Tuesday, October 05, 1999
REDS NOTEBOOK
Vaughn open to returning next season
![[vaughn]](http://reds.enquirer.com/img/photos/1999/10/100599vaughn_120x187.jpg)
Greg Vaughn embraces Rickey Henderson after the game.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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Left fielder Greg Vaughn, who had indicated doubt about returning to the Reds, appeared to soften his stance after Monday's game. Vaughn, who earned $5.6 million this season while amassing 45 homers and 118 RBI, is eligible for free agency.
“Being away from home is a little tough on the kids,” said Vaughn, a father of two who lives near Sacramento, Calif.
“I enjoy my teammates. It's a great bunch of guys, and to come this close, you sort of want to be able to do it again. You want to try again and see what happens.”
Of Cincinnati and the Reds front office, Vaughn said, “They treated me awesome. I can't say anything bad about the city or the organization. The fans made me feel comfortable and the people throughout the city I came across made me feel good. Anything I ever needed, management made sure I had.
“Right now I can't tell you if I'm leaning toward East Coast, West Coast, Midwest. I don't know,” he said.
Back next year?
The Reds, to a man, said they'd like to get another chance with this club.
“I'd like to see (Reds general manager Jim Bowden) keep us together,” said Larkin, “so we can make another run at it.”
That will be a decision made by the new ownership. This year's payroll was $35 million. Bowden estimates it would cost $55 million to keep this team together.
“The 1999 Reds were a one-year aberration.” Bowden said. “Teams with $35-million payrolls don't win.”
The Reds were able to win because so many young, unproven players — Aaron Boone, Reese, Casey, Scott Williamson, Danny Graves — had great years.
“This year was so much fun,” Boone said. “There were so many highlights. To be so close and not close it out is disappointing and frustrating. But we showed we're a team reckoned with.”
The taste of the postseason should serve the young players well.
“I told them after the game not to forget this feeling, of how it is to come up just short,” Denny Neagle said. “Because to get there feels that much better.
“This could be the beginning of a great thing. This is most fun I've had in baseball.”
From the heart
One of the most poignant clubhouse scenes was the sight of Barry Larkin, a Red for the ages, counseling Sean Casey, a potential Reds star for the future.
Seeing Casey's emotions — and tears — overflow prompted Larkin to pull Casey aside and offer his veteran's wisdom.
“He's been there before,” Casey said of Larkin, the team captain. “He's been in the situation where he was a young player once and he knows all the emotions.”
Looking around the clubhouse, where teammates were embracing and packing, Casey said, “It's like you're leaving your family for a few months. But we'll all be back together and hopefully get this thing started next year.”
Pregame scene
The Reds clubhouse was a loose place before the game, indicative of the way the Reds were approaching this biggest of games.
Michael Tucker and bench coach Ken Griffey Sr. shadowboxed. Second baseman Pokey Reese danced to rap music in front of his locker and talked of his days playing in the South Carolina high school football state championship. Dmitri Young , talked excitedly of the sellout crowd.
“What's there to be tight about?” Reese said. “It's the biggest game of our careers. But you do what you do all year. We've played 162. Why put pressure on yourself now?”
New owners
All three of the Reds' new principal owners were at Monday's game. Carl Lindner watched the game from a blue seat close to the field. George Strike and Bill Reik were also there.
Morgan impressed
Joe Morgan has seen enough of Reese to be impressed with his defense.
“He's special,” Morgan said. “Johnny Bench tells me he's the best defensive second baseman he's ever seen. That's saying something because (former Red) Bret Boone was pretty good, too.”
Griffey interview
Griffey will interview with the Colorado Rockies for their vacant manager's job Oct. 12, he said.
“I'm very excited,”he said. “I've gone through the process before.”
The Reds have granted the Rockies permission to interview Griffey but not to hire him. That's the same position the Reds took with Buddy Bell, their farm director, who is also a candidate for the Rockies job.
Mail call
McKeon's pile of mail included some fairly noteworthy items. Mixed with his fan mail was a congratulatory note from Buzzie Bavasi, the former general manager of the Dodgers, Angels and Padres.
The note read, in part, “Not since 1955 when Walter Alston took the Dodgers to the World Series has one man meant so much to a club.”
McKeon also received a card from the Sisters of St. Augustine School in Covington, Ky., who thanked him for a recent speaking appearance. McKeon laughed heartily when he read this line aloud: “We're also praying you get an extended contract.”
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