Barry Larkin Elected to National Baseball Hall of Fame

Former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Barry Larkin is now officially among the MLB’s elite as he was elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame on Monday.

According to ESPN, Larkin, a 12-time All-Star, nine-time Silver Slugger and three-time Gold Glove winning shortstop, received 86 percent of the required 75 percent of votes from qualifying Baseball Writers Association of America voters to earn his induction into Cooperstown.

“I’m incredibly, incredibly honored by the whole experience, and so excited about being the newest member of the Hall of Fame,” Larkin said after hearing the news via phone call from Jack O’Connell, secretary-treasurer of the BBWAA.

Over the course of his 19-year career with the Reds, Larkin put together a set of impressive numbers, hitting .295 with 2,340 hits (including 441 doubles, 76 triples and 198 home runs), 960 RBIs and 379 stolen bases.

He was voted the National League Most Valuable Player in 1995 by the BBWAA and hit .353 in the Reds’ World Series sweep of the Oakland Athletics in 1990.

Larkin also became the first shortstop to join the 30-30 club when he had 33 home runs and 36 steals in 1996.

“Larkin was a dream player, an outstanding leader who had great physical skills,” former Atlanta manager Bobby Cox was quoted as saying by the Toronto Sun. “He really has all the credentials. If there had been a draft each year for clubs to build their team from scratch, Barry would have been the first or second pick each year over the course of his career. He was so well-rounded.”

The New York Times reports that Larkin, 47, will be inducted into the Hall July 22 at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y., along with the late third baseman Ron Santo, who was elected last month by the Golden Era Committee.

Barry Larkin currently works for ESPN as an analyst for the popular MLB recap show, Baseball Tonight.

Hear ESPN’s Jim Bowden speak on why Barry Larkin was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the video below: