Players in awe of hitting coach Griffey

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By Sean McClelland, Staff Writer 12:45 AM Thursday, April 29, 2010

DAYTON — It’s somewhat odd and ever so cool, Dayton Dragons players say, having Big Red Machine legend Ken Griffey as one of their coaches.

“When I found out, I was like, ‘Wow,’ ” catcher Mark Fleury said. “I brag about it to my friends back home (in Georgia). The name speaks for itself. He gets the biggest ovation at games.”

It’s a little strange for pitcher Brian Pearl, who grew up in Seattle hanging on every pitch of the 1995 Mariners as they reached the American League Championship Series.

Pearl’s favorite player, the one he emulated in his backyard while throwing a ball against a shed, was Ken Griffey Jr., the future hall-of-famer.

“Maybe when I go home in September I can go to a game at Safeco Field and Senior can set it up so I can meet Junior,” Pearl said, hopefully.

“But I’m sure he gets asked about Junior all the time, so it’s not something I’m going to go up and talk to him about.”

Chances are Griffey, in his first season as a minor-league coach, would be receptive to such a request. He’s been nothing but friendly, patient and approachable since arriving in Dayton — factors that come in handy in his role as hitting instructor, of course.

And it doesn’t take much for Griffey to hold an audience spellbound, as he proved one day in spring training.

Fleury, who credits Griffey with helping him overcome a season-opening 1-for-29 slump, recalled: “It was me, Andrew Means and Frank Pfister. It was before a game and we weren’t playing that day and he was just telling us all these great war stories.

“He told us about a time with the Yankees when he made this great play to rob a home run. He went up against the wall, planted his foot (in the padding) and made a backhand catch before tumbling to the ground. He said he was 38, but I looked it up and he was 36.

“All three of us looked at each other and thought that was the coolest pregame we had ever experienced.”

Dragons tales

• The Dragons are 7-4 at home and 3-6 on the road. Going into Wednesday’s play, their pitchers had been much stingier at home, posting a 3.15 earned-run average compared to 5.08 away from Fifth Third Field.

• Over his last 11 games, Pfister, the third baseman, was hitting .326. He had a 10-game hitting streak snapped Tuesday. ... Fleury was a .400 hitter (8-for-20) over his last six games. ... First baseman Chris Richburg had 13 RBIs and was batting .340 over a 13-game stretch.

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