Larkin Must Wait on Hall of Fame (For Now)

Former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin recently became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time, as, in order to qualify, the player must be retired for five full seasons.

Upon first ballot, Larkin did not get inducted, but there were strong signs showing he would be a hall of famer eventually.

The Baseball Writer's Association of America(BBWAA) must put a player's name on 75 percent of all ballots to be inducted. Only one player this year met those qualifications, outfielder Andre Dawson.

Cincinnati native Larkin finished fifth overall with 51.6 percent of voters putting him on their ballots. He was also the top shortstop on the list, which deserves a special type of recognition, as Larkin was seen by many as a player who changed the position. Before Larkin, the shortstop was seen as a position reserved strictly for the speedy, defensive players. In fact, The Reds originally asked him to switch to second base because his power numbers better suited the position.

When camp broke in 1987, Larkin remained the Reds' starting shortstop and the rest his history.

While only batting .244 in his first full season, he went on to post a career average of .295, including 198 home runs, 2,340 hits and 379 stolen bases in his 19 years with the Reds. During his 1996 season, Larkin became the first 30-30 shortstop ever when he hit 33 home runs and stole 52 bases, ahowing his versatility as a player.

So is Larkin a hall of famer? Absolutely--especially for a shortstop. Although he had the misfortune of playing in the Ozzie Guillen era, he still collected three Gold Gloves, nine Silver Slugger awards, and was voted into 12 All-Star games. While he wasn't inducted into the first ballot, signs point to Larkin being a hall of famer within five or so years. The traditional 400 home run hitter will go first, but there are plenty of positive points to take from this year's vote. Among them, admitted cheater Mark McGuire recieved only 27 percent of the vote.