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Caution:  unorthodox philosophy and/or political baseball application below.  If you don't like reading things with which you don't agree, please skip to the Triunfel and Ackley article.  Nothing to see here.  :- )

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I/O:  Ouch. Ouch. Ouch.

They have put themselves in an absolute no-win with Jr.  Can't release him in the near-term or it will look like they're reacting to Nap-gate, and now they are out on a limb saying it was false.  Of course, that means they've designated two teammates as either  snitch-embellishers or liars.  Ugly.

Clubhouse has gone toxic.  Even before this, Drayer said tickle-mania was fading.  Media relations now toxic, too.

Then to lose like that, to drop a series to a 10-24 team when Felix spots you a 5-1 lead.

Ouch. -- Spectator

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CRUNCH:  This petty little kerfuffle has indeed taken on the radioactive growth of a Japanese sea monster.  Let's hope that the M's won't find themselves, like Matthew Broderick, standing inside a giant footprint with Safeco rubble all around.

The nature of the problem is not Griffey taking a nap, or not, in the clubhouse.  From the players' point of view that is not the issue at all.  Ken Griffey Jr. has nothing to do with the problem or the solution.

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=== Sportswriter Code ===

Problem A is that a local sportswriter broke code.  As is the case with many things in print, the sportswriter's defense cannot be limited to "it was true."  No way no how. 

There are a million things that are true that, if you revealed them publicly, would still make you a slimeball.  Reporters are granted the privilege of access to the clubhouse because (1) it expedites their jobs, and (2) they are trusted in very clear terms not to make the team regret granting that privilege.

If your friend came inside the front door of your house, and started stirring up slop that shortly had you and your wife about to divorce, I don't suppose you'd be thrilled with your friend.  He could protest, "But it's true!" and that wouldn't be the point.  The point is that he didn't care two cents for your family's life, love, or happiness.

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Right now, you see a bunch of he-said she-said attempting to establish, at least, that the sportswriter spoke the truth.  If he didn't, that would make it doubly-heinous and, in this particular case, might threaten his job.

But if he did speak the truth, then in the ballplayers' eyes it is still singly heinous:  he's stirring up slop that could mess up the family and wreck the season.

There are some things that are somewhat-okay to reveal, and some that aren't.  Making an issue out of Griffey's nap is petty and small-minded.  This is part of what has the players not talking to the sportswriter.

Making an issue out of Milton Bradley leaving a game in progress is not small-minded.  You see the difference?  The Griffey thing is, in the players' eyes, stirring up slop.

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Part 2