By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

At age 39, with nagging injuries piling up and his body showing the accumulated wear of 16 major-league seasons, Barry Larkin has asked himself the same question local talk show callers are asking: Is it time to retire? So far, his answer has been an unequivocal no.

"There's been plenty of times when I've asked myself that question," Larkin said. "The day that I say that I don't want to go through the rehab, that's the day I will not play anymore. I haven't gotten there yet."

Larkin was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday for the second time this season. He was replaced on the roster by infielder Ryan Freel, who was recalled from Triple-A Louisville.

The last time, Larkin was disabled because of a strained left calf muscle. This time it's a strained right calf muscle.

Those are the kind of nagging injuries that plague a player who's getting along in years, and the kind Larkin was warned about years ago by Ken Griffey Sr., a special consultant to Reds general manager Jim Bowden, when he was in the twilight of his playing career.

"He told me, 'You're going to get old one day and all these small, little things, that's what catches up to you,' " Larkin said. "That's what I'm going through."

Griffey remembers the conversation well.

"When they're young, they don't believe it," Griffey said. "At the time, he was 25 or 26. They gave me a walker and they gave me some tees that said, 'Over the hill.' I asked him last night, 'Do you want to borrow the walker? I've still got it.' "

Larkin met with Reds manager Bob Boone and Bowden on Thursday afternoon, and all three agreed the best course of action would be for Larkin to go on the disabled list and attempt to get healthy for the long haul rather than stay active, pinch hit occasionally and risk having the strained muscle torn.

"It's a real tough decision," Boone said. "Will it take two days, five days or three weeks? There's no way of telling."

Larkin, who said he wasn't 100 percent when he returned from the disabled list May 5, said he understands that Boone can't afford to fill a roster spot with a player who's not totally healthy. And Boone still believes Larkin can make a significant contribution to this team when he's 100 percent, even as a 39-year-old.

"If Barry wants to play into the future, he has to show the world that he can still play," Boone said. "And he can't do that playing on one good leg."

Larkin definitely wants to continue playing, and he wants to do it in Cincinnati, where he has played his entire career. But he knows he no longer can play every day and that Felipe Lopez is the Reds' shortstop of the future.

"I think this just points out the obvious," Larkin said, "that I'm not going to be out there playing every day. The truth be told, I didn't expect to be doing that after this year anyway.

"I'm handing the reins over to Felipe. He's definitely toting the ropes, and that's cool. I'm comfortable with what's happening. There's no problem with what's going on."

The frustrating thing, he said, is he knows he can still hit and field a ground ball, but he can't do either very effectively with a pulled calf muscle.

"I've said it before," Boone said. "I think Barry Larkin can hit as long as he wants to. I think hitting is the last thing to go. I don't think this says that he's done."

Obviously, neither does Larkin, but he knows the end is near. Griffey, who has been through it himself, feels for him.

"It's a tough decision," Griffey said. "Your mind says, 'I can still play,' but your body says, 'Oh yeah?' "

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com