Griffey Unloads on Fans, Media

Slumping for much of the season, Ken Griffey Jr. feels burdened during his first year with the Cincinnati Reds, complaining about his treatment from fans and reporters.

“It’s kind of tough when you’ve got the media on you and you come to the ballpark and you have fans yelling things that are off the wall,” the center fielder told Foxsports.com in an interview posted Monday.

“All the things that I had to deal with the first couple of months of the season . . . I felt like calling Johnnie Cochran and saying, ‘Hey, come defend me, I’m on trial,’ and that’s how I felt. I felt like I was on trial. Everything I did was brought up.”

He isn’t surprised the Mariners lead the AL West and feels its unfair to say his absence is the difference.

“They’re a better team because they added $30 million in payroll that they didn’t have last year,” he said. “If you do that, you’re going to win. You’re going to have a better team. The fans don’t see that. All they see is they’re winning and Griffey’s not there.”

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Texas pitcher Ryan Glynn, who fainted in the dugout after being pulled out of his last game, was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday to give team doctors more time to evaluate his condition.

Dr. David Hunter said Glynn would be put through a series of medical tests over the next seven days. Hunter said he had no new medical information, but felt uncomfortable allowing Glynn to return to game action until the tests could be completed.

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Montreal catcher Lenny Webster appeared in court at Cornwall, Canada, to face gun charges.

Webster is charged with trying to import a prohibited weapon into Canada on April 7. He declined to comment on Monday’s court proceedings and makes his next appearance in court Oct. 16.

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Toronto’s Raul Mondesi underwent surgery and had 12 bone chips removed from his right elbow. Mondesi is out for the season. . . . Boston purchased the contract of infielder Lou Merloni from triple-A Pawtucket and put Izzy Alcantara on the 15-day disabled list because of a strained back. . . . Kansas City put second baseman Carlos Febles on the 15-day disabled list because of a bruised right ankle and recalled outfielder Scott Pose from triple-A Omaha.