Barry Larkin was the big topic with e-mailers this week. Read on:

        From Stuart: The season has not started and the ink on your bylines is not yet dry, but please slow down. Don't get the locals all stirred up about Larkin's Hall of Fame chances. His numbers and his playing time (to date) do not warrant a Hall plaque. Larkin needs to have numbers off the charts as he ends his career to be considered. The talk of him leaving Cincinnati for another team is laughable. What team wants or needs him? There is no owner that is as big a sucker as Carl Lindner. Against the advice of his hired baseball people, he signed Larkin to a 3-year contract extension (a gift) that is obscene. The team has suffered since the signing.

This Friday night error cost the Reds an out. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        Response: Larkin entered this season with a .299 career average, 181 home runs and 851 RBI. He has scored 1,163 runs. Look at the numbers of three shortstops elected to the Hall of Fame: Luis Aparicio, .262, 1,335 runs, 83 home runs, 791 RBI; Lou Boudreau, .295, 861 runs, 68 HRs, 789 RBI; Luke Appling, .310, 1,319 runs, 45 HRs and 1,116 RBI. True, Larkin's numbers don't stack up offensively with Alex Rodriguez or Nomar Garciaparra. But if Larkin can put up reasonable numbers over the next two or three years, I think he's in.

        From Jim in Lawrenceburg, Ind.: Saw your article on Barry Larkin this morning. What you forgot to mention is, since coming up in 1986, Larkin has been on the DL 10 times and has missed an average of 38 games a year. If any average working stiff (including yourself) missed that many days (in a six-month period, no less) for whatever reason, they'd be fired. How many days did Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn miss during their careers?

        R: If the Players Association represented you or any other working stiff, you'd still be gainfully employed. Ripken's durability record is baseball's best. As for Gwynn, he averaged 88 games played his last four seasons.

        From Ron in Cincinnati: I was not surprised by anything in your article (about Tim Naehring). I met Tim the day after he signed with Boston. I was the announcer at Haubner Field that day and had the privilege of introducing Mr. Tim Naehring to the fans.

        Several years later, I called a favorite golf course looking for a game. As chance would have it, I ended up in a foursome with Tim. I saw him in the clubhouse and Tim recognized me and said, “Hello, Mr. Lawhorn.” I was flattered that he remembered me as I did not immediately recognize him, and we had not seen each other for several years. I was even more surprised when I arrived at the first tee, that I was the fourth in Tim's foursome. Tim was recovering from back surgery and was playing with some school chums. The point of all this is that, in spite of all his success, he always called me Mr.Lawhorn, which he continued to call me throughout the 18 holes. Tim had an excellent up-bringing. We would be better off if there were more Tim Naehrings in the world.

        R: Agreed. He's a classy guy. Don't be surprised if he's a general manager someday — either for the Reds or somewhere else.

        From Monte: You wrote, “While everyone in the baseball world is picking the Reds either last or second-to-last in the National League Central, Griffey is optimistic.” Please do better research — at least as many people are projecting both Pittsburgh and Milwaukee to finish behind the Reds. Look at the “expert” projections on ESPN.com. Fourth is the most common pick, which isn't so great either, but why exaggerate to make your point?

        R: Should have put an “almost” in front of the everybody. The consensus from what I've seen — and no one has seen every prediction — has the Reds fifth.

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