COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — When Barry Larkin takes the podium to speak at his Baseball Hall of Fame induction, his emotions likely will be off the charts.
Not only will his mother and father be front and center, his teenage daughter, Cymber, will sing the national anthem Sunday. Larkin says he’s “really excited about it … but I’ll be nervous as heck for her.”
The former Cincinnati Reds shortstop, who retired after the 2004 season with a .295 career average, 2,340 hits, 1,329 runs scored and 379 steals, was elected this year on his third try, receiving 495 votes (86.4 percent). He’ll be inducted along with the late Ron Santo, a star third baseman for 15 years with the Chicago Cubs and a longtime broadcaster for the team after he retired in 1974. Santo died in 2010 at age 70.
Larkin said his experience on the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball team spurred him to become great. He played in three of team USA’s five games but batted just .143.
