KEN GRIFFEY Jr. DEMANDS TRADE – SHIPPED TO WARFIELD

For Immediate Release
December 18th, 2001

 HOLLYWOOD, CA – Ken Griffey Jr was traded to the Warfield Cheesheads 2 weeks after he demanded to be shipped away from Hollywood.  The Werewolves traded Griffey, Jon Lieber, their 3rd round choice (72A) and their 5th round choice (119) for Warfield’s #1 pick (15 overall), Richard Hidalgo, Mark Texaria, Carl Pavano, John Halama and Adam Everett.
“This was an extremely difficult decision for me,” Griffey said in a joint statement he released with the team. “However, after the Barry Bonds trade, I thought long and hard of what to do.  Once I realized that Hollywood was rebuilding, I thought it was best for me to ask for a trade.  There is no way I could live with losing again.  I thought that after I was let out of “Purgatory” (Santa Fe) and entered the dispersal draft, I was on my way to a winning team.”
“The Werewolves agreed to Ken’s request and sought out to trade him during the current off-season,” the joint statement said.
Griffey, who has veto power over any deal because of a contract agreement, agreed to the trade at approximately 8:00pm PST.  When asked why he agreed to go to Warfield, Griffey joked, “I’ve always loved cheese.  All joking aside, I have the opportunity to play in an outfield with Mark Lawton, Cliff Floyd and Gary Sheffield.  And on top of that, hit in the same lineup as Carlos Delgado.  With Jon Lieber coming over too, it made my decision easier.  With him and Brad Penny leading the pitching staff, I know we will compete this year.”
Hollywood manager Steve Cutler told a news conference that Griffey ‘had clearly been agonized over this decision,’ and that it was ‘a difficult loss’ for the team.
Griffey’s statement read, “I want all Werewolve fans to understand that my decision does not have anything to do with money. It is motivated solely by my desire to continue my baseball career playing on a team that is able to compete now.  I am not getting any younger and I want a ring before I retire.”
“No matter who you get, the fans and the media are not going to think you got equal value,” Werewolves owner Steve Cutler said, adding, “We weren’t going to move him unless we thought we got value. Hidalgo (26) can roam our OF right now and we gained 6 years by trading for him.  He, Darin Erstad (27), Andrew Jones (24), Carlos Lee (25) gives us 4 legitimate power hitters under 30.  Hell, under 28!  I think we are probably 2 years from competing.”
He continued, stating, ” Texaria is clearly our 3B for the future and Adam Everett may be playing 2B alongside Christian Guzman or he may compete with the All-Star for the starting SS position.  The two pitchers are the wild cards in all this.  We believe Pavano and Halama, who are fighting injuries that may sideline them until 2003, will come back with a vengeance.”

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