Pete
Sampras Swings With Reds
by: Joe Kay
(Associated Press)
CINCINNATI (AP) - Wimbledon
champion Pete Sampras traded his high-tech
racquet for some old-fashioned wood Monday,
taking a brief round of batting practice with
the Cincinnati Reds.
He hit a line drive over
second base the first time he made contact,
had a few awkward swings and achieved his
primary goal - he didn't hurt or embarrass
himself.
``I know my place on earth is
not on the baseball field,'' Sampras said.
Jim Courier and other tennis
stars have taken batting practice with the
Reds over the years when a homestand
coincided with the ATP Championship in nearby
Mason.
Sampras had a bye Monday in
the tournament, now the Masters
Series-Cincinnati. He knows Ken Griffey Jr.
and was glad to get a firsthand feel for what
it's like to swing with major leaguers.
Dressed in tennis shoes,
shorts and shirt but no batting helmet,
Sampras stood in the batting cage for about
five minutes before the Reds' regulars took
over. He said he'd never done anything like
it.
Batting right-handed, he hit
the ball several times and lunged and missed
pitches at other times.
``I'm healthy. That's the
main thing,'' he said. ``I didn't want to
hurt my back.''
When Sampras hit the line
drive on first contact, Griffey - standing
beside the cage - sounded impressed.
``We can send you to rookie
ball,'' Griffey yelled out. ``You'll take a
pay cut but don't worry about it.''
AP-NY-08-07-00
1939EDT
