By BILL SWARTZ
KIRO Radio

Ken Griffey Jr's agent says the napping story was accidentally published before the story was ready.

Brian Goldberg told KIRO Radio Thursday, Tacoma News Tribune writer Larry LaRue was investigating Griffey's performance with the Mariners, but accidentally published his blog posting before completing the story.

According to Goldberg, LaRue felt horrible for prematurely making the story public before consulting with Griffey and Mariners Manager Don Wakamatsu. LaRue immediately called the newspaper after realizing his mistake to try to retract the story.

Goldberg said the newspaper declined LaRue's request. He said LaRue wrote a retraction, but the editors at the TNT told him "No, we need to cover this up. We can't look foolish."

Darrin Beene, the TNT's sports department leader, told KIRO Radio the facts of the story are irrefutable with two unnamed Mariners players confirming Griffey was asleep in the clubhouse during a game last week. LaRue posted again on Tuesday with statements from both Griffey and Wakamatsu denying the incident.

Goldberg said LaRue used the oldest journalism trick in the book and didn't really speak with two players. According to Goldberg, the story was relayed to LaRue from someone else in the organization.

In a response to KIRO Radio's story on Goldberg, Beene posted on the Tacoma News Tribune's website that:

LaRue did regret not talking to Griffey before the story was posted on the blog. He did, however, try to contact him on Monday. He also tried to get comment from M's GM Jack Zduriencik, but Jack Z referred him to a team spokesman. Also, it should be noted, LaRue told Managing Editor Dale Phelps that he has not spoken to Goldberg since spring training.

Goldberg said no one from the Mariners general manager on up has talked to him about Griffey retiring and Junior is here to perform whatever role he can.

LaRue and Griffey have a 20 year working relationship, Goldberg said.

LaRue has not made himself available to comment.

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Comments (27)


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  • e550 wrote...
    the truth comes out...
    May 13, 2010 12:40 pm
    Larry really screwed this one up - hopefully this will be a lesson learned.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • paulbalcerak wrote...
    What?!
    May 13, 2010 12:40 pm
    So...Larry LaRue doesn't have admin access to his own blog?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mitsuturbo wrote...
    could not care less
    May 13, 2010 12:44 pm
    so what if someone was napping during a game.. they're getting PAID to play a GAME. sheesh! You'd think this affects your LIFE or something, with all the news about it!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Monte wrote...
    Bill, so what does this mean?
    May 13, 2010 12:45 pm
    Is the story true, or isn't it? And so LaRue had to get Griffey and Wakamatsu's OK before publishing it? And so LaRue didn't really talk to the players, but got the info through a Deep Throat source? The whole thing is beginning to sound more sleazy than sleepy ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BuzzKill wrote...
    Error made the post seem unfinished
    May 13, 2010 12:56 pm
    Seems plausible. When the story was initially published online, the last sentence was incomplete, like someone hit "post" before the story was finished. To me it seemed weird that such a firecracker of a post—one that would generate a lot of attention—would have such an obvious editing error.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Northlander wrote...
    Pretty low standards for a supposedd news leader - yes you KIRO
    May 13, 2010 1:08 pm
    So a guy's agent says the story was in error and KIRO runs with it with no independent verification? Where is the application of the same journalistic standards that Shannon and most of you demanded of LaRue? Oh that's right, you're the flagship station of the Mariners. Come on guys! Get your act together--your credibility is on the line!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • JeffinBallard wrote...
    deep throat
    May 13, 2010 1:25 pm
    I heard the source was the Mariner Moose...........
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • liame wrote...
    Scratching my head....
    May 13, 2010 1:27 pm
    I'm glad to see I am as dumbfounded as others! Is Goldberg floating this story to divide the attention away from Griffey? Why would TNT or any of its reporters tell him they were going to cover it up?

    Is Goldberg going to claim "anonymous" sources like LaRue? Time will tell (hopefully) who is telling the truth, but as it stands, at this second, Goldberg seems a little off his rocker!

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Weiser wrote...
    LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    May 13, 2010 1:36 pm
    Oh this is rich... The M's can't even come up with a good lie to cover up a lie and hide the truth that their ticket sales machine is over the hill and sleeping during games!! Give it up... you're only making this worse. Hell, I forgot all about this after watching the M's lose again, but this gem just makes me think about how crappy the entire organization is from top to bottom. And by top I mean another bottom.... There's always next year. LOL!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mrtonythomas wrote...
    WHAT?
    May 13, 2010 1:36 pm
    Why is Goldberg releasing this news and not TNT and Larry LaRue? Something stinks in the Emerald City! Well, actually, Tacoma.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }

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