By Kevin Kelly
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Cincinnati Reds feature six home-grown players under 30 (from front): Adam Dunn, Brandon Larson, Austin Kearns, Aaron Boone, Scott Williamson and Jason LaRue. All but Williamson are in the club's regular starting lineup, and Williamson is the closer. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ JEFF SWINGER

Trading for Ken Griffey Jr. (left) in February 2000 and then signing shortstop Barry Larkin to a contract extension a few months later were popular moves at the time for owner Carl Lindner. But the Reds say the cost of signing the two players has affected its ability to add payroll. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ MICHAEL E. KEATING

Katie Moriarty and Mandy Blue of Oakley hold up signs supporting Cincinnati Reds Barry Larkin's three-year deal with the Reds. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ BRANDI STAFFORD

How they were built

That the Reds will have six home-grown starters on the field Opening Day may be extraordinary, but not when compared to the Twins. A model franchise when it comes to building a playoff-caliber team from the farm up, Minnesota could have eight of nine starting positions filled by players it drafted. Here's a look at how the Reds compare to the Twins, the defending World Series champion Angels and the Yankees, who once again have the highest payroll in the majors. Cincinnati Reds 2002 record/finish: 78-84, third National League Central Projected 2003 payroll: $58 million C - Jason LaRue (5th round, 1995) 1B - Sean Casey (Traded from Indians to Reds for P Dave Burba, 1998) 2B - Aaron Boone (3rd round, 1994) SS - Barry Larkin (1st round, 1985) 3B - Brandon Larson (1st round, 1997) LF - Adam Dunn (2nd round, 1998) CF - Ken Griffey Jr. (Traded by Mariners to Reds for P Brett Tomko, OF Mike Cameron, IF Antonio Perez and P Jake Meyer, 2000) RF - Austin Kearns (1st round, 1998) SP - Jimmy Haynes (Free agent, 2002) Anaheim Angels 2002 record/finish: 99-63/second American League West Projected 2003 payroll: $86 million C - Bengie Molina (Non-drafted free agent, 1993) 1B - Scott Spiezio (Free agent, 2000) 2B - Adam Kennedy (Traded by Cardinals with P Kent Bottenfield to Angels for OF Jim Edmonds, 2000) SS - David Eckstein (Waivers, 2000) 3B - Troy Glaus (1st round, 1997) LF - Garret Anderson (4th round, 1990) CF - Darin Erstad (1st round, 1995) RF - Tim Salmon (3rd round, 1989) DH - Brad Fullmer (Traded by Blue Jays to Angels for P Brian Cooper, 2002) SP - John Lackey (2nd round, 1999) Minnesota Twins 2002 record/finish: 94-67, first American League Central Projected 2003 payroll: $55 million C - A.J. Pierzynski (3rd round, 1994) 1B - Doug Mientkiewicz (5th round, 1995 2B - Luis Rivas (Non-drafted free agent, 1995) SS - Cristian Guzman (Traded by Yankees with P Eric Milton, P Danny Mota, OF Brian Buchanan and cash to Twins for 2B Chuck Knoblauch) 3B - Corey Koskie (26th round, 1994) LF - Jacque Jones (2nd round, 1996) CF - Torii Hunter (1st round, 1993) RF - Mike Cuddyer (1st round, 1997) DH - Matt LeCroy (Sandwich, 1997) SP - Brad Radke (8th round, 1991) New York Yankees 2002 record/finish: 103-58, first American League East Projected 2003 payroll: $150 million C - Jorge Posada (24th round, 1990) 1B - Jason Giambi (Free agent, 2001) 2B - Alfonso Soriano (Free agent, 1998) SS - Derek Jeter (1st round, 1992) 3B - Robin Ventura (Traded by Mets to Yankees for OF David Justice, 2001) LF - Hideki Matsui (Free agent, 2002) CF - Bernie Williams (Non-drafted free agent, 1985) RF - Raul Mondesi (Traded by Blue Jays to Yankees for P Scott Wiggins, 2002) DH - Nick Johnson (3rd round, 1996)/Todd Zeile (Free agent, 2002) SP - Roger Clemens (Traded from Blue Jays for P David Wells, P Graeme Lloyd and IF Homer Bush, 1999) - Kevin Kelly

SARASOTA, Fla. — No franchise in baseball knows how to build a winner like the Yankees.

Twenty-six World Series titles and 38 American League pennants are proof.

But while deep pockets have helped, so has a system that values player development.

"The way you build a championship, you build it through your farm system and filter it in with free agents," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman says.

