Senior Slices, Junior Runs For Cover

Low wages and the need for medical attention are driving Ken Griffey Jr. out of town.

No, the injured superstar isn’t leaving the Seattle Mariners - angry taxpayers who don’t want to finance a new stadium and squabbling millionaires may cause that soon enough - but he is cutting short his stay in Spokane.

In town at the request of his Issaquah neighbor Ken Easley and his father Ken Griffey Sr., Junior made an appearance at the Ken Easley Celebrity Classic golf tournament Friday afternoon at The Creek at Qualchan.

However, his stay on the course as his father’s “caddy” was short-lived.

“He ain’t paying me enough,” Junior said. “A buck a hole isn’t enough.”

And Junior can’t stay for today’s conclusion because he needs to have his broken left wrist, immobilized by a cast that runs from his hand to above his elbow, examined.

It took less than three holes of watching his father’s slice to send him fleeing to the clubhouse for safety on the beverage cart.

“With kids all around and balls all over the place,” Junior said, “we didn’t want to take any chances.”

About 50 people, a majority children who didn’t know a bogey from a birdie, followed the group, which began on the third hole for the shotgun start.

The cast kept him from signing autographs, although it didn’t stop many from asking, which mirrors the situation he faces every day.

“That’s probably the word you learn quickest in Major League Baseball, ‘No,’ ” he said. “It’s tough, it’s a no-win situation. If you say ‘Yeah,’ and your heart’s not in it, people can tell. If you say ‘No,’ they think you’re a pain in the butt, arrogant, conceited. People have to understand we have lives, families, kids. Baseball is my job and when I’m done with work I want to go home.

“There are some that think they’re bigger than the game. I just consider myself a worker. I got out there and when my job is done I want to go home. I don’t try to go anywhere using my name… . I don’t believe in getting things free. If it has a price, I pay for it. I want to earn everything I get. I learned that from my parents.”

Once the crowd was under control, Griffey relaxed, joking and shaking hands, leaving few unhappy that the balls, baseball cards and autograph books they carried went unsigned.

“No, not really,” said young Brett Easley, when asked if he was disappointed Griffey wasn’t signing. “At least I got to see him in real life.”

A Hutton Elementary student, Easley was on a golf course for the first time, “except for miniature golf, that is. It’s so-so,” he said. “Not the walking, but the watching is fun.”

He had an autograph from somebody (Dwight Hicks, former San Francisco 49ers defensive back) “cause everyone else was getting his autograph.”

Tyler Tieman, 8, was satisfied with a Griffey sighting and adding Senior’s name to the Junior autographed baseball he got for Christmas. His brother Trevor, 6, and sister Lydia Jenkins, 8, just enjoyed being there and for mom it was a learning experience.

“I didn’t even know who he was,” Lorri Jenkins Tieman said. “I said, ‘You’re going to have to point him out to me.’ It was worth it for me to bring (Tyler) here to see the expression on his face, the look in his eyes.”

There were disappointed children who went to the Celebrity Shoot Out in the morning when autographs from the athletes and actors were plentiful, along with the media looking for the star. But Junior, who also passed on a Thursday afternoon press conference, was invisible.

“There is no media in Spokane,” one youngster said.

When asked who he thought he was talking to, he added, “No, I mean bad media, like in Seattle. If he came here to stay in his hotel, why didn’t he stay in New York?”

The Mariners are in the midst of a series with the Yankees but Griffey isn’t traveling with the team because of frequent visits to the doctor. He gets his cast off a week from Monday and begins an anticipated two months of therapy on the wrist he broke crashing into the Kingdome wall in right-centerfield making an outstanding catch.

It was hard to tell who were the winners and losers in the Griffey sweepstakes. The Cox Cable team of Frank Antonovich, Jeff Johnson, Chuck McDowell and Dale Tapley drew Senior for their celebrity playing partner, which included Junior to draw a gallery.

“I’m trying to figure out if it’s good or bad,” Johnson said as youngsters dogged the Griffey cart and chattered during play.

“I kind of hoped we’d get teed up with them,” Antonovich said. “I didn’t expect this kind of following. It’s a little hard to concentrate. I’ll get used to it after a couple of holes.”

Hicks won the skills competition (putting, pitching and driving) at The Fairways on Thursday. Dan Chambers, who played in Falcon Crest and many other television shows, defended his title in the 7-hole Shoot Out. He and Easley were the last two golfers of the 15 starters and Chambers won in a putt-off on No. 18.

, DataTimes