Barry Louis Larkin (born April 28, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player. He played shortstop for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2004.
He briefly played in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut in 1986. He quickly won the starting shortstop role for the Reds and enjoyed a long run of strong seasons with the team. Larkin struggled with a string of injuries between 1997 and 2003, limiting his playing time in several seasons.
Larkin retired after the 2004 season and worked in a front-office position for the Washington Nationals for several years until he joined ESPN as a baseball analyst. He served as a coach for the American team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and managed the Brazilian national team for the same event in 2013.
Larkin is considered one of the top players of his era, winning nine Silver Slugger awards, three Gold Glove awards, and the 1995 National League Most Valuable Player Award. He was selected to the Major League All-Star Game twelve times, and was one of the pivotal players on the 1990 Reds’ World Series championship team. Larkin was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in January 2012 and was inducted on July 22, 2012.
Barry Larkin Net Worth is $40 Million
Net Worth: $40 Million
Date of Birth: Apr 28, 1964 (59 years old)
Place of Birth: Cincinnati
Gender: Male
Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)
Profession: Baseball player
Nationality: United States of America
What is Barry Larkin’s Net Worth?
Barry Larkin is a former professional baseball player who has a net worth of $40 million. Shane Larkin played in the MLB for the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004. During his career Barry Larkin earned just under $80 million in salary alone. Regarded as one of the best players of his era and one of the greatest shortstops of all time, he won nine Silver Slugger Awards and three Gold Glove Awards, and helped the Reds win the 1990 World Series. After retiring from playing, Larkin worked in the front office of the Washington Nationals and later became a baseball analyst for ESPN.
Early life and education
Born and raised in the Cincinnati suburb of Silverton, Ohio, and raised Catholic, Larkin attended Archbishop Moeller High School. Larkin accepted a football scholarship to the University of Michigan to play for coach Bo Schembechler, but during his freshman year, he decided to play baseball exclusively. He was a two-time All-American and led the Wolverines to berths in two College World Series, in 1983 and 1984 (the last time until 2019). Larkin was also named Big Ten Player of the Year in 1984 and 1985. Larkin’s number 16 was retired by the school on May 1, 2010. Baseball at the 1984 Summer Olympics saw Larkin playing for the United States team.
Minor league career
Barry Larkin played with the Vermont Reds on their team that won the 1985 Eastern League Championship and in 1986 was the Rookie of the Year and AAA Player of the Year with the Denver Zephyrs. In all, he played only 177 minor league games in his professional career
Cincinnati Reds, 1986-1996
Larkin was called up to the Cincinnati Reds in 1986. He quickly won the starting shortstop position after a battle with fellow prospect Kurt Stillwell. Larkin had his breakout year in 1988 when he led all major league players by striking out a mere 24 times in 588 at-bats. He also won his first of nine Silver Slugger Awards. Two years later, Larkin helped lead the Reds to the 1990 World Series, where he batted .353 to contribute to the team’s four-game sweep of the Oakland Athletics. Larkin had another big accomplishment the following year when he became the first shortstop ever to hit five home runs across two consecutive games.
Although he contemplated retiring upon the expiration of his contract in 1992, Larkin was encouraged to stay when the Reds acquired pitchers Greg Swindell and Tim Belcher. Subsequently, he signed a five-year, $25.6 million contract with the team. He went on to win his fifth consecutive Silver Slugger Award, and in 1993 won the Roberto Clemente Award. In 1994, Larkin claimed his first of three consecutive Gold Glove Awards. He had one of his best years in 1995, becoming the first shortstop to win the National League’s MVP Award since Maury Wills in 1962. Larkin helped lead the Reds to the National League Central title and then to the NLCS, where the team fell to the Atlanta Braves. He continued his success in 1996 by hitting a career-high 33 home runs and stealing 36 bases.
Personal life
Larkin’s brother, Stephen Larkin, was also a professional baseball player; he made it to the major leagues for one game with the Reds. Another brother, Byron Larkin, was a second-team All-American basketball player at Xavier University and is the color commentator on Xavier basketball radio broadcasts. Larkin’s eldest brother, Mike, was a captain of the University of Notre Dame‘s football team in 1985. They were all raised Catholic.
Larkin and his wife Lisa have two daughters, Brielle D’Shea and Cymber, and a son, Shane. The family lives in Orlando, Florida. Shane played two seasons at the University of Miami before declaring himself eligible for the 2013 NBA draft. Shane was subsequently traded to the Dallas Mavericks and made his NBA debut in November 2013. Shane started as a guard for the Boston Celtics in 2017. Larkin’s daughters play lacrosse. Brielle D’Shea is named in honor of Shea Stadium, as Larkin enjoyed playing there
Cincinnati Reds, 1997-2004
For the 1997 season, Larkin was named the Reds’ captain. However, that season marked the beginning of his steady career decline, as he started dealing with a series of injuries that would plague him during his final years in the MLB. Due to calf and Achilles tendon injuries, he missed 55 games in 1997, and in 1998 missed most of the season after undergoing neck surgery. In 1999, Larkin was almost traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers; the year after that, he blocked a trade to the New York Mets and missed 59 season games due to finger and knee injuries. Larkin’s 2001 season was ended early due to hernia surgery. Although he didn’t miss any games in 2002, he was hobbled by injuries to his ribs, shoulder, hamstring, neck, and toe, and batted his lowest average (.245) since his first full year in the MLB.
Real Estate
Barry and Lisa’s primary residence since 1990s has been an opulent custom-built 14,500 square-foot mansion in Orlando. They listed the home for sale in 2012 for $10.9 million. In September 2018 it was listed for $5.9 million. In September 2019 the price was reduced to $5.4 million. It ultimately sold in December 2019 for $4.6 million. Here is a video tour of Barry and Lisa Larkin’s former Orlando mansion:
