By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SARASOTA, Fla. - When you sign Pete Harnisch - even if it's to a minor-league deal - you get the full Pete Harnisch package. Which is to say you get a guy who's the life of the clubhouse.

Pete Harnisch throws during the Reds' first scheduled practice for pitchers and catchers. (AP/Al Behrman photo) | ZOOM |

Harnisch was his loud, usual self Friday when Reds pitchers and catchers went through physicals at Ed Smith Stadium.

Good-natured insults came with every greeting from Harnisch.

"He's back," Reds infielder Aaron Boone said.

Said Harnisch: "My locker may have wheels on it and my number may have three digits. But I'm not going to shut up. I've got to be myself. I've got to act like an idiot."

The Reds gladly will take Harnisch's antics because they know what kind of pitcher he can be when healthy. Harnisch went 30-17 with a 3.40 ERA for the Reds in 1998 and '99.

He has had shoulder and elbow problems since. But Harnisch is healthy now - a little behind where he'd normally be but throwing pain-free. If Harnisch can regain his arm strength, the Reds have little doubt he can be a factor.

"You look at his past performance," Reds pitching coach Don Gullett said. "This is a guy with experience. He knows how to win."

It has been a long road back for Harnisch.

In 2000, he spent six weeks on the disabled list with shoulder problems. In 2001, his elbow problems began. Harnisch missed all but seven starts and had surgery to remove bone chips and repair a torn flexor tendon.

Harnisch passed on an offer from the Reds in January 2002 and signed a minor-league deal with the Colorado Rockies. But his season ended before it began. He underwent ligament-replacement surgery April22.

To have that happen after rehabbing for almost a year had Harnisch thinking about retirement.

"I did," he said, "but not for long. I just wasn't ready."

Reds medical director Dr. Tim Kremchek said Harnisch is about 85 percent healthy now.

"Our goal is to have him in some aspect of a game early in spring," Kremchek said.

Given all Harnisch has gone through, coming back to Gullett was comforting.

"He knows me as well as anyone," Harnisch said. "I know he's going to be honest with me and I can be honest with him. That's first and foremost. He's going to tell me when I need to back off. I respect him. That was probably the biggest factor (in returning to the Reds)."

Working with Kremchek and trainer Mark Mann, a friend of Harnisch's, was another factor.

"They've had success over here rehabbing these things," Harnisch said. "It's a good spot for me. There's opportunity here."

Harnisch, 36, is in the mix for the Reds' fifth starting spot. There are many candidates for the job: Chris Reitsma, Bruce Chen, Seth Etherton, Jose Acevedo, Jimmy Anderson, Jose Rijo and Luke Hudson. Nobody except Rijo has Harnisch's track record.

"A lot of our young pitchers don't have the experience," Gullett said. "You don't know how they're going to react. With Pete, you know you have a guy who knows what to do."

Harnisch threw five or six sessions in November, then rested his arm and picked things up in January.

"I'm just trying to get ready," Harnisch said. "The sooner, the better. I'll keep pitching until they kick me to curb, then I'll go some place else."

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com