Managing time could determine Bob Boone's success at managing players this spring.

        Like other managers, the Reds' incoming skipper wants to inspire sincere effort.

        “There are so many things you have to sell,” Boone said recently. “If the players don't buy into them, those things are worthless. There has to be enthusiasm for why you're doing it.”

        Unlike many of his counterparts, Boone has some unusual and ambitious ideas about what he wants to accomplish in training camp, which begins Tuesday when pitchers and catchers report to the Ed Smith Stadium complex in Sarasota, Fla.

        Trying Barry Larkin in the leadoff spot is only one example of Boone's intentions. He also wants each player, including superstar slugger Ken Griffey Jr., prepared to bunt when necessary. He hopes to drill the team daily on as many fundamentals as possible, not gradually as workouts progress.

        For the Reds to do everything, workouts must run on schedule.

        “There are so many logistical problems in just putting it together,” said Boone, who managed the Kansas City Royals in 1995-97. “I don't think the players in this camp will be bored. That's what you worry about: (Players saying) "I don't need this crap.'”

        To get the most out of workouts without prolonging them (players usually take the field around 9 a.m. and leave between 12:30-1 p.m), Boone wants pitchers to throw batting practice on three diamonds instead of two. He estimated this would save a valuable half-hour.

        It sounds simple enough to execute, except for one significant problem: Pitching coach Don Gullett must be able to watch each pitcher during a representative part of his throwing session. That's challenging enough for Gullett under a typical two-field format.

        Thus, Boone won't finalize his spring routine until he discusses it with his coaches.

        “We haven't been together, which forces me to make a lot of decisions,” Boone said. “For us to be a cohesive unit, I want to encourage them to have input. They have to be involved.”

        Boone cited the New York Yankees, winners of the past three World Series, as a standard to follow as the Reds try to master baseball's basics.

        “They do all the detailed things you need to do to win games,” Boone said. “That takes time. You have to do a little bit of all that stuff every day. You don't do a lot one day and skip it for a while.”

        Besides covering baseball's subtleties, such as bunting or hit-and-run and rundown plays, Boone work on how an outfielder should pick up a ball and where throws should be directed on relays.

        “We're going to do the things everybody else does — and we're going to try to perfect them,” Boone said. “Sometimes you win by executing a little bit better than (opponents) do.”

        Boone insisted his approach is flexible. “I want feedback,” he said. “I have strong opinions about anything, and I'll listen to everything. You can talk me out of stuff.”

        Having caught in the major leagues for 19 years and spending a lifetime in the game taught Boone that the players' attitude defines a manager's influence.

        “Who cares what it takes to satisfy me?” he said. “I have to make sure the players are mostly satisfied, because they have to do it. ... You have to be comfortable to play this game. This is a game of relaxation. When you start putting tension and anxieties into it, you get breakdowns.”

Time's important to Boone

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