Reds Retire Barry Larkin's Number 11

Barry Larkin's number 11 will forever hang next to the retired number 13 worn by his predecessor.

Dave Concepcion and Larkin held down the shortstop position in Cincinnati for 24 seasons.

Larkin's is the ninth officially retired number in Reds' history.  Frank Robinson (20), Sparky Anderson (10), Concepcion (13), Joe Morgan (8), Tony Perez (24), Fred Hutchinson (1), Ted Kluszewski (18) and Johnny Bench (5).  Pete Rose's number 14 is not officially retired but no one other than his son, Pete Jr. has worn 14 since Rose was banished from the game.

Larkin was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, earlier this summer.

Larkin obtained the number after wearing 15 in his first two seasons with the Reds.  The irony is that Larkin's  competitor for the Reds' shortstop job, Kurt Stillwell, wore the number when Larkin arrived from the minor leagues.  The Reds' player personnel department decided Larkin was the better candidate and traded Stillwell to Kansas City.  Larkin requested and received the number when Stillwell departed.

"I wore it in knothole ball," Larkin said Friday afternoon.  "I wore 14 at Moeller High."

Larkin went to the University of Michigan on a football scholarship but had permission to play spring baseball.  He chose baseball after one season.

"At Michigan 11 was retired because Bill Freehan wore it," Larkin said.  Freehan, a Michigan grad, had an All-Star career with the Detroit Tigers.

"When you are a rookie in the major leagues, you don't ask for a number, you wear what is assigned but when it became available, I asked for it," Larkin said.

The honor caps a full summer of honors for the Reds' former captain, who won the NL Most Valuable Player Award in 1995.

"There has been a lot of recognition and its always been positive," Larkin said. "This whole summer has been busy.  It's been real good busy work."

Larkin has been working with baseball's international effort to spread the game.  He has been asked to manage the Brazillian team if it should qualify for the World Baseball Classic next spring.

"Player development is something that I've always been interested in," Larkin said.  "I've forged a real good relationship with the Brazilian Baseball Federation.'

Larkin's children are starting to develop careers of their own.  His son, Shane, will be a sophomore on the University of Miami (FL) basketball team.  His daughter, Cymber, sang the National Anthem at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and is pursuing a singing career.

"She is pretty popular already in Brazil," Larkin said.

Larkin's brother, Byron, had his number 23 retired at Xavier University.  Byron Larkin remains the Musketeers' All-Time leading scorer.