Barry Larkin is running. He is lifting weights. The next step is to start baseball activities.

        “I'm not sure when that will be,” Larkin said. “That's (Reds physical therapist) Lonnie (Soloff's) call.”

        But Larkin will be 100 percent by spring training, right?

        “Oh, yeah,” Larkin said.

        Larkin's health is key to the Reds' fortunes next year. The only time the Reds were any good in 2001 was when Larkin was healthy, which wasn't often.

        Larkin played in only 45 games last year. He ended up hitting only .256 after a fast start.

        Larkin, 37, battled a groin injury from spring training on. The bigger problem turned out to be a sports hernia. Larkin's season ended after a second stint on the disabled list because of the groin. It was decided there was little to gain by coming back — the Reds were out of the race — so he had the hernia surgery. The thought was by having the operation in August, he'd be ready by spring training.

        It looks like the plan will work.

        “I feel good,” Larkin said. “I'm getting stronger. I'm working in the weight room and stretching.”

        The hernia surgery has kept him from doing anything very strenuous.

        “I haven't really stressed it,” Larkin said. “I won't know until I go out and try to do something explosive.”

        MORE LARKIN: Larkin did not meet with Reds owner Carl Lindner after the season. Larkin said late in the season that he hoped to talk with Lindner about the direction of the club.

        “We didn't get together,” Larkin said. “But I hope to talk to him sometime.”

        STILL MORE LARKIN: Bill James, baseball's best-known numbers cruncher, has just published The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. In the 998-page tome, James ranks the top 100 players at each position. James uses “Win Shares” to quantify offensive and defensive contributions.

        James makes a strong argument that Larkin is a Hall of Famer. He ranks Larkin as the sixth-best shortstop of all-time — behind Honus Wagner, Arky Vaughn, Cal Ripken, Robin Yount and Ernie Banks.

        “Larkin is one of the 10 most complete players in baseball history,” James writes. “He's a .300 hitter, has power, has speed, excellent defense and is a good percentage player. He ranks with DiMaggio, Mays and a few others as the most well-rounded stars in baseball history. ...”

        That's a pretty good endorsement.

        Where other Reds rank:

        • Joe Morgan, No.1 at second base
        • Johnny Bench, No.2 at catcher
        • Frank Robinson, No.3 at right field
        • Pete Rose, No.5 at right field
        • Ken Griffey Jr., 7th at center field
        • Tony Perez, 13th at first base
        • Dave Parker, 14th at right field
        • Edd Roush, 15th at center
        • Vada Pinson, 18th at center
        • Dave Concepcion, 26th at shortstop
        • Ken Griffey Sr., 31st at right field
        • Eric Davis, 33rd at center field
        • George Foster, 34th at left field
        • Ted Kluszewski, 34th at first base
        • Leo Cardenas, 50th at shortstop

        ARAMBOLES UPDATE: You may wonder why the Reds are so high on Ricardo Aramboles, the 20-year-old they added to the 40-man roster two weeks ago. Aramboles, after all, was 1-4 with a 5.02 ERA, after the Reds got him from the New York Yankees for Mark Wohlers.

        Aramboles was troubled by a sprained elbow. That limited him to six starts after the All-Star break. But the kid is talented. The Yankees paid $1.52 million to sign him.

Larkin recovery on track Reds Q&A with John Fay