A-Rod: Griffey's talent 'one of a kind'

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Alex Rodriguez remembers walking in the club sailors in Seattle, circa 1994, and knew he was in the presence of something special with Ken Griffey Jr. was as if he was playing with Michael Jordan or Muhammad Ali sport, every night.

Offered and received one day after Griffey announced his retirement from the main university after a trip that spanned more than 21 years, is what appears to be inevitable on a trip to Cooperstown, congratulations to Griffey for what he called the job "unbelievable."

"One of a kind," said Rodriguez. "I had the front seat of parts of seven years and 18 years old, and I got to walk in the club and see the greatest player in the world for a long time, was 24, I was 18 years old, and boy, I 'll tell you, that was kind of treatment in particular. "

And helped Rodriguez and Griffey authority sailors to victories from 1994 through '99, and the role and said that one of the memories a permanent Griffey was to witness the transformation of laughter, and back, and put Griffey in the clubhouse to the star that made it all look easy on the field.

"We can literally be playing Nintendo at 6:45 or 6:50 and at 07:06, he'd make the catch Spider-Man," said Rodriguez. He added, "and then in] the bottom [for the first hit he'd one on the top floor in the Kingdom, 475 feet, and do everything with a smile. You look at yourself and you like ,'... and I 've been getting ready since 5:45 of the game" .

Rodriguez noted that a group of journalists in New York on his cabinet that he would like to have a chance to see what he saw for seven years, will work closely on a daily basis.

"When you're the best player in the world for a decade, maybe all .... I saw him do things that none of you guys were able to until we were in Seattle," said Rodriguez. "We were even in the Kingdom, has not played in front of 30000 every night."

Rodriguez said he wanted to praise Griffey's accomplishments - 630 home runs, 10 Gold Glove awards, one award for best player and one of them - and not speculate about what the stratosphere that have lived in, if not for a series of injuries.

"You can always get it, but I think that you have to really, in a day like today, celebrated for what he did and not what he does not," said Rodriguez. "You can go crazy trying to project and analyze that part of it, but you take all the home runs, all doubles, and the thing for me was that he was such a great athlete, and was in wide receiver Moeller High School in Cincinnati and had the skills of defensive on the maps.

"The best of the best. For me, always a man of first class. [Wife] Melissa and children always treated me like family and welcomed me to the big leagues, you're lucky that we have the nucleus of a huge some do not and the players just great, but great people. Griffey right in the forefront. "
Girardi hopes Joyce did not know to call

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If Major League Baseball to extend the video of the events on Wednesday at Comerica Park and the award of the game retroactively ideal for Armando Galarraga beginning of the Tigers, Yankees manager Joe Girardi will be fine with that.

As the world is still baseball to chat about the rule of call Jim Joyce blown what should have been out of the 27 and last a full game against the Indians, see Girardi in the run-off on Thursday morning and said he was sorry for both Galarraga and Joyce.

"I'm not trying to open a can of worms. You are talking about a historic event," said Girardi. "No change in fact the result of the match, and if something happens in the third game and runs a record, you're talking about changing the game as a whole.

"Yesterday and perhaps unique as a situation as you can get out of another. I have known Jim Joyce for a long time. It's for the rule is very good and works very hard at what he does. I feel bad for him today, and this is something that you do not really want your career marked by" .

Yankees Derek Jeter, baseball player and also expressed his sympathy with Joyce, who has gained a reputation as one of the best referees the game over his career in 21 years.

"I feel bad for Joyce C," said Jeter. "He is one of the most respected and best referees in the league. Feel bad for him, but human, people will make mistakes."

Rule without reference Girardi Denkinger that blown call in the World Series in 1985 between the Cardinals and Royals followed for the rest of his life. He expressed the hope that something can be done to spare Joyce - Galarraga, who apologized for after the game on Wednesday - the same fate.

"This situation, which I do not want to see anyone in," said Girardi. He said, "Jim Joyce, he thought he blew the biggest call of his career. My initial reaction was, you worked the World Series games. ' My heart goes out to him. It's a shame to feel this way. As I said, it was very, very good governance for a long time. "

After some of the players in Girardi does not believe that to return and correct the word Joyce and work, even if it accurately but at the same time, ad hoc basis.

"I think it's more than necessary," he said Curtis Granderson. "If you start looking at the call would put an end to the game, and I know that there ballgames, which ended in a call - whether it be a blow, and play in the painting, a man of theft, check swing, a hunting, and lower. Would have We have to go change that, too, because they ended the game. "

Jeter said that the expansion in the use of instant replay to include the base calls and have other implications.

"When it does not stop, and when does it start?" Said Jeter. And went "Are you aware that you throw from the bench, or the challenges? There are always going to be playing throughout the game or the season that you want in the other direction.

"... And I think everyone was complaining for a long time about how games and in any case, you know what I mean?"
A hotline for Kano speaks her development

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With his three hits Wednesday night, to extend the line of Robinson Cano hit to 16 games. Perhaps the most impressive, and Kano recorded two or more hits for the eighth consecutive contest - the longest winning streak in these disciplines this season.

The last Yankee to score at least eight consecutive games and had multihit Bernie Williams in 2002, when the collection center fielder 10 games in a row with two or more of the visit.

Through the line of striking him, and Cano hit .471 with 19 RBIs]. These numbers are ridiculous .576 with 14 RBIs] in the last eight games.

"We're all just trying to keep up with him," said Nick Swisher. "The men in the bunker say: Let's see how it's hard to beat this one."

It is not uncommon to see Kano hotline; second baseman known for his ability to stretch scalding on a platter of gold. It seems as if Cano had hot spot since opening day in 2010. Manager Joe Girardi appropriations Kano maturity, experience and discipline of the new found in the dish.

"He has an idea now when he goes out there exactly what he was looking for and the other thing is, the more you play, the more understanding of what other teams are trying to do for you. I have seen a pitcher before," said Girardi. "When he swings at strikes, he hits the ball hard, and when it hits the ball hard, good things."

Numbers do not match exactly, however. According to Fangraphs site, swinging Kano in 34.4 percent of pitches outside the strike zone - tied for the highest percentage in his career. , Which is less which makes contact with the courts outside the region, which can in fact a good thing. He also said Girardi, strikes when they were put in play, and he tended to hit them harder than it's something outside the region.

Although Cano's line-drive percentage is not any higher, it is much less hit the windows on the infield and runs over the inside - not a bad trade off.

"I would like to go out there and swing the bat," said Kanu. "I've been able to get good grades and be able to push the ball and get a good result out of it."

Bryan Hoch is a reporter for MLB.com. Tim Woods is associate reporter for MLB.com. This issue was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.