Brandon Larson (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — Brandon Larson, 24, has not played a single major-league game and, barring unforeseen events, has no chance to make the Reds' 2001 Opening Day roster.

        Yet the third baseman could be one of the organization's most compelling players, due to his most prominent asset: Power.

        Besides center fielder Ken Griffey Jr., Cincinnati lacks a genuine home-run hitter. Most successful teams need more than one slugger in this era of hyper-offense. Though Sean Casey and Dmitri Young seem to have the potential to hit 30 home runs apiece, that promise remains unfulfilled.

        Thus, when one of general manager Jim Bowden's assistants watched Larson take batting practice recently and murmured, “He can hit it as far as anybody here except Griffey,” attention must be paid.

        Proving this was no exaggeration, Larson crushed a knuckleball from non-roster invitee Jared Fernandez far over the center-field fence during another batting-practice session. In his next round of swings, Larson homered to center again.

        The consensus is that Larson, Cincinnati's first selection (14th overall) in the 1997 amateur draft, needs a tad more seasoning in Triple-A before he can contend for full-time employment in the majors.

        Since the Reds want to take a cautious approach with Aaron Boone's surgically repaired left knee, Larson will receive plenty of chances to display his skills early in the Grape fruit League.

        “This is a big year for him,” Bowden said of Larson. “This is the kind of guy who's on the doorstep to the big leagues and will get big-league time this year. He continues to work on all facets of his game and we're very pleased with his progress.”

        Said Larson, “I feel like I'm knocking on heaven's door.”

        Larson knows the song that contains this lyric, though he said he listens to the Guns 'N Roses version, not Bob Dylan's. He struck few sour notes last year with Double-A Chattanoo ga, earning Southern League All-Star status by batting .272 with 20 homers and 64 RBI. Larson also hit .286 in a 17-game trial with Triple-A Louisville.

        It was the first full season in which Larson managed to avoid injury. He needed reconstructive left knee surgery in 1998, and went on the disabled list with an unrelated left knee injury the following year.

        “That was the most important thing, to stay healthy,” Larson said. “When I came out of college (Louisiana State), I was in such a hurry to impress everybody that I guess I was pushing myself to the extra limit. Now I'm more inclined to take care of myself when I'm sliding into a base or something like that — I'm not just reckless. It's a learning process.”

        Helped by visual exercises recommended by Dr. Bill Harrison, the Reds' director of sports science, Larson also has spent the past year improving his depth perception, which was considered below average.

        Though Larson committed 28 errors last year, he proved in Monday's intrasquad game that he could make a difficult play. He pounced on Juan Castro's third-inning bunt and threw off-balance to first base for the out.

        “Early on, that was kind of a question mark for him, only because of the injuries he had. But he played very well defensively for us,” Louisville manager Dave Miley said.

        Larson's continued development would force an inevitable competition with manager Bob Boone's son for the starting job at third base. But Bob Boone said he'd have no trouble judging Larson fairly, citing an example. In 1998, as one of Bowden's special assistants, Boone endorsed the trade involving his other major-league son, second baseman Bret, from Cincinnati to Atlanta.

        “I had to evaluate it professionally,” said Bob Boone, noting that he contemplated such conflicts before accepting the managerial job. “It's something I had to deal with — "Hey, do I want to take this job for reasons like that?' But I've been around it.”

        He'll need to draw upon this experience if Larson keeps improving.

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