Bichette Hopes to Remain a Hit Out of Spotlight

He was the Cincinnati Reds’ other major acquisition of the winter.

With the spotlight on Ken Griffey Jr., Dante Bichette has been relegated to the shadows.

Both, however, are attempting to find an April groove amid the enormous pressure of high expectations.

Griffey led the Reds with 14 runs batted in through Friday but was batting only .200 with three home runs. Bichette had only two RBIs and two home runs with a .190 average.

Bichette was acquired in an economically motivated trade with the Colorado Rockies--for Stan Belinda and Jeffrey Hammonds--as a power and outfield replacement for Greg Vaughn, who hit 45 homers, drove in 118 runs and was a strong presence in the clubhouse.

Vaughn also was eligible for free agency, and the Reds figured they would not be able to afford Griffey if they retained Vaughn. The latter signed a four-year, $32-million contract with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Bichette is owed $6.5 million this year and next. He said he “hit the jackpot” in being traded to Cincinnati in that he has a son in school in Orlando, Fla. (the Reds train in Sarasota), he knew the overhauling Rockies would emerge “with a basically new club” and that he was joining a young team that won 96 games last year.

The Reds, however, will only hit the jackpot if Griffey and Bichette deliver. The theory is that Griffey should pick up Vaughn’s production, meaning Bichette, the major league hit leader over the last six years and second only to Albert Belle in RBIs over the last five, is a bonus.

There is a question as to who fills Vaughn’s clubhouse role on a team fueled--to a large extent--by chemistry last year, but that may not matter if the anticipated production is there.

The way Bichette sees it, “The addition of Griffey takes pressure off the whole lineup. He’s the 45- to 50-home run guy who can pick up Vaughn’s numbers. I’m not going to have Hall of Fame numbers, but I should hit around .300, drive in 100 runs and hit 25 to 30 home runs. If I do what I feel I’m capable of doing, it should be good enough to help us win.”

There are two things Bichette has to prove in the process: That a guy who has never been mistaken for a Gold Glove winner can move from left field to the more difficult right and that he can maintain his Coors Field productivity. Friendly Cinergy Field isn’t quite the same hitter’s haven, but Bichette has a .328 career average there.

“There’s no way around it, I wouldn’t have accepted the trade if I didn’t think I could hit in Cincinnati and other parks,” said Bichette, who had approval rights as a 10-year major leaguer, five with the same team.

So far, Bichette and Griffey haven’t been doing much hitting anywhere. A Red scare? It’s a little early.

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Griffey is wearing the No. 30 that was his father’s number with the Reds, but it’s been reported that he wants No. 24--the number he wore in Seattle--which belonged to Hall of Fame inductee Tony Perez. The number was retired by the Reds and should stay retired, according to Perez, who added: “When I was traded to Boston, I wore No. 5. I didn’t ask for 24 in respect to Dwight Evans. I hit with No. 5 and had some slumps with No. 5, but I didn’t blame it on my number. Junior Griffey is a great hitter and shouldn’t worry about what number he is wearing.” . . . Clip and Save: The box score from Friday night’s game in which the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the San Francisco Giants, 3-1. Both Randy Johnson and Livan Hernandez pitched complete games. A modern-era miracle. . . . Sighting: A suspended John Rocker rejoins the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. A brief stop on his way to the Cleveland Indians?