Saturday, March 04, 2000

Larkin feeling spry, hitting hot

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SS hopes to avoid slow start

BY CHRIS HAFT
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Barry Larkin (right) and Sean Casey demonstrate the reds' homer run bash for Ken Griffey Jr. (Michael E. Keating photo) | ZOOM |

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        SARASOTA, Fla. — No sane major-leaguer would consider declaring himself ready for the regular season a month before it begins. But if anybody seemed primed for Opening Day during the Reds' exhibition opener Friday, it was Barry Larkin.

        The 14-year veteran shortstop looked sharp afield and at the plate in Cincinnati's 5-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins in a split-squad game at Ed Smith Stadium. Another contingent of Reds lost to Baltimore 6-4 at Fort Lauderdale.

        Larkin grounded a fourth-inning single to score Pokey Reese and lift the Reds into a temporary 3-3 tie. One inning later, he dove to his left to snare Brian Buchanan's shot up the middle. Though Buchanan hustled out an infield single, Larkin made the play close.

        That's the Larkin who has won nine Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Glove trophies. It wasn't the Larkin who has started slowly in recent years.

        The Reds begin the season with four consecutive series against teams that finished below .500 last year. Though that doesn't guarantee early success, instant production from Larkin could hasten Cincinnati's break from the gate.

        “It would be a big difference for this ballclub if Barry could get off to a good start in April and May,” Reds General Manager Jim Bowden said.

        That hasn't happened lately, at least in April. From 1997-99, Larkin hit .210 (47-for-224) in the season's opening month, contrasting sharply with his .299 career average.

        Larkin's struggles can be traced directly to his health. He endured problems with his left heel and big toe in '97 and underwent preseason neck surgery the following year.

        “Obviously, a healthy Barry Larkin always has given us a chance to win,” Bowden said.

        This year, Larkin's pain-free.

        “I feel really strong,” said Larkin, who turns 36 on April 28. “I had trouble last year with weakness in my left knee. But it feels great. I've made a couple of plays where I really had to put my weight on my left knee. The other day in the intrasquad game, I specifically went after a ball just to test my knee. It came out well.”

        Larkin pointed out that his early performance has been cyclical. In 1995, for example, he hit .500 (10-for-20) during the strike-shortened April. That happened to be the year he won the National League's Most Valuable Player Award. In the first four Aprils of his career, he batted .313, .309, .289 and .385. He followed that with .217 in April of '91 and .179 in the opening month of '92.

        “This should be my good year,” he said. “It's just a matter of getting the kinks out and getting back into a groove. I'm doing what I want to do offen sively, as far as putting the ball in play.”

        Batting second ahead of Ken Griffey Jr., Larkin should receive plenty of chances to do that. Last year he somehow drew 93 walks, his second-highest single-season total, despite hitting ahead of Sean Casey. This season, Larkin should get more pitches to hit, because opponents will be loathe to put a baserunner aboard ahead of Griffey.

        Those patterns aren't a given in the exhibition season, however.

        “I started (making fun of) Junior because in my first at-bat, the guy (Twins starting pitcher Johan Santana) threw one strike and then all balls,” Larkin said. “I said, "They're pitching around me! They're trying to pitch to you!'”

       

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Oh Lord, please don't let Junior be misunderstood Griffey's debut: whiff, single, whiff REDS EXHIBITION REPORT Orioles 6, Reds (ss) 4 Larkin feeling spry, hitting hot Bowden looking for arms

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