NATIONAL LEAGUE UPDATE: MILEY WON'T LET HIS PLAYERS TAKE IT SITTING DOWN.

Byline: Tony Jackson  Staff Writer

Sleepy Cincinnati was the center of the National League universe last week, at least when it came to intrigue. One day after the Reds effectively parted company with longtime closer Danny Graves, designating him for assignment on Monday, manager Dave Miley sent a stern message to his sputtering team that the clubhouse is a workplace, not a lounge.

In the process, the mild-mannered Miley stood up to pampered All-Century center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., becoming the first manager to do so since the Reds acquired Griffey from Seattle before the 2000 season.

Griffey had ordered a robotic massage chair similar to the one left fielder Adam Dunn received last season, and Griffey one-upped Dunn by also getting a matching calf and foot massager. Two days after it arrived, though, Miley ordered both chairs - Griffey's and Dunn's - removed from the clubhouse, along with a desk catcher Jason LaRue had set up beside his locker.

``We're trying to change things up,'' Miley said. ``Let's leave it at that.''

Griffey was content to do just that.

``There's no reason to (comment),'' he said.

Dunn, who entered the weekend tied for the N.L. lead in home runs with 13, wasn't quite as stoic about the matter. The chairs cost roughly $1,000 apiece, and Dunn had placed a collection bucket next to his so any player who used it could help cover the cost.

``We won last night,'' he said on Tuesday. ``Imagine if we had lost. He might have taken my glove. ... I'm surprised he didn't take the money.''

Those who follow the Reds closely say Miley - who managed the club's Triple-A affiliate for eight seasons before finally getting his shot at the big leagues when he replaced the fired Bob Boone two seasons ago - has managed most of this miserable season like he was afraid of losing his job. He was named to the position on a permanent basis only because ownership overruled general manager Dan O'Brien, who had inherited Miley as an interim manager and wanted to hire Pittsburgh player development director Brian Graham to manage the club before last season.

But clearing the clubhouse of all unnecessary accessories is an obvious sign Miley has decided to re- establish his authority. As far as a fear of getting fired, he should just relax. He is signed through next year, and Reds owner Carl Lindner is old school in every way. He is so reluctant to eat contracts that it took club officials - and limited partners - months to convince him to oust Boone and controversial general manager Jim Bowden midway through an equally horrendous 2003 season.

Finally, after one final weekend of constant cajoling, Lindner reluctantly relented on July 28. His reluctance stemmed from both Boone and Bowden having three months left on their contracts.

--He's back: Speaking of Bowden, now the general manager in Washington, he and several other former Reds personnel now employed by the Nationals returned to Cincinnati this week for a three-game series. Joining him on the trip were special assistants Boone, Jose Rijo and Jose Cardenal.

Another special assistant, longtime Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, didn't make the trip. But it was in apparent response to Larkin's surprise visit to the Reds' clubhouse during spring training - a visit that reportedly was unwelcome by some high-ranking Reds officials - that led to the following e-mail from a stadium operations official, which was printed and posted in the visiting clubhouse before the Nats arrived:

``Representatives from visiting teams are not permitted in the home clubhouse facilities or areas otherwise restricted to visiting team members. This includes any member of the visiting team traveling party that was a member of the Reds organization or team.''

As if that wasn't inhospitable enough, the lowly Reds managed to sweep the three-game series, the first time they had done that since the season's first week.

--Personal time: Rockies manager Clint Hurdle missed most of a series against Pittsburgh, this week's series at Milwaukee and the opener of a weekend set at Chicago to be with his family back in Denver. Hurdle's 2-year-old daughter Madison was hospitalized after suffering a seizure 10 days ago, and she had 13 more of them before being released on Wednesday.

``Her vital signs are good, she is alert, and she is bossing people around,'' Hurdle said upon Madison's release. ``I don't know if you have ever been in a situation like that, but it's as tough as anything you can imagine watching your daughter go through.''

The cause of the seizures was not determined, and Madison was put on medication. Hurdle and his wife Karla were at the hospital every second of Madison's stay.

Bench coach Jamie Quirk managed in Hurdle's absence, but even he missed one game against the Pirates to attend his daughter's high-school graduation. Hitting coach Duane Espy and pitching coach Bob Apodaca served as co-managers that game.

--Freak injury: Cincinnati wasn't the only breeding ground for clubhouse furniture shenanigans last week. When the Chicago Cubs arrive in town tonight for a three-game series at Dodger Stadium beginning Monday, they will be without reliever Mike Remlinger, who suffered what might be the strangest injury of the baseball season thus far.

Before last season, the Cubs upgraded their home clubhouse with lounge chairs, setting them up in such a way as to provide a barrier to the media, which no longer was allowed to venture past the line of chairs. Some reporters referred to it as the ``Remlinger line,'' because they believed it had materialized at the veteran left-hander's urging.

Well, Remlinger broke the pinky on his pitching hand when it got caught between two of the chairs. He presently is on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 21.

Tony Jackson,[phone]

tony.jackson(at)dailynews.com