Maybe it’s the effortless glide with which he pursues fly balls in the outfield.

Maybe he has hung up so many spectacular numbers already that, at 27, the expectations have become an albatross.

Even an admirer named Barry Bonds, another claimant for the distinction of baseball’s best player, suggests that Griffey, with his talent, needs to take his game to another level, needs to win some most-valuable-player awards and to reach the playoffs more than once.

“You can’t just go to the All-Star game every year because you’re the fan favorite,” said Bonds, the San Francisco Giants’ left fielder and three-time National League MVP.

“He’s got all the endorsements in the world. He’s got everything, but I don’t think he’s got what he should get.

“He needs to take over the league, like he has the ability to do. Get those 60 home runs out of the way, so everyone can stop talking about it. Win some MVPs. Quit letting people sneak by him to have a little better year. I wish those things on Junior because he’s got the ability to accomplish things nobody [else] will ever accomplish.

“In fact, I’ve never seen nobody like him--besides myself.

“I took the game to another level, and now people are playing at a level I was at, now they’ve passed my level. I’m hanging in there, but Junior can take it to another level.”

Responded Griffey: “I take what Barry is saying as a compliment, as an expression of confidence in me, but I don’t think anyone has moved past his level. I think he’s doing a lot more than hanging in there.

“I also don’t care about the awards or the [home run] record. If I don’t hit another home run and we win the World Series, I’ll be happy. My dad has three [World Series] rings. I want my first.”

Ken Griffey Sr., the Cincinnati Reds’ batting coach who spent 19 years as a major league player, and his wife, Birdie, will make the comparatively short drive across Ohio to see their son play tonight. It is Junior’s eighth consecutive All-Star appearance, but injuries have kept him out of the last two games.

And now a recent hamstring strain has derailed that giddy home run pace of early season, the pace that seemed destined to carry Griffey past Babe Ruth and Roger Maris by August.

He sat out only two games, but misplaced his home run stroke, hitting only one homer in the last 12 games before the break, as he heard ESPN frequently note.

With 30--Mark McGwire leads the majors with 31--he is on pace to hit a career-best 56. He is batting .307 and leads the American League in RBIs, total bases, extra-base hits and intentional walks.

At his current pace, those 56 projected home runs will be accompanied by a career-high 156 RBIs, the most in the league since Ted Williams and Vern Stephens had 159 each in 1949.

He could be the first to reach 50 homers and 150 RBIs since Jimmie Foxx in 1932.

Is that not enough?

“As I’ve always said, all of that business about pace and projections is media hype,” Griffey said.

“I just want to go out and play. Whatever happens happens.”

THE STATE

His license plate reads, “Fear No One.” He lives it. Only injuries and labor unrest have stopped him for any length of time.

In 1993, at 23, Griffey hit 45 home runs, but each season since has been interrupted by an injury or strike.

Still, only Foxx, Eddie Mathews and Mel Ott were younger when they reached 250 homers.

Griffey did it on April 25--seven months short of his 28th birthday--despite having missed 205 games.

He holds the major league records for home runs hit by the end of April, May and June. He hit 49 homers and drove in 140 runs last year, even though he sat out 20 games because of a broken right wrist, suffered while swinging at a pitch. He also was still affected by a broken left wrist he had suffered crashing into a fence making a highlight-reel catch in 1995.

Seattle Manager Lou Piniella, hoping to get 162 games out of Griffey this season, asked him last spring to temper the reckless abandon with which he plays the outfield--and which has produced seven Gold Gloves--but Griffey said he told Piniella, “I’m not going to become a DH. I have to play the only way I know how to play, and whatever happens happens.”

The approach and ability were molded early. Griffey received the best of equipment, instruction and exposure toddling after his dad in major league clubhouses. The younger Griffey lists three things that his dad contributed to above all: love for the game, approach to the game and confidence that he could play it in the major leagues.

“No matter what happens, I always think I can do better, that I can improve,” Griffey said. “No matter what happens, I always think there’s a next step.”

Father and son played together with the Mariners in 1990 and ‘91, and they still talk almost daily.

Father doesn’t tell his son, nor even his wife, how he still tends to tear up emotionally when he watches Junior play on television, but he remains a batting coach, constantly reminding Junior, “Stay back. Be selective.”

Griffey hears the same from Piniella.

“We’re always talking to him about being more selective,” Piniella said. “Part of the problem is that he sees the ball so darn well that he thinks he can hit anything.

“I’ve told him, ‘If they want to walk you, let them walk you. You’re capable of winning the triple crown.’ I mean, if stealing 20 or 25 bases a year was his goal, he could do it. If leading the league in hitting was his goal, he could do it.

“But Junior is a slugger. I mean, you can say that he’s a line drive hitter, and he is, but first and foremost he’s a slugger.”

