Barry Larkin buoyant after becoming a member of the Hall of Fame – MLB News
Barry Larkin, who became another illustrious member of the Hall of Fame on Monday, expressed his excitement over the profound distinction on Tuesday, January 10. Larkin who is regarded one of the most authoritative and stylish short-stops of all time attributed
it to his diligence in his performance.
Larkin has the characteristic individuality the players eagerly seek. Among other things, his being the three-time Gold Award winner and remaining 12-time National League All-Star are something that many of the players can only dream to achieve.
But of all that came his way on Monday, while he won over 86 percent of the votes, leaving all other competitors behind in the race, the most important is the motivation he had got from his ideal players of the game.
As he put it, Ozzie Smith and Davey Concepcion had given him two signed gloves, encouraging him to continue the legacy. However, the state of weariness never descended upon this player since then as he continued to exert himself to prove his ascendancy in
the game.
While he had maintained an average of .295 in the career, his having hit 198 homers will continue to serve as the evidence of his powerful hitting, with no less than 379 stolen bases that he had in his long career.
"When I was asked about my chances of being a Hall of Famer, I commented, 'When I look at a Hall of Famer, I look at him and say, OK, this is what he brings to the table,'" Larkin said. "I challenged the guy that asked me the question to define what I did
as a player. If you know, tell me, because I have no idea. That's because I was asked to do a lot of things."
Larkin also spoke of the coaches whose pragmatism allowed him to learn and improvise. He is the first player of the Cincinnati Reds since the 90’s victory against the Oakland Athletics in the World Series to become a member of the Hall of Fame.
With the honour endowed upon the Reds, it will now be seen how Cincinnati take inspiration from this to perform better in 2012.
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