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Slump stumps Grieve

The Rays outfielder struggles to swing the bat aggressively.

By MARC TOPKIN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 8, 2001

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Ben Grieve looks out at the familiar surroundings and sees the fun his former Oakland teammates are having on their second straight march to the postseason but insists he doesn't feel left out.

"You'd like to be in the situation they are, but I don't look back on it and wish I was there or anything," Grieve said.

He has, frankly, more important things to worry about. For reasons unbeknownst, he has had a lost feeling at the plate for much of the year, resulting in the worst production of his four big-league seasons: a .250 average, 10 home runs, 60 RBI and a team-record-tying 135 strikeouts entering play Friday. In three full seasons with the A's, he hit .278 and averaged 24 homers and 93 RBI.

"I don't have any idea. It's a lack of consistency obviously," Grieve said. "I don't know whether I'm trying to find something wrong or I'm looking at too much videotape or overanalyzing myself. That might have something to do with it, trying too many different things. Sometimes when you're in a funk or start off slow you're trying everything."

There have a been a few isolated games when Grieve has looked like the player for which the Rays traded, a 25-year-old who can hit doubles and home runs and produce in the middle of the order.

But more often he has looked uncomfortable and tentative, taking too many pitches because "sometimes I don't want to swing the bat because I don't want to make an out" and striking out too much.

Grieve is disappointed in his performance, but not to the point of despair.

Because there have been days when he has hit well, he is confident the ability is still there. And he has gone through this type of slump before, struggling through his second minor-league season, then earning All-Star honors the next season.

"Maybe every so often I just have a year like this," Grieve said. "I can remember that year felt a lot similar to this year. I didn't hit any homers in my first 130 at-bats and ended up with 500 at-bats and hit six. It's almost like a good thing to know that I did that and was able to turn it around again.

"If every year was a good year, or a decent year, then it would be like, "Oh, no. What do I do?' But I know I can bounce back from it. At least I did so in the minor leagues."

The Rays clearly are banking on it.

"It's obvious to everyone, including Ben, that he has not performed up to his or our expectations," general manager Chuck LaMar said. "Everyone in this organization, to a man, believes he will rebound, and not only put up the numbers he has in the past, but we still believe his future will be an instrumental one for this organization. And we're looking for him to have an outstanding season next season."

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