Pokey Reese is upended by Pittsburgh's Jason Kendall in Saturday's game at Sarasota. (Jeff Swinger photos) | ZOOM |

        SARASOTA, Fla. — When Barry Larkin tries to be motivational, he also can sound meaningful.

        “The last thing I say to Pokey Reese before we go out on the field is, "Let's go make some magic,'” Larkin said Saturday.

        Often, they succeed. Though the excellence of double-play combinations is difficult to measure, it's obvious the Reds' tandem of Larkin and Reese is among the best in the majors.

        After 15 years with Cincinnati, Larkin is still renowned as the National League's best all-around shortstop. Reese has won the league's previous two Gold Glove awards for fielding at second base. Together, their movements seem choreographed, though the game forces them to react spontaneously.

        “It's like they've been playing with each other forever,” said Reds third-base coach Ron Oester, the team's former second baseman.

Barry Larkin | ZOOM |

        Statistics alone cannot demonstrate how Larkin and Reese mesh. In the two seasons since they became partners, the Reds ranked only 11th and fifth, respectively, in double plays. But double-play totals often reflect the number of ground-ball pitchers on a staff or even the pitchers' inferiority, since a twin killing must be preceded by at least one opponent reaching base.

        Instead, double-play combos are partly judged by feel. Everybody senses Larkin, the 11-time All-Star, and Reese, with his Gold Gloves, are an impressive mix.

        “Pokey knows how to play the game,” Oester said. “And Lark's been there for years.”

        One stat is illustrative: The Reds have ranked fourth and fifth in the past two years in team ERA, despite their lack of consistent starting pitching. That wouldn't have happened unless Larkin and Reese (and others) were preventing hits and creating outs.

        Moreover, Sports Illustrated plans to honor Larkin and Reese as baseball's best double-play duo in its season preview. This could anger Cleveland Indians fans, who witness the artistry of second baseman Roberto Alomar and shortstop Omar Vizquel daily.

        Still, it's clear Reese and Larkin are at least the NL's premier pair. St. Louis' Edgar Renteria and Fernando Vina have played together for only a year. San Francisco wouldn't trade its pair of Jeff Kent and Rich Aurilia, but they're better known for offensive prowess. The New York Mets' Edgardo Alfonzo and Rey Ordonez might be considered the best, but the latter played only 44 games last season due to injury.

        In the AL, no duo comes close to equaling Alomar-Vizquel — and thus, by extension, Reese-Larkin.

        Besides, the way Larkin and Reese discuss each other reveals their special chemistry.

        You'd think they practice endlessly together. You'd be wrong.

        “It just comes naturally,” said Reese, a natural shortstop who switched to second base in 1999 after having played 40 games at third base the year before. “I've been knowing Lark since '91. I always wanted the chance to play with him. When it came, it just clicked. We don't talk about what we do out there; we just go out and do it.”

        Said Larkin: “We talked a little bit about where he likes the ball (on double-play relays) and I like the ball, but ... People I've played with in the past said, "I like the ball here, I like the ball there.' With Pokey, it's like: "It doesn't make a difference where you put it. Just get it to me quickly so I can do something.' That made it really comfortable.”

        Some Reds fans might cling to the notion Larkin and Bret Boone, who was traded to Atlanta after the 1998 season and is now with Seattle, formed a better combination. All Larkin will say is Boone and Reese are different.

        “Pokey is very rangy. He has a very, very strong arm and he's very smooth,” Larkin said. “Boonie isn't as rangy, but he gets to balls because he's very, very quick and anticipates well. He cuts off the field. He ... knows the nuances of making yourself a better player as opposed to a guy just going over there and doing it on pure athletic ability.

        “But Pokey is learning and doing some things differently. I've seen him set up a little different on a particular hitter — closer to the bag or farther away from the bag. I didn't see that in the past. Those are adjustments he's making because he's getting more comfortable. And Boonie does that in his sleep.”

        In the end, the best thing to do with Larkin and Reese isn't to rate them but appreciate them.

        “I probably won't do that until he's retired and gone, you know what I mean?” Reese said. “Right now, I still see Lark (age 36) as my age (27). He can do all the things I do, and better — two times better. He's still hitting; he's still running; he does it all.”

        Asked if Reese's athletic upbringing as a shortstop helped him adjust to moving around the infield, Larkin said: “I'm sure that had a lot to do with it. But more than that, it's just his athletic ability. It makes things easy. Because he's so good.”

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