By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Barry Larkin leaps into the air as the Cincinnati Reds win the 1990 World Series in a four-game sweep of the Oakland A's. The Cincinnati Enquirer file/MICHAEL E. KEATING

M O R E   I N F O R M A T I O N Barry Larkin Position: SS Age: 39 Height: 6-0 Weight: 185 Bats: R Throws: R Acquired: Was selected by the Reds in the first round (fourth overall) of the June 1985 draft. Was signed by Gene Bennett. Outlook: The senior Red has the longest tenure with one club of any major-league player - this will be his 19th season. He is 14th on the all-time list of games played at shortstop with an even 2,000 but won't catch his childhood hero, Davey Concepcion, who is sixth with 2,178. Larkin was on the disabled list three times last season and was limited to 70 games. He did hit .282, his highest average since 2000. Larkin through the years 1986: Made his major-league debut Aug. 13 with a pinch-hit RBI. His first hit was off San Diego's Dave Dravecky on Aug. 15. 1989: Batted .340 during the first half, third in the NL, before an injury during the All-Star Game sidelined him most of the rest of the year. 1990: Batted .564 during the Reds' season-opening nine-game win streak as the club led the NL West from start to finish and went on to sweep Oakland in the World Series. 1991: Hit 20 homers, tying Leo Cardenas (1966) for the club record by a shortstop. 1992: Led NL shortstops in RBI for the third consecutive season. 1993: Recorded the 1,000th hit of his career June 18 off the Dodgers' Jim Gott. 1995: Batted .319 with 15 homers, 66 RBI and 51 stolen bases in winning the National League MVP award and leading the club to the NL Central crown. 1996: Hit 33 homers and stole 36 bases, becoming the first 30-30 shortstop in major-league history. 1998: Led NL shortstops with a .309 BA, 17 homers and 72 RBI. 1999: Scored the 1,000th run of his career June 25 at Houston. 2000: Batted .300 for the ninth time in his career. 2001: Hit first grand slam of his career April 20 off the Mets' Al Leiter.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Barry Larkin has not been filled with nostalgia for Opening Day this spring, even though Monday's opener against the Chicago Cubs is likely his last as a player.

"No, really, I don't see a finality to it, because I don't see not being around the players," Larkin said. "I won't be getting the butterflies as a player. But I feel like I'm still going to be around."

The plan is for Larkin to retire at season's end and stay with the club in some capacity, although he still keeps open the possibility of playing again, if this season goes exceedingly well.

"But I expect this will be the last one," said Larkin, who debuted with the Reds in August 1986.

Larkin, who turns 40 on April 28, has started 16 openers in his Reds career. (He missed the 1998 opener after surgery to repair a protruding disk in his neck.)

So this Opening Day start will be Larkin's 17th. That ties Pete Rose for the franchise record.

When Larkin takes the field, it will begin his 19th season as a Red. That ties his boyhood hero, Dave Concepcion, for the most seasons played exclusively with the Reds.

"That's the amazing thing," Reds manager Dave Miley said. "He's been in the same uniform all those years. That says a lot. It's tough to do in this era."

Miley and Larkin were teammates for a year at Triple-A Denver in 1986. That was Miley's last year as a player.

"I remember it seemed like everything he hit was a triple," Miley said. "You could see the talent."

Larkin's first Opening Day was 1987. He homered - a two-run shot - in the nine-run fourth inning. The biggest inning in Opening Day history lifted the Reds to an 11-5 win over Montreal.

The memory of the game has faded for Larkin. Mention the homer and Larkin says: "Did I? I don't remember that at all."

Larkin does, however, have a phantom memory of a line drive Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero hit on a snowy Opening Day.

"He hit me with a knuckleball," Larkin said. "I didn't think I'd have feeling in my arm for the rest of my life."

Thing is, Guerrero never played in an opener in Cincinnati.

It's hard to keep the years and openers straight when you've played as long as Larkin.

Larkin has played well on Opening Days. He has hit .310 in 58 at-bats with two home runs and six RBI. The Reds are 9-7-1 in Larkin's openers.

"I remember some big wins," he said.

For the players, Opening Day is about baseball. It's a chance to start fresh after a long spring training. It's when biological clocks scream: "Play ball!"

"We're not involved in any of the hoopla that goes on," Larkin said. "We get there and there's more media, but I think we're excited because it's Opening Day. You anticipate playing so much."

The playing is what Larkin will miss.

"I'll probably miss going out there and performing and putting on a show for the fans," he said.

"There comes a time in life to move on."

If this is his last opener, shed no tears for Larkin.

"I'm not really sad about it," he said. "I haven't thought much about it beyond, 'It's another Opening Day.' "

E-mail jfay@enquirer.com