Dan Giese has seen Ken Griffey Jr.'s picture plenty of times. Giese collected the slugger's baseball cards and owns the famous 1989 Upper Deck card.
But Giese will get to see Griffey up close and in person when he makes his first Major League start, against the Reds on Saturday at Yankee Stadium. And for the right-hander, the feeling is surreal.
"You've just got to kind of pinch yourself," Giese said. "I don't think I'll be nervous to face him, because if you're nervous to face anybody, you're going to get lit up. I don't think nerves. I think I'd be more excited."
That doesn't mean he won't have any nerves to shake off before he takes the mound, but he said that's part of the rush he gets from playing baseball.
"If I didn't get those feelings, I wouldn't even want to play anymore," he said. "That's the good thing about this game."
Giese will step into the starting rotation in place of ace Chien-Ming Wang, who sustained an injury to his right foot while running the bases against Houston during New York's 13-0 victory on Sunday.
The right-hander has given up just one earned run through 7 1/3 innings of relief in his three appearances for the Yankees, and manager Joe Girardi is confident that Giese can maintain that success as a starter.
"He changes speeds on his breaking ball and throws a couple of different fastballs," Girardi said. "He pitches in and out and works quickly, and throws a lot of strikes. He does the things that he needs to be successful."
The Yankees optioned Giese to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre one day after his New York debut on June 3, but they recalled him on June 6 when reliever Chris Britton was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left ribcage.
Though Giese has performed strictly as a member of the bullpen during his time with the Yankees, he posted a 4-2 record and a 2.01 ERA in 10 Minor League starts this season.
And when he stepped into that starting position, it also was as a fill-in -- for right-hander Alan Horne.
"I think it's part of the role as being the long guy in the bullpen," Giese said. "I've done bullpen my whole career, that's what I know best. I think I like starting, because it's kind of new to me."
Approximately 10 friends and family members will come to watch Giese make his first start in the big leagues. His father, Allen, flew in from Orange County, Calif., for the occasion.
It's uncertain whether Giese will keep a spot in the rotation beyond Saturday, so for now he'll focus on the opportunity he knows he has.
"I don't know what their plan is," he said. "I don't know if I'm the guy that does short-term until they find somebody else. I'm just looking at Saturday, and after that, anything out of my hands, pretty much, I don't really think about.
"Right now I have the mentality that I have nothing to lose."
Pitching matchup
NYY: RHP Dan Giese (1-1, 1.23 ERA)
Giese, a former starter in the Minors, was called up from Triple-A earlier this month to be a long reliever. Now his role will be even more critical. General manager Brian Cashman said that before he explored the trade market, he wanted to look internally to replace Wang in the rotation. Giese has an immense opportunity.
CIN: RHP Daryl Thompson (0-0, -.-- ERA)
In 14 starts this season at Triple-A Louisville and Double-A Chattanooga, Thompson was 6-2 with a 2.22 ERA. He pitched last year in Class A. He was part of an eight-player trade between the Reds and Washington in 2006.
Tidbits
Right-hander Ian Kennedy will throw 50 pitches in a bullpen session on Monday. Kennedy was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 28 with a strained right lat muscle. ... Catcher Jorge Posada had a day off on Friday, but Girardi said that he will play both weekend games against the Reds. ... Right-hander Brian Bruney threw his second bullpen session on Friday as part of his rehab from an injury to a joint in his right foot.
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Up next
• Sunday: Yankees (Andy Pettitte, 7-5, 4.29) vs. Reds (Johnny Cueto, 5-7, 5.19), 1:05 p.m. ET
• Monday: Off-day
• Tuesday: Yankees (Darrell Rasner, 4-4, 3.64) at Pirates (Tom Gorzelanny, 5-6, 6.59), 7:05 p.m. ET
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Yankees vs Reds I mean...Reds, a legitimate baseball team
Can the offense finally give him support by actually making runs?
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