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
Barry Larkin was born on April 28, 1964 in suburban Cincinnati, Ohio to a Catholic family. He has three brothers: Stephen, who went on to become a minor league baseball player; Byron, who became a college basketball player and color commentator at Xavier University; and Mike, who captained the University of Notre Dame football team. As a teenager, Larkin attended Archbishop Moeller High School. After graduating, he enrolled at the University of Michigan on a football scholarship, but during his freshman year decided to focus exclusively on baseball. In both 1983 and 1984, Larkin helped lead the Michigan Wolverines to College World Series appearances. He was subsequently named Big Ten Player of the Year for 1984 and 1985. Also in 1984, Larkin played on the silver medal-winning US baseball team at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Minor League Career
Starting his professional baseball career in the minors, Larkin played for the Vermont Reds of the Eastern League. In 1985, he helped the team win the Eastern League Championship. The following year, he played with the Triple-A Denver Zephyrs of the American Association, and was named AAA Player of the Year.
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.
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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.
On account of calf injuries, Larkin spent two stints on the disabled list in the first months of the 2003 season. Later in the year, he nearly left the Reds due to conflicts during contract negotiations with the team's COO John Allen. Ultimately, Larkin agreed to a one-year contract with the team for 2004. That season, he batted .289. It would be Larkin's final season playing in the MLB, as he went on to announce his retirement in early 2005. He finished his 19-year career with the Reds with a .295 batting average, 198 home runs, 960 RBI, and 379 stolen bases. Larkin is considered to be among the greatest shortstops in baseball history.
Post-Playing Career
After retiring from playing, Larkin became a special assistant to the general manager of the MLB's Washington Nationals. He later became a studio analyst for the MLB Network. In 2009, Larkin served as the bench coach for the United States team in the World Baseball Classic. He left his front-office position with the Nationals in 2011 to become a baseball analyst for ESPN. The following year, Larkin was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
In 2013, Larkin was invited by the Brazilian Baseball Federation to manage its national team in the qualifiers of the World Baseball Classic. Ultimately, Brazil went winless in its WBC debut and was eliminated after the first round. Larkin later joined his old team the Reds as a minor-league roving infield instructor. In 2021, he joined the Reds' television broadcast team on Fox Sports Ohio. Elsewhere, Larkin has been active in the US Department of State's Sports Diplomacy program, which conducts baseball clinics in underserved areas around the world.
Personal Life
With his wife Lisa, Larkin has two daughters named Brielle and Cymber and a son named Shane. They live in Orlando, Florida. Shane Larkin has played in the NBA for the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
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:
