By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

SARASOTA, Fla. - Infield practice is about to begin. Standing beside first base, Sean Casey raises his arms so as to stretch his shoulder muscles.

There is no pain, no cringe, no need anymore to hold a breath and hope for the best.

"Physically, I feel great," the Reds first baseman said Saturday.

More than four months after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum, rotator cuff and inflammation of the bursa in his left shoulder, Casey is scheduled to make his spring training game debut today against the Pirates.

"It's a big day just because I've been looking forward to playing again," the 28-year-old said.

"It's been so long. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the lineup and getting after it again . . . healthy."

It was about this time last year when the shoulder began to throb, announcing its presence each time Casey swung the bat.

"It never really got unbearable," he said. "It was just always there."

Three rounds of cortisone shots and rest alleviated the discomfort but couldn't keep him off the disabled list from July 23 to Aug. 9.

Several exams and a series of MRIs couldn't pinpoint the problem.

Still, he wanted to remain in the lineup.

"I think we knew it was bothering him, but he's a gamer and wanted to be out there," second baseman Aaron Boone said. "He felt like he could still compete. To his credit, he kept going out there."

One of the Reds' most consistent offensive performers in recent years - he hit a combined .319 with 115 doubles, 58 homers and 273 RBI from 1999-2001 - Casey labored to extend his arms when swinging.

"I think everyone in here plays with some sort of pain during the year," Casey said. "There's a difference between being hurt and injured. I think that was a key."

He was hitting .261 with six homers and 42 RBI when he decided to go ahead and have surgery Sept. 12.

"You think that maybe tomorrow it will be better," Casey said. "I got the cortisone shots for a week and it would just feel great. I thought maybe it would just continue like that, but it didn't."

Physically he feels fine now. It's spring training as usual.

The Reds do plan to monitor Casey's well-being and progress.

"We're going to see how he feels and go from there," manager Bob Boone said.

If everything goes well and there are no hiccups, Casey hopes to return to past form.

"The goal for me is just to stay healthy," he said. "That's the biggest key. I think if I'm able to stay healthy then I think the numbers will take care of themselves."

Teammates agree.

"We're glad they did find out what the heck was wrong and fixed it," Aaron Boone said. "We're looking forward to getting back the Sean we've come to know as a hitter in this league."

Casey by the numbers

Year	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	Avg
1998	302	44	82	21	1	7	52	.272
1999	594	103	197	42	3	25	99	.332
2000	480	69	151	33	2	20	85	.315
2001	533	69	165	40	0	13	89	.310
2002	425	56	111	25	0	6	42	.261
Reds Totals	2334	341	706	161	6	71	367	.302