"That's what we've done."

The Reds would like to think they're heading in a similar direction, albeit on a smaller and much less expensive scale.

For as many years that went into turning Great American Ball Park from dream into reality, just as much effort has gone into developing the players that will begin a new season against the Pirates on Monday.

Six of the nine Reds expected to be on the field for the first pitch - catcher Jason LaRue, second baseman Aaron Boone, shortstop Barry Larkin, third baseman Brandon Larson, left fielder Adam Dunn and right fielder Austin Kearns - were drafted by the Reds and developed over the years. So was closer Scott Williamson.

As recently as 1998, Cincinnati had only two home-grown players in its Opening Day lineup.

"We're very pleased with where we've come from, and certainly where we are," Reds chief operating officer John Allen says.

"It's nice to see our plan working, see our goals and objectives come together."

Excluding the veteran Larkin, the six other prized talents are 30 years old or younger. And because the organization has had them since draft day, all come at a reasonable cost when compared with what they could command on the open market.

"(Center fielder) Ken Griffey Jr. is making big dollars, but you've got two guys on each side in Kearns and Dunn that play like $10-million outfielders," Allen says.

"But because of the way the system works, they're certainly not making those kinds of dollars yet. We think they're superstars, and at some point, they'll get the superstar-type salaries."

Though many concerns will carry over from the old ballpark - namely ownership's commitment to spend the money necessary to help get the Reds back to the World Series - team officials believe the organization is slowly righting itself with a refocused approach.

Philosophical change

It is well documented that the Reds' farm system suffered from mismanagement and neglect during Marge Schott's reign as CEO from the mid-1980s through the early 1990s.

Experienced and highly respected scouts fled the organization. Mediocre drafts were the norm. The club had little to no presence in talent-rich Latin America.

"You can't put enough resources toward player development. Absolutely not," says general manager Jim Bowden, who was hired as an administrative assistant for scouting and player development in 1990, became GM in 1992 and is now the second-longest tenured GM in the majors.

"Obviously the more dollars you have, the better chance you have to succeed. But then the more money you invest the better chance you have of getting a good return on your money."

One of Allen's first actions when hired as managing executive in August 1996 was to brainstorm with Bowden. They devised a plan to restructure baseball's oldest franchise both financially and from a player development standpoint.

There is a correlation between the two, particularly for a small-market club that has had to build through drafts and trades involving younger players to field a competitive team.

"There was no way this organization could continually go out and bring in these high-priced free agents," Allen says.

Implementing the idea

On average, Major League teams allocate $8 million to $10 million of their annual budget to player development.

The Reds doubled their player development budget in the first five years Allen was around.

"We were probably 28th or 30th in baseball," Bowden says. "Now we're certainly competitive. We're somewhere in the middle.

"But it's not just dollars spent, it's also a philosophy."

What signaled the beginning of this philosophical shift was a July 1997 trade with Cleveland.

Cincinnati swapped veteran pitcher John Smiley and infielder Jeff Branson for pitchers Danny Graves, Jim Crowell and Scott Winchester and infielder Damian Jackson.

Only Graves, who was turned into a starter late last season, remains with the organization. The transaction saved the Reds a reported $3.57 million at the time.

"That started the whole program of getting some young guys and stockpiling talent in the farm system," Allen says.

Meanwhile, the club was reconditioning its player development department.

Where the Reds had 44 employees in the department in 1996, they now have more than 70.

"You can always have more instructors. You can always have more scouts out there. You can probably do a lot of different things," says Tim Naehring, director of player development.

"But with the commitment that ownership and John Allen and Jim Bowden have made to the minor leagues, we've got plenty to work with. ... I think we're heading in the right direction and it's pretty easy to see."

Hired in October 2000, Naehring has stressed the need for structure and respect for the game.

"I think a strong farm system starts to teach winning, and not only to the prospects," Naehring says. "The whole organization starts to win and it feeds upon itself.

"I think that's pretty easy to see. Some of the impact type guys are in the big leagues right now and the guys that are right at the doorstep."

Expanding horizons

With more resources focused on the nourishment of the farm system, the Reds also placed greater emphasis on scouting, cross-checking and drafting.

"We've always prided ourselves in hiring the best scouts possible and maintaining those scouts," Bowden says, referring to men like Gene Bennett, Larry Barton, Al Goldis, Jimmy Gonzales and Johnny Almaraz.

"When you get top evaluators like that, the key is not only to have them but sign them and don't let them walk like we used to in the 1980s and early 1990s."