He’s also not what he sometimes seems to be when spotted with his cap turned backward, kibitzing and joking with reporters, nonchalantly breezing through batting practice.

“He gives you that kind of laissez impression during BP, but he doesn’t just show up,” batting coach Lee Elia said. “There’s a lot of natural ability involved, but he’s a pretty knowledgeable guy when it comes to adjustments and what he needs to do. He doesn’t spend hours watching tapes, but he does do his homework.”

THE MUSCLE

Two weeks before the media madhouse of Cleveland, Griffey sat in the lounge chair from which he oversees his clubhouse kingdom in the Seattle Kingdome. He rolled up a sleeve of his T-shirt, flexed his left biceps, rolled tongue into cheek and said:

“Hard to believe I’m steroid free.”

Not hard at all, of course.

In this era of weightlifting sluggers, an era in which computers calculate home run distances, the Mariner center fielder doesn’t fit the muscular mold of McGwire, Frank Thomas, Albert Belle or Mo Vaughn.

His isn’t the swaggering physical presence of Juan Gonzalez or Mike Piazza, and he isn’t trying to catch up.

Griffey keeps statistical company with the big boys, sets historical paces in some categories, but uses only light weights to maintain leg strength, nothing for the upper body.

“Flexibility is the key,” he said. “You only have to look at Tiger Woods and watch how far he can drive a golf ball.

“I probably can’t bench[-press] 200 pounds. Joey Cora [the 5-foot-8, 160-pound Mariner second baseman] can probably bench more.

“I mean, the barrel of my bat is probably bigger than my bicep.”

Big deal.

Said Dodger catcher Piazza after getting a close-up look at the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Mariner during interleague play: “There’s been a lot of guys over the years who hit home runs and weren’t built like Ruth or McGwire, but [Griffey] is definitely not a dwarf. He’s a fairly big guy.

“I mean, what little he lacks in size, he makes up for in leverage. He has a short, quick swing that generates a lot of bat speed.

“He rarely looks like he’s fooled. It’s almost ridiculous the way he seems to be locked in on every pitch. Effortless. Like batting practice.”

“The perfect swing,” agreed teammate Edgar Martinez, whose own swing has produced two American League batting titles.

“Timing, torque and leverage,” said Elia, breaking it down.

Said Piniella, providing respect: “If there’s a better player, I don’t know who he is.”

THE POPULARITY

Griffey doesn’t try to analyze it. He merely tries to cope with it.

Even in his own clubhouse, even in the final hour before a game, teammates push bats and balls at him, asking him to sign for this or that friend.

Griffey feigns anger.

“I hate middlemen,” he says, signing.

Even while eating dinner with his wife, Melissa, it doesn’t stop.

They are dining in a Las Vegas restaurant during the final weekend of spring training. A man advances from a neighboring table, asking Griffey to sign two autographs.

Griffey explains that he is trying to enjoy a quiet evening with his wife but will be happy to sign one, which he does.

The man reacts by crumpling the autograph and throwing it on the Griffeys’ table.

Griffey shakes his head and lets his emotions subside. He later goes to the table, where the autograph seeker is dining with his wife and another couple.

Griffey patiently explains that he doesn’t get many chances for a quiet evening with his wife, doesn’t want hard feelings and will be happy to sign the two autographs.

His willingness to turn the other cheek seems a mandatory spinoff of his popularity and a contributing factor in it.

“I’ve never seen a young man cheered as much in opposing parks,” Piniella said. “Usually, a home run hitter is a villain in opposing parks, but people actually want to see him go deep against their team.”

Griffey receives hundreds of fan letters daily. He earns about $4 million a year from endorsement contracts with Nike, Pepsi, Wheaties, Nintendo and Gargoyle sunglasses, among others.

“With Ken, it’s not a matter of having to pound the pavement [looking for deals],” attorney Brian Goldberg said.

“People are genuinely excited by his ability and personality. They see a guy who loves what he’s doing and plays with an enthusiasm others sometimes lack.

“They appreciate that he avoids controversy and is a good family man [the Griffeys have two children, son Trey, 3, and daughter Taryn, 1 1/2].

“I also credit [his dad] with keeping him focused. His instructions to me have always been, ‘Keep it as simple as possible.’ His advice to Junior has always been, ‘Let’s not get sidetracked. It’s great to be accommodating, but the reason people want a piece of you off the field is because of what you do on the field. You have to remember that.’ ”

THE SCOUT

It has been 10 years since Griffey, then an outfielder-pitcher at Cincinnati’s Moeller High, was the first player selected in the June draft.

He received a $180,000 signing bonus, preposterously modest compared to the $10 million that some untested high school and college players received in the 1996 draft, or even the $2 million that is common now.

It seems preposterous as well that scout Bob Harrison, who now works for the Angels, had to fudge on his rating of Griffey as a way of circumventing then-owner George Argyros’ preference for college players, and particularly a Cal State Fullerton pitcher named Mike Harkey, now with the Dodgers.

