QUOTEBOOK

‘I said to him, “I haven’t had a base hit since July; you could’ve let that

one go by.” ’

Ken Griffey Jr.

Cincinnati All-Star, who hit a liner directly into first baseman Carlos Pena’s glove in his first at-bat of the year. Sidelined by injuries, Griffey’s last hit was Aug. 4 and his final game of 2004 was two days later.