Once one of the worst teams in terms of minor-league talent, the Reds were listed by Baseball America, in the middle of the pack last season.

That improvement is due to the additional resources, but also because of an expansion into Latin America, where players are affordable and can be signed when as young as 16 years old.

Seven years ago, Cincinnati had 16 players total from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Jamaica in its organization.

Today, there are 81 Reds minor leaguers alone who were born in Latin American countries. They hail not only from the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, but also from Brazil, Panama, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

"Scouting is the base of all productivity," says Almaraz, special assistant to Bowden and senior adviser in player development.

"It all starts with scouts evaluating players that have ability, that we determine are prospects, and infusing them into the minor-league system. It's got to be year after year. It's got to be everywhere baseball is played."

Almaraz, who was promoted from assistant director of scouting to his current position last June, was instrumental in starting a baseball academy in Venezuela.

Pitcher Jose Rijo also started an academy in the Dominican Republic.

"I think whenever you're not infusing a talent pool of players like the ones coming out of Latin America, you're creating less value in your organization," Almaraz says.

"By doing it you create value that the general manager can use in trades. Some of our Latin players have extremely high value if we needed that."

Not just the farm

Now in the final year of his contract, Bowden has a reputation as a creative baseball man able to do much with little.

A stronger farm system has lent him flexibility as a dealmaker.

First baseman Sean Casey, shortstop of the future Felipe Lopez and Graves were all young, inexpensive players acquired when Cincinnati traded away veterans.

Casey and Graves since have signed considerable contracts.

Other players, like pitchers Jimmy Haynes and Steve Parris and outfielder Kevin Mitchell were castoffs from other organizations that paid off.

"Besides the draft, we had to take the young players because that's how you're going to succeed in a small market," Bowden says.

What others are doing

Perennial contenders, the Yankees value a strong a farm system as much as the Reds and low-budget Twins do.

New York, which will have a $150 million payroll this season, drafted starters Derek Jeter, catcher Jorge Posada and closer Mariano Rivera.

"The Reds, there's no doubt, they're using the same approach," Cashman says. "They've certainly got a recipe."

Teams like the Twins, who will boast nine home-grown opening day starters, the Athletics and Blue Jays are more similar to the Reds financially and philosophically.

But even the Blue Jays have had to cut back.

"I don't think more scouts produce more players," says Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi. "I think good scouts produce good players. That's what we're trying to get.

"If you get a major-league player out of it, it's priceless."

The value of a new ballpark

Unless the Reds are in a pennant race late in the season, don't expect ownership to break the bank with trades.

If the Reds are in contention for a division title, it's possible they would make a move or two.

"It's going to have to depend on the situation," Allen says. "I would think we're in a better position now than we were in past seasons. We should be able to do something if needed, if we're in that type of position."

The price of doing business continues to increase.

Cincinnati received $9 million in revenue sharing last season, but project a payment of up to $5 million this year because of the increased revenue from their new ballpark.

Owner Carl Lindner, whose philanthropic endeavors are evident throughout Cincinnati, approved an increase in payroll of up to $15 million for this season.

But the estimated $58 million total will only increase as the years progress and the young players become arbitration eligible, then free agents after six years.

All but Boone will make less than $2 million this season.

"If they can keep us all together, it would be really special," Larson says. "But it's so hard nowadays. ...You kind of have to enjoy it now because you know that one day your buddy might be gone."

Looking back at our 'look ahead' In 1999, the Enquirer looked ahead to the lineup we thought the Reds might have when they opened Great American Ball Park. Here's the 1999 projection and the actual 2003 starting lineup: Position 1999 projectee 2003 starter Comment C Jason LaRue Jason LaRue One of best throwers in majors 1B Sean Casey Sean Casey Seeks to rebound from shoulder surgery 2B Antonio Perez Aaron Boone Perez is with Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3B Aaron Boone Brandon Larson If Larson stays healthy, he'll hit SS Pokey Reese Barry Larkin Even at 39, Larkin can out-hit Pirates' Reese LF Dmitri Young Adam Dunn Comedic Young keeps Tigers' clubhouse loose CF Mike Cameron Ken Griffey Jr. Cameron's a mainstay in Seattle RF Austin Kearns Austin Kearns In '99, Kearns was in "A" ball (Rockford) No. 1 starter  Brett Tomko Jimmy Haynes Tomko No. 3 in St. Louis Closer Scott Williamson Scott Williamson Will his "slingshot" arm hold up?