By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Barry Larkin photo gallery

The Reds have been trying to find Barry Larkin's replacement since they selected Pokey Reese in the first round of the 1991 draft.

Reese, of course, turned out not to be Larkin's successor. Neither did Gookie Dawkins, a second-round pick in 1997. Neither did David Espinosa, a first-rounder in 2000.

The jury's still out on Felipe Lopez, a first-rounder in 1998 who came to the Reds via trade.

Whoever is the Opening Day shortstop in 2004 isn't likely to begin a 17-year run at starting shortstop as Larkin did in 1987.

The Reds haven't come close to finding a player with the mix of offensive and defensive skills Larkin has. Larkin won three Gold Gloves and nine Silver Slugger awards in his career.

Ray Olmedo and Juan Castro are the leading candidates. They've shared the shortstop position since Larkin sprained a tendon in his left ring finger Aug. 22.

Neither Olmedo nor Castro was ready to declare himself the shortstop of the future. That the shortstop of the past 18 years was still a Red - for six more days at least - made it difficult to discuss replacing him.

"I don't want him to go," Castro said. "He's been very special to me. He's one of those people who help the others on the team so much.

"He's been a good leader. I hope they change their mind and he's back."

Olmedo felt the same way.

"Barry Larkin is everything in Cincinnati," Olmedo said. "It's really sad. He's the best guy. He's helped me - he's helped everyone."

Castro is 31 years old. He has seven years in the majors - all as a utility player. His defense is on par with Larkin's. But Castro came into this year with a .230 average as a Red.

This has been his best year offensively. He went into Tuesday hitting .254 with nine home runs and 33 RBI - all career highs.

Olmedo is only 22. He was rushed to the majors because of injuries and Lopez's early failure, and he has held his own. He entered Tuesday hitting .250 with 15 RBI in 208 at-bats. Olmedo is good fundamentally for a young player, and his youth is an upside.

Lopez, 23, also could play his way into the mix. First, he'll have to recover from a severe ankle injury suffered in July at Triple-A.

There is no immediate help in the minors. The best prospect is 20-year-old Hector Tiburcio. He hit .229 with 22 RBI and 22 steals at Single-A Dayton.

"He's a leadoff guy," Reds director of player development Tim Naehring said. "Very fast, flashy fielder. But he's a couple years away."

The Reds could try adding a good fielding veteran to the middle infield mix. Two possibilities: Reese, who probably will become a free agent when Pittsburgh doesn't exercise the option it has with him, and San Francisco's Neifi Perez, who is a free agent after the season.

As for the shortstop of the future, the Reds are no closer to answering that than they were when they drafted Reese 12 years ago.

Long line of 'successors'

Pokey Reese, first-round draft pick in 1991: Traded to Colorado in December 2001. Subsequently signed with Pittsburgh. Reese had one good year with the Reds, hitting .285 and winning a Gold Glove in 1999. That pushed his price too high for the Reds. Continues to carry the good-glove, no-hit label.

Gookie Dawkins, second-round draft pick in 1997: Traded to Los Angeles during spring training. Later signed with Kansas City. Spent the year in the minors. A lot like Reese, except Dawkins never hit enough to stay in the majors.

David Espinosa, first-round pick in 2000: Traded to the Detroit Tigers in the Brian Moehler deal. The Reds ended up dumping his salary because he signed a big-league contract after being drafted. Spent the year in Single-A. Hit .271 with four homers and 46 RBI in 91 games.

Ray Olmedo, free agent signed out of Venezuela: Slick fielder, tireless worker. The Reds are hoping he develops into an Omar Vizquel type. Developing as a hitter. This is only his third year as a switch hitter.

Felipe Lopez, obtained from Toronto in December 2002: A former first-round pick (eighth overall), Lopez has been consistently inconsistent on the big-league level. Has hit .232 over 650 big-league at-bats. Led the NL in errors when he was playing regularly this year. He is also coming off a serious ankle injury.