Joe Posnanski on Larkin

[westofyou]

"First Ballot" is kind of a silly distinction. Either a player belongs in the HOF or he doesn't. I can understand how it can take a few extra years to fully appreciate the careers of some players, but for writers to withhold votes for the sole purpose of keeping certain players out of the "First Ballot" club is childish.

Unrealistic too. here's the list, often who else is up for the vote factors in the first ballot guys induction too. That said I think saying a guy has to be first ballot to get attention for their great career is missing the forest for the trees.

Bob Feller
	1962

Jackie Robinson
	1962

Ted Williams
	1966

Stan Musial
	1969

Sandy Koufax
	1972

Warren Spahn
	1973

Mickey Mantle
	1974

Ernie Banks
	1977

Willie Mays
	1979

Al Kaline
	1980

Bob Gibson
	1981

Hank Aaron  
	1982

Frank Robinson
	1982

Brooks Robinson
	1983

Lou Brock
	1985

Willie McCovey
	1986

Willie Stargell
	1988

Johnny Bench
	1989

Carl Yastrzemski
	1989

Joe Morgan
	1990

Jim Palmer
	1990

Rod Carew
	1991

Tom Seaver
	1992

Reggie Jackson
	1993

Steve Carlton
	1994

Mike Schmidt
	1995

George Brett
	1999

Nolan Ryan
	1999

Robin Yount
	1999

Kirby Puckett
	2001

Dave Winfield
	2001

Ozzie Smith
	2002

Eddie Murray
	2003

Dennis Eckersley
	2004

Paul Molitor
	2004

Wade Boggs
	2005


Tony Gwynn
	2007


Cal Ripken, Jr.
	2007

[Caveat Emperor]

Caveat, love your passion for the 1990 Reds......a very exciting season.....but they weren't even the best team in baseball in 1990.

If you are too young to have watched the BRM, that is a shame.....because not only were they the best team for years, they won a ton of the time. They set some records, and blew away the rest of the league.

Larkin was a nice player, even a great player, but I am not sure you should put him in the same sentence with FIRST ballot HOF'ers.

They might not have been the "best" team in baseball, but they sure as heck were the last ones standing when it was all said and done. They swept the World Series and brought the last major sports title to Cincinnati of any kind.

You're right, I am too young to have watched the BRM -- but I don't consider myself a "kid" anymore at age 26. There is an entire generation of Reds fans that never saw the BRM. To us, the pinnacle of Reds baseball that we have witnessed is the 1990 Reds: guys like Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, Jose Rijo, Tom Browning, and the Nasty Boys down in the bullpen. That's OUR Red Machine.

I can certainly appreciate and respect everything the BRM did and the accomplishments they made. They deserve every honor they receive, but at the same time it bothers me that everyone rhapsodizes about the BRM days while other guys like Larkin and Davis aren't even associated with the franchise anymore. That's not right.

History is a symphony. You should appreciate the whole work and not just the particular movement you happen to enjoy the most or think is the best.

[Mario-Rijo]

Some interesting comments here to say the least, I'll add a few of my own.

To OBM: I disagree I think his signature play was going to his right in the hole and coming up with what's now been dubbed "The Jeter Jump". The big difference was Larkin was further in the hole than Jeter or had further to go to get there at times. But at any rate when you make as many plays as did BL you have many signature plays.

To Red-In-LA: I disagree, The Reds were the best team in 1990. Oakland and Pittsburgh both were flawed teams and we tore them both a new one. It's a lot like this Reds team, on paper we should be better and times we are but we have major flaws and other teams take advantage of them to get the win the majority of the time. I have no idea how a team that stayed in 1st place from start to finish cannot be the best.

To anyone who feels Larkin was anything but a class act: I really don't even know what to say to you. Even the classiest are prone to mistakes which Larkin had 1 or 2 so how that makes him less than classy IDK.

