CINCINNATI- With fan favorite shortstop Barry Larkin turning 40 this month the Reds have begun to think about a replacement.
"Its been a great career. I still remember breaking into the majors. There was so much excitement. I still get that feeling with the start of each season, but at my age, I might not start to many more seasons," said Larkin.
Ever since the Reds resigned Larkin to a 1 year contract during the offseason it has been speculated that he would retire at the end of this season. "My body is the only thing that knows when I will retire. As long as I can physically compete you will still see me in a Reds uniform. So you guys can cancell all those retirement parties, at least for a little bit. I want to play next year too," said Larkin.
Despite Larkin's will to play, the Reds are looking for a young replacement. "Felipe [Lopez], our current backup at shortstop, may not be the guy we need. Then again, he might be. We hope to aquire a fast contact hitting shortstop either through trading or the draft. Who knows, we might even find someone in our farm system," said new Reds manager and general manager Nafsder2003.
Larkin is expected to play at least 130 games this season, but the Reds want to make sure Lopez gets some playing time. |
