The 2003 season was supposed to mark the beginning of a new era for the Cincinnati Reds. After 32 years of calling Riverfront Stadium/Cinergy Field their home, fans said goodbye to a ballpark that produced memories of one of the greatest baseball dynasties of all-time, the 1970's Big Red Machine, and a 1990 Reds club that swept the powerful and mighty Oakland A's in the World Series. It was the site of Pete Rose's record-breaking hit, on September 11, 1985, that propelled him into first place on baseball's all-time hit list, eclipsing the great Ty Cobb and breaking a monumental record that stood for 57 years.
In all, the Reds won 9 divisional titles, 5 National League pennants, and 3 World Series championships while playing at Riverfront.
Ah...memories.
Barry Larkin, an athletic, fresh-faced 24-year old out of the University of Michigan, assumed the duties at shorstop for the Reds in 1988 after Davey Concepcion, a major contributor to The Big Red Machine, called it a career after 19 seasons. Now 39 years old, Larkin announced earlier this week that he would not return for a 19th season with the Reds because of failed salary negotiations.
In essence, Larkin, after dedicating himself to the Reds organization for nearly 20 years, became a victim of a management team that has done nothing but torture its fans during the team's initial season in The Great American Ballpark. In 2003, fans expected their team to contend for the NL Central title. Instead, the Reds are going to finish near the bottom, just one game ahead of the hapless Milwaukee Brewers.
Reds players are furious with the upper brass in Cincinnati, and rightly so. Why a franchise would treat a player like this, literally kicking him out the door after all he has done, defies all logic.
Larkin has been one of the greatest players in franchise history. An 11-time All-Star, he is the only shortstop in Major League history with at least 2,000 hits, 170 homers, and 350 stolen bases. In the 1990 Fall Classic, while hitting .353 (6x17) with a double, triple, and an RBI, he was the catalyst that provided the offensive spark the Reds needed to sweep the heavily favored Oakland A's in the World Series, resulting in the Queen City's first championship since 1976. He has won 9 Louisville Silver Slugger Awards (1988-92, 1995-96, 1998-99), and 3 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards (1994-96). He has received four Ernie Lombardi Awards as the Reds' Most Valuable Player (1990-91, 1995-96) and he won the 1995 National League MVP Award while hitting .319 with 15 homers and 66 RBI's.
Most Reds fans, and even Larkin himself, will concede that he is no longer an everyday player. During the past few seasons, injuries have taken their toll on him. He has had several stints on the disabled list, which has limited his playing time. But, it's not the numbers the Reds will miss the most. He has provided excellent leadership and other intangibles for the young players in the organization, which will be sorely needed in the next couple of years after the front office decided to unoad their best players earlier this season.
At least fans will still have their memories of Larkin. After all, management can't take those away.
» Rob Olds, 35, is a Nolan Ryan historian and maintains a website dedicated to the all-time strikeout king at http://www.nolanryanhea.com
Also by Rob Olds
» The Greatness of Nolan Ryan
» My Idol, Nolan Ryan
» More submissions
Copyright © 2003 by Rob Olds. Posted October 2, 2003.
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