SARASOTA, Fla. — Former American League All-Star outfielder Mike Greenwell, who suddenly has become a player-coach, was considering making a comeback attempt even as he accepted the job as Double-A Chattanooga's hitting instructor.

        “It was in my mind three months ago,” said Greenwell, who proceeded to spend the offseason conditioning himself.

        But Greenwell, who revealed Wednesday his de sire to become a left-handed hitter on Boone's bench, wasn't trying to trick the Reds.

        “I think I felt better than I did the last six or seven years I played when I got here,” Greenwell said after playing much more than coaching during Thursday's workout. “I looked around, kind of evaluated the situation and felt like it would be fun to go for it.”

        Greenwell, 37, knows he's a long shot to make the Opening Day roster. But he senses that he still possesses enough of the talent that enabled him to hit .303 for Boston from 1985-96.

        “I think (hitting is) some of your last skills to go. I still think I can hit,” he said. “If I don't, I'll have a lot of fun and maybe I can help some of these guys along the way.”

        Greenwell said he'd keep an open mind regarding whether he'd play in the minors if the Reds couldn't use him immediately in Cincinnati but wanted him to keep his stroke sharp.

        “I'm not looking to affect some young kid who's knocking on the door,” he said. “But if it's a situation where you're going to look down that bench and say, "Man, I could use a guy who's going to give me a quality at-bat,' I wouldn't mind being that guy.”

        Greenwell said if his experiment fails, he'll focus on coaching. “And with a great attitude,” he said. “This is a win-win for everybody.”

Wohlers key link in bullpen Greenwell explains comeback plans Righty trio could throw on Sunday Boone recovering nicely from knee surgery

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