SARASOTA, Fla. — The Reds wanted to make it perfectly clear that one thing Dmitri Young said in his Reds-ripping diatribe was not true.

        Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. were not responsible for getting Young and Pokey Reese traded.

        Young, now with the Detroit Tigers, said Friday that Larkin and Griffey “engineered” the trade of Young and Reese.

        “Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. were very supportive of Pokey Reese and Dmitri Young,” Reds general manager Jim Bowden said. “At no time did they ever suggest or recommend that either player be traded. The decision was made by me and the front office after we tried to negotiate long-term contracts with them.”

        The Reds offered Young a four-year, $26 million contract and Reese a four-year, $21 million contract in April.

        “When they turned it down and they made very clear they weren't going to re-sign with us, that's when they were traded,” Bowden said. “We attempted to sign them first. I want to make sure that's very clear.”

        Young's comments came two days after Reese made similar comments. Young also criticized Larkin, going so far as to say he wouldn't shake hands with either one when the Tigers play the Reds in exhibition season.

        “It's frustration,” Larkin said. “Frustration being vented. Whatever the source of that frustration is or was, I'm not real clear. It's unfortunate. I know in my particular situation, I've only tried to help players, Dmitri and Pokey included. They can say what they say and feel what they feel. I pride myself on that.”

        Larkin said he was unaware that Reese or Young had a problem with him or Griffey.

        “Neither one of them came up to me and said, "Lark this is bothering me. We need to address it.'”

        As he did after Reese's comments, Griffey took them without striking back.

        “It's not a big deal,” he said. “I don't have a problem with them.”

        Griffey laughed off the accusation that he and Larkin were behind the trades.

        “We engineered a trade?” Griffey said. “Is my name at the bottom of their check?”

        There is a lot of credence to Griffey's argument.

        “How many times did I offer to defer money so those guys could stay here?” he said. “One of the reasons I came to Cincinnati was to play with them.” [Link to 2001 story this quote came from]

        When the Reds were talking about trading Young in July of last year, Griffey offered to defer more money and went on to say:

        “We can't afford to lose somebody like Dmitri. You just don't find people like that who are willing to do anything you ask of him, who can play four positions and switch hit.”

        Larkin was and is captain of the Reds. He wanted to make it clear that if players have a problem with him, they should come forward.

        “It goes without saying that they should have come to me,” Larkin said. “I have to see it. We're all men. I didn't know some of these things until after the fact. We've got a lot of leaders. Dmitri was one of them. He was a vocal one.”

        Bowden wasn't concerned about similar problems in the 2002 clubhouse. Both Young and Reese said the lack of a leader like Greg Vaughn hurt the team the last two years.

        “I think all players' make-up and character is different,” Bowden said. “Some players need leaders to pull them along. Other players just work and play. Junior is a player that, if he's healthy, he wants to play 162 games. He doesn't want to come out. That's what he brings to the table. He's a Hall of Fame-caliber player. Greg Vaughn is a different kind of player. He was a home run hitter who didn't have the batting average. He wasn't a good defensive player. But he was good at forcing younger players who didn't have good work ethics to work. He was great making them work. Some players need that.”

        Bowden agreed with Larkin that if players have issues, they should speak up.

        “I think when there's a problem — whether it be in baseball or business — you address the problem at the time and communicate it,” Bowden said. “You close the door and have a team meeting. Barry Larkin has had many team meetings. You stand up and say, "We have this problem.' You don't go to another club, sign a long-term contract and criticize after the fact. That's not leadership. Leaders take care of the situation at the time.”

Bowden: Larkin, Jr. not to blame SULLIVAN: Tough week for the Griffeys Reds Q & A with John Fay Reds notebook Baseball notebook

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