PITTSBURGH — Barry Larkin plans to ask Reds chief executive officer Carl Lindner for a meeting to discuss “the state of the union.”

        The state of the union, in this case the Reds, is not very good right now.

        Larkin says he'll express that to Lindner and suggest changes. Larkin would not divulge specifics.

        “I really don't want to get into that,” Larkin said. “But you can speculate.”

        Larkin probably was referring to players' doubts about the club's direction and general manager Jim Bowden's unpopularity in the clubhouse.

        Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. met with Lindner after last season. Relief ace Danny Graves was supposed to be in on the meeting but couldn't because of a schedule conflict. Griffey and Graves hope to participate this year.

        “We want to make it an annual thing,” Larkin said.

        Both Larkin and Griffey emphasized that the meeting won't take place until Lindner, who has been ill, feels up to it.

        “His health is the No.1 concern,” Griffey said.

        A Lindner spokesperson said the request had not been received yet but that the players probably would go through Reds chief operating officer John Allen.

        The owner has attended some of the players' Sunday prayer meetings at Cinergy Field and has had dinner with a few players but doesn't make a practice of meeting with them.

        “I think he'd let John handle that,” the spokesperson said.

        The Reds have seen firsthand the past two days that a new stadium alone is not the answer. The Pirates broke their all-time attendance record in their inaugural season at PNC Park, pushing the season total to 2,072,712. But lately they've been drawing around 20,000 — 17,000 short of capacity.

        The Reds plan to open Great American Ball Park in 2003.

        “You have to put a good product on the field,” Larkin said. “The team has to be competitive to be supported.”

        Larkin believes the Reds can be competitive as soon as next year.

        “Winning is a function of being healthy,” he said. “If we're healthy, with a little retooling, we can win.”

        Graves and Griffey said they'll leave the talking to Larkin.

        “If questions are asked, I'll answer,” Graves said. “I'll express my opinion, but I'm just a player. He's the owner.”

        Cliff Peale contributed to this story.

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