“Both Harkey and Griffey got a 70 out of 80 in our system,” Harrison said. “We all knew that George loved to take college players, so I added two points to the report on Griffey--one for power and one for hitting with power. George and I have laughed a lot about it since.”

Griffey helped elevate the Mariners’ value for Argyros, who bought the club for $11.7 million, sold it for $75 million and picked up the check when he and Harrison recently had lunch, laughing again about the scouting report and how close they came to not selecting the player ranked by Baseball America as the best No. 1 pick in the 31-year history of the draft.

“Kenny’s the best I ever saw, and he’s turned out even better than I dared project him,” Harrison said.

“Best of all, he’s still a great kid from a great family, and he still has a way of getting guys around the batting cage to break up over something he’s said, just as he did then. I mean, as much as I remember seeing him play, I remember seeing him laugh a lot, and that made an impression too.”

THE CHASE

Maybe it won’t happen this season, but Griffey seems certain at some point to approach September with a chance to eclipse Ruth and Maris.

“I don’t think there’s any question about it, if he stays healthy,” Piazza said.

Piniella, while reluctant to put pressure on Griffey, said that, in an era of diluted pitching, 61 homers and a .400 average are possible.

“The best thing Junior has going is his temperament, and that’s the most important thing for a home run hitter,” Piniella said. “He doesn’t fight himself. He can have three bad at-bats, but he has the inner confidence that the fourth will be a good one.

“I also think that whatever additional attention might come to him late in the season wouldn’t affect him. He’s never had to adjust to the atmosphere because he was raised around major league clubhouses. Besides, he’s been a star from the start. He’s used to the attention. He’s always been able to rise to the occasion.”

He also plays 81 games in a hitter’s haven, gets ample protection from Martinez and Jay Buhner so that it’s difficult to pitch around him, has always hit left-handers almost as well as he does right-handers, and, this year, gets two August games--the equivalent, perhaps, of 10 at-bats--in Coors Field and five September games against the pitching-weak Oakland A’s, including the last three, when both Griffey and McGwire might be bidding for history in Seattle.

“I know this sounds ridiculous, considering he’s probably going to end the first half with 30 or so homers and more than 80 RBIs, but he really hasn’t put together a streak like he always does,” Elia said. “When he starts triggering bullets for a week or 10 days, he can put up numbers real fast.”

The record? Forget it.

Griffey steers the discussion to Jackie Robinson and how he never tries to forget the door that was opened.

Or he’ll smile and talk about how his golf game has improved, having off-season neighbors Woods and Mark O’Meara as playing partners in Orlando, Fla.

Or he’ll insist that several of his design recommendations are being incorporated in the new Seattle park--aside from the rejected recommendation that “the fences be brought in 30 feet.”

Or he’ll chat about how he was willing to defer a chunk of his salary to help keep the Mariners’ revenue stream flowing until the new park opens.

But if it does come down to September? If the chase is on?

“He’ll be fine,” Ken Griffey Sr., said. “He’s going to have fun, no matter what the situation. He always has fun. He has my personality. He’s not going to let any outside influences bother him.

“He gets upset when he’s not hitting, but he knows how to control it. I know one thing, if he gets close he’ll be calling me every day.”

Knowing he’ll get the respect that he clearly--and somewhat strangely--thinks eludes him elsewhere.

Chasing Roger Maris

Despite impressive home run totals, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire are still behind the pace of Roger Maris’ record-setting season of 61 home runs.

Home Runs

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Roger Ken Mark Games Maris Griffey Jr. McGwire 163 61 159 60 155 59 152 58 151 57 143 56 141 55 140 54 135 52; 53 129 51 125 50 124 49 119 47;48 118 46 117 45 116 44 115 43 114 42 106 41 96 39; 40 95 37;38 92 36 88 31 87 30 86 35 85 30 84 34 82 33 29 79 28 78 32 77 31 27 75 29; 30 74 28 29 72 28 71 26 70 25 67 27 66 27 64 26 63 25 26 24 62 24 61 23 23 59 22 58 22 21 57 21 25 20 55 19; 20 54 24 53 18;19 52 18 17 51 23 50 16 49 17 22 15 48 16 47 21 45 20 44 15 43 14 19 14 42 13 41 12 40 10; 11 18 13 39 17 38 9 37 16 35 8 34 15 32 7 31 6 12 30 5 29 4 28 14 26 10;11 23 9 22 11; 12; 13 21 10 20 3 8 19 7 18 9 6 17 2 5 15 8 14 7 4 11 1 9 3 7 6 6 2 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 1 1 1;2

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Note: Because of a tie, the Yankees played 163 games in 1961. Maris played in161 games. Maris did not hit a homer in tie game.