To those who think Larkin is crapped on by any segment of the fan base: I know there are a few who will criticize for any reason but I have never seen any sizable segment of fans rag on Larkin so I am surprised to hear that.

For everyone: I heard an interview Larkin did with someone a year or so ago (Reds live or something maybe) where he said he wanted to eventually get into coaching, he doesn't feel his niche is in the FO for whatever reason. Seemed to me he just doesn't have a passion for FO work.

[GAC]

To Red-In-LA: I disagree, The Reds were the best team in 1990. Oakland and Pittsburgh both were flawed teams and we tore them both a new one. It's a lot like this Reds team, on paper we should be better and times we are but we have major flaws and other teams take advantage of them to get the win the majority of the time. I have no idea how a team that stayed in 1st place from start to finish cannot be the best.

The '90 team is very under appreciated (overlooked) IMO. Even during the course of the '90 season they weren't given any respect by most in MLB. The "critics" were all waiting for the fall to come. There was no way they were going to get past Leyland's killer B tandem of Bonds and Bonilla. And when they did, they certainly were going to be brought back to earth when facing the highly regarded As, powered by the likes of McGwire, Canseco, and a rotation anchored by Stewart, Welch, and Eckersley.

David brought down Goliath once again.

The '90 Reds are Robbie. And the BRM is Raymond. And (in my baritone voice).... Everybody loves Raymond.

For everyone: I heard an interview Larkin did with someone a year or so ago (Reds live or something maybe) where he said he wanted to eventually get into coaching, he doesn't feel his niche is in the FO for whatever reason. Seemed to me he just doesn't have a passion for FO work.

I don't think he is FO material either. What experience does ANY ML player have that merits them to jump from the field to the FO? And I have always laughed when I heard a former ML player gets a title of "special consultant" to the GM.

If coaching is the direction Barry wants to take, then let earn his dues in coaching somewhere in our minor league system and go from there. More power to it.

[Phhhl]

The 1990 Reds are underrated. They probably were the best team in baseball that year. Great defensively, incredible bullpen, solid starting pitching, fast and smart on the bases, power evenly distributed throughout the lineup. I remember Joe Morgan predicting pretty much what happened before that series started, and the ESPN panel he was on thought he was nuts. With the possible exception of the bullpen, there wasn't any single area of the team that the club could be identified as the best team in the league. But, they were at least in the top half of just about everything. I have seen the Big Red Machine and the 90 Reds, and there is no question that the Reds of the mid-70's was greater. But, THAT was a historically great team. But, few teams since there were as perfectly constructed and as balanced as the 1990 Reds.

And, Barry Larkin was a major part of that team. It should serve him well when he is due for induction to the Hall of Fame.

[RedsManRick]

For everyone: I heard an interview Larkin did with someone a year or so ago (Reds live or something maybe) where he said he wanted to eventually get into coaching, he doesn't feel his niche is in the FO for whatever reason. Seemed to me he just doesn't have a passion for FO work.

I think Larkin could make a great coach. Seems to get along with just about everybody, he's fluent in Spanish, and always been a leader. Start him out as a fielding instructor and bench coach and go from there. But definitely get him in the dugout. I want him in Brandon Phillips and EE's ear every single day.

[mth123]

For everyone: I heard an interview Larkin did with someone a year or so ago (Reds live or something maybe) where he said he wanted to eventually get into coaching, he doesn't feel his niche is in the FO for whatever reason. Seemed to me he just doesn't have a passion for FO work.

Funny. I remember an interview that said the exact opposite. Larkin said he liked the idea of moving into a front office position and didn't want to deal with the travel (and low pay) that an on field coaching position requires. I seem to remember him saying he was interested in being a GM some day.

[RedsManRick]

Funny. I remember an interview that said the exact opposite. Larkin said he liked the idea of moving into a front office position and didn't want to deal with the travel (and low pay) that an on field coaching position requires. I seem to remember him saying he was interested in being a GM some day.

Maybe a few years of wearing a suit changed his mind?