MLBbro legend Barry Larkin is helping to expand the game all over the world and create opportunities for Black players. Baseball United, an upstart pro baseball league, will be the first league focused on the Middle East and Indian subcontinent.
Larkin has wanted to create opportunities for players of color and have them showcase their abilities.
“One of the frustrating things has been the lack of opportunity because of the existing structure that exists in [Major League] Baseball,” Larkin said in an article from andscape.com. “My hope is that all people are encouraged to be involved [in Baseball United]. To be able to pursue a dream is the goal of anyone. And we at Baseball United will be able to provide that opportunity for people from all walks of life.”
Larkin had a memorable career with the Cincinnati Reds and now the Hall of Famer wants to help create memories for professional players.
There are other opportunities in this league as well, that are different from other leagues.
“There’s opportunities to buy into the league,” Larkin said. “There’s opportunities to play and opportunities to coach. There’s a lot of different opportunities for everyone throughout this league and that’s very exciting.”
For Larkin, this all started about 10 years ago when he visited India as a baseball ambassador.
“When I traveled to India for camps, I saw there was a lot of support for baseball in a cricket country,” he said. “There was great participation in some of those camps. There’s so many life skills developed by participating in baseball. This will give us a chance to pass that on.”
Larkin has a wealth of knowledge, and the fact that he continues to stay involved in the game and create meaningful opportunities for others, just speaks to who he is as a person.
There are four teams currently in the league (Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, Abu Dhabi Falcons and Dubai Wolves).
The league will begin with a showcase from Nov. 10-12 at Dubai International Stadium.
One of the teams, the Karachi Monarchs, was named after the Kansas City Monarchs, a team from the Negro Leagues.
“One of the most inspiring parts about the name is that we get to honor one of baseball’s historic franchises,” said Kash Shaikh, lead investor and majority owner of Baseball United. “It gave us the opportunity to talk about the importance of the name and the history and lineage of baseball.”
The Bros Will Be Represented In Baseball United League
A draft will occur, and 64 players will be selected. There will be a good number of Black players on the teams once the draft is completed.
“We’ve got a good group of African American ballplayers that are going to be in our league and that’s exciting to us because the representation of Black players in Major League Baseball is at one of its lowest points in history,” Shaikh said. “And that’s concerning for anybody that loves the game.”
Barry Lakin and fellow Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera will serve on Baseball United’s board of directors and Larkin will also serve as the honorary general manager of the Mumbai team.
And fellow MLBbro legend Ryan Howard will also promote the league in an ambassador role.
This will be an exciting league to follow once they start up next year.
Back in February, Cincinnati, Ohio, councilwoman Victoria Parks wanted to name a local street after a Cincinnati Reds great. And on Monday it all came to fruition as Barry Larkin received a prestigious honor in downtown Cincinnati. The Hall of Famer now has a street named after him.
That’s right, Mehring Way between Joe Nuxhall Way and Broadway will now be known as Barry Larkin Way.
“I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by the city of Cincinnati,” Larkin said in a post on Twitter. “This community and the people of this city mean so much to my family and me. To have a street named after me in my hometown is unreal and I thank everyone who made this happen.”
I’m honored and humbled to be recognized by the city of Cincinnati. This community and the people of this city mean so much to my family and me. To have a street named after me in my hometown is unreal. I thank everyone who made this happen. Go Reds! 🙏❤️⚾️ pic.twitter.com/aEFmxyKsJ8
This is a well-deserved honor for Larkin who gave so much to his hometown during his playing days. There’s no question that Larkin was one of the best ever to play the game of baseball. When you look at his career, there’s nothing you can argue. This former MLBbro helped the Cincinnati Reds win its fifth World Series title in 1990.
Barry Larkin “The Cincinnati Kid” was a force to be reckoned with
It’s not every day when a player gets the opportunity to play for their hometown team. Let alone spend their entire career with that team. Larkin did just that. From 1986 to 2004, Larkin was a member of the Reds and accomplished a lot during that time.
The shortstop had all the tools to be an elite player. Whether he was in the field or at the plate, Larkin dominated in all phases of the game. He finished his career with a .295 batting average, with 198 home runs, 960 RBI, and 379 stolen bases. Not to mention he had a total of 2,340 hits. The 12-time all-star also won nine Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Glove Awards, and was named the National League MVP in 1995.
