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NEW YORK — With the new Citi Field looming behind the left-field bleachers, it is obvious the days are numbered for Shea Stadium.

The Cincinnati Reds are here for the last time, and manager Dusty Baker was asked about a memory.

Baker laughed and said, "Oh, yeah. When I was a little rookie, we were going to New York and Houston and I had like three or four bats. Hank Aaron told me, 'You're going to need more bats. We're facing gas,' and I told him, 'Man, ain't nobody breaks my bats.'"

Baker said he sneaked six more bats into the travel bags, but didn't tell Aaron. Then the Atlanta Braves faced Gary Gentry, Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver in New York, followed by Tom Griffin, Larry Dierker and Don Wilson.

"I went home with one bat," Baker said. "I never did tell Hank, to this day, that I'd put six extra bats in the bag."

Baker also recalled a twilight game against Seaver, "in which I saw him wind up and I heard the ball hit the catcher's mitt. I ain't lying, to this day I ain't never seen that ball."

Bray is back

Bill Bray's stay with Class AAA Louisville was brief, just as Baker hoped it would be and told Bray it would be.

Bray is back, replacing Kent Mercker, who was placed on the disabled list Friday, May 9, with lower back pain.

"I told him, 'Hey, man, we'll get you back as soon as we can because you haven't done anything to merit not being here,' " Baker said. "It was just a matter of numbers and options, and we'll get you back as soon as we can.'

Bray was optioned back to Louisville Monday to make room for David Weathers, but he wasn't too displeased because he got to join Louisville in his hometown, Norfolk, Va., and see his grandfather.

"He just had a chance to go home, pick up some more clothes and come back," Baker said. "He stayed with his grandfather? Perfect. He's back now and his grandfather can watch him on TV tonight."

Baker said Mercker hurt his back Wednesday and aggravated it further on Thursday's off day.

"Mercker wasn't available in our last home game (Wednesday), which is why we extended Edinson Volquez (118 pitches)," Baker said. "People wondered why I let him throw so many pitches in a 9-0 game, but I only had three guys available in the bullpen — Jeremy Affeldt and David Weathers, who just came off the DL, and Francisco Cordero, who I really didn't want to use in that game."

Good timing

Ken Griffey Jr. was in Friday's original lineup, but he was scratched after he reported to the ballpark sick.

Brandon Phillips left Wednesday's game after fouling a pitch off his right calf, and he was not in Friday's lineup. Said Baker, "He can pinch-hit with two outs in a nonrunning situation.

"His leg is still swollen," Baker said. "He'll get treatment (Friday) and hopefully be ready the next two days against those two quality left-handers they're throwing at us (Johan Santana and Oliver Perez)."

Quote of the day

Baker, talking about Ken Griffey Jr. approaching 600 home runs: "The thing about Junior is that he played center field and batted third most of his career and when you do that you are carrying most of the weight defensively and offensively. That's double work."

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