Street naming speaks to Larkin’s legacy in Cincinnati
Not everyone gets a street named after them. The fact that the city of Cincinnati wanted to name a street after Larkin just speaks volumes to the kind of person he was on and off the diamond.
“Getting the opportunity to live out a dream; meet my idol David Concepción and play with him; play for Pete Rose who I idolized growing up; play with Tony Pérez and many of the greats that went before us — Joe Morgan — and then to be able to come here and win a World Series was absolutely amazing,” Larkin said at the street unveiling.
“Having a street named after you — seriously, in Cincinnati, I don’t know if it gets any more amazing than that,” he said.
Winning awards on the field is one thing, but to receive such an honor like this is something that’ll you’ll remember for a lifetime. Now, when fans are headed to Great American Ball Park to catch a game, they will get a chance to see Barry Larkin Way.
Congratulations to Barry Larkin on the naming of his street, a true Cincinnati legend.
Barry Larkin wanted to be a shortstop ever since he was a kid watching his idol, Ozzie Smith, on television. Growing up in the Cincinnati suburbs, Larkin wanted to play for the legendary Cincinnati Reds, replace Dave Concepcion at short and become the greatest shortstop in Reds history. He accomplished that and then some.
Barry Larkin wanted to be a shortstop ever since he was a kid watching his idol, Ozzie Smith, on television. Growing up in the Cincinnati suburbs, Larkin wanted to play for the legendary Cincinnati Reds and replace Dave Concepcion at short.
He says his dream was to replace Concepcion and then become the greatest shortstop in Reds history.
Via baseballhall.org:
“Born April 28, 1964, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Larkin was an honor student and athletic star at Cincinnati’s Moeller High School and enrolled at the University of Michigan with the idea of playing both baseball and football.
But when legendary UM football coach Bo Schembechler advised Larkin to redshirt his freshman year, Larkin’s path to Cooperstown began.”
June 2, 1985: With the fourth overall pick in the MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds select shortstop Barry Larkin from the University of Michigan. #RedsVault
After college, Larkin played on the 1984 US Olympic Team. When he got to the Reds, he eventually replaced Concepcion.
Larkin also wanted to wear No.1 to honor his idol Ozzie, but the equipment manager told Larkin the number was retired and permanently reserved for Fred Hutchinson.
Larkin had no idea who Hutchinson was, but he asked for No.11 to reinforce how much he admired and idolized “The Wizard of Ozzie”
Barry eventually wrestled the Gold Glove away from Ozzie, won an MVP Award, and had his number retired by the Reds also.
Of the great shortstops, Larkin possibly has the best compilation of skills: He could run as fast as teammate Eric Davis, he possessed the strongest arm among the shortstops of his generation — and only Ozzie was better with the web.
A multi-faceted batter, Larkin concentrated on hitting for average, stealing bases and setting the table. But he was capable of going deep when the situation called for it. He stole 51 bases in 141 games, while winning the NL MVP in 1995, but for some reason was criticized for not driving in enough runs, so he came back the following season and banged all his critics in the head with 33 home run and 36 steals at the age of 32.
The Injury Bug
It’s hard to discuss Larkin without mentioning his injury-riddled history. He was placed on the disabled list fourteen times in his career. He only had 6 seasons where he didn’t spend time on the DL.
Those injuries (legs, thumbs, knee, shoulders, and even his toe), sidelined him for 450 career games. That alone probably cost him another 450-500 hits with his batting prowess. The talent was always evident, but despite his HOF swag, and championship pedigree, he always faced criticism, and was even referred to as “Mr. Glass.”
He had to continuously prove himself and relied on a strong will to overcome setbacks.
Cooperstown Worthy
Larkin was a 12-time All-Star, including his final season when he was still a valuable player. Despite his frequent absence from the lineup, Larkin was always a great teammate and team leader.
He was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012, following a career also garnered him an MVP (1995), World Series Title (1990), three Gold Glove Awards and nine Silver Slugger Awards.
He was simply a stud up the middle and one of the finest examples of MLBbro excellence at the shortstop position.
Mr. Cub is probably the greatest African-American shortstop to grace the MLB diamond. Banks not only set the standard for black shortstops, but he was the first true power-hitting shortstop in MLB. Banks was A-Rod before A-Rod, an icon who changed the game by providing uncanny power at a position previously reserved for slap hitters.
Banks played 19 years for a losing Cubs franchise and was Wrigley Field’s only bright spot for two decades as he clubbed 512 career homers. In his prime from 1957-1960, averaged a .293 batting average, 44 HR, 123 RBI and won back-to-back NL MVP awards in ’58 and ’59.
“El Capitan” is one of the greatest winners MLB has ever seen. He was the Captain and clutch catalyst for a Yankees Dynasty that won five World Series rings between 1996 and 2009 and lived in the postseason.
Jeter, a 14-time All-Star, is the Yankees all-time hits leader with a whopping 3,465. He has a .310 career batting average and has won five Gold Gloves. His stats are Hall of Fame worthy, but don’t begin to tell the story of his marketing and cultural impact as the flawless face of baseball for 20 years. He led the Yankees to the top of the sports landscape by performing at his best in the biggest moments. “Ice in the veins” should be Jeter’s middle name.
He is arguably the greatest postseason hitter of all time, with a career .308 BA, 20 HR, 61 RBI, 18 SB line in 158 postseason games, earning the name “Mr. November.”
3. Barry Larkin
He was a Black Knight in beast mode as the premier National League shortstop of the 1990s. Larkin was a consistent offensive boss and formidable glove for an inconsistent Cincinnati Reds lineup. He was elected to the All-Star team every year from 1988-2000, winning eight Silver Slugger awards during that span.
Larkin, who played every one of his 19 seasons with the Reds, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012, with a .295 career average, 2,340 hits, 1,329 runs scored and 379 stolen bases. Larkin scored at least 80 runs in a season seven times, hit 30-plus doubles in six seasons, and stole 30-or-more bases five times. He won his three Gold Glove awards at shortstop en route to a career fielding percentage of .975 and won nine Silver Slugger awards.
Larkin won a World Series in 1990 and then did something that Jeter couldn’t accomplish when he took home NL MVP honors in 1995.
The Wizard is simply the greatest defensive infielder in MLB history and his 43.4 career defensive WAR is the best by any player at the position. Even with the defensive metrics on smash, his .978 fielding percentage and 13 Gold Gloves support his claim to the title of glove king.
Smith is the kind of once-in-a-lifetime talent that you would never understand based on numbers. He was truly a magician with the glove. He was also a huge personality in the game and understood the essence of entertainment as he began each game with his patented backflip.
Smith had artistry, flair, and athletic superiority that put him in another stratosphere. His fielding was so good that people often dogged him for his hitting, which is not shabby at all. Smith had a .262 career average and 2,460 hits. He’s also among the greatest base stealers of all-time with 580 career swipes.
“J-Roll” is one of the most offensively prolific shortstops the game has ever seen. He has 2,455 hits, which includes 511 doubles (53rd all-time), 115 triples, and 231 home runs. He ranks 103rd in career total bases and 83rd in extra-base hits. He’s also stolen 470 bases, good for 46th in MLB history. His 1,421 runs are good for 86th and 936 RBI from pretty much always being in a table-setting position is pretty solid as well.
He makes the all-time Top 20 in almost every offensive statistic for a shortstop and was the centerpiece of a Phillies team that won two NL pennants and a World Series in 2008. He has four Gold Gloves and four seasons of at least 10 Defensive Runs Saved.
J-Roll was a true soul patroller. His 2007 NL MVP award was the stamp that at some point he was the best at his position. Standing a diminutive 5-foot-7, 175-pounds, Rollins defied the odds and continues to be a living example of skills over scales when it comes to the sport of baseball.
Honorable Mention: Maury Wills
Wills didn’t get his Hall of Fame props from the writers, but he was an MLB pioneer and one of the fastest players in history.
Wills was finally nominated by the Golden Era committee in 2014, which could induct managers, umpires, executives and long-retired players for possible election in 2015, but he fell three votes short.
The barn-burner made a living off of his superior wheels as he stole 586 bases in his career, good for 20th all time.
The lack of respect for his career is indicative of the lost appreciation in the modern game for the stolen base, which was a staple of black excellence in baseball ever since No. 42 broke the color barrier in ’47. In 1960, Wills won the first of six straight National League stolen base crowns.
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