Larry Barnes
Encyclopedia
Larry Richard Barnes, Jr. (born July 23, 1974 in Bakersfield, California
) is a former Major League Baseball
first baseman
. He attended Bakersfield High School
and then Fresno State University.
He was drafted by the Florida Marlins
in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft
, but opted not to sign. In the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
, Barnes was drafted by the Atlanta Braves
in the 51st round. Again, he decided it was best for him not to sign. In , he was not even in the draft-he was finally signed as a free agent by the California Angels
.
Not only did Barnes-who is 6'1" and 195 pounds-have a good professional rookie season batting-wise, he also did well when it came to pitching. He hit
.310 and had 12 stolen base
s in 56 games—and also pitched in three games, won
two, and had a 2.25 ERA
.
Even though he had success pitching in his first pro year, he found minimal success in the years following.
Perhaps Barnes' best professional season came in , when he was playing for the Angels' Single-A, Cedar Rapids Kernels
. His statistics for that season:
(Source: The Baseball Cube)
After that season, his success simmered off. But, he still performed well enough to earn a promotion. On April 11, , at 26 years old, he made his major league debut with the Angels. His first glimpse of the major leagues would not impress anybody-he hit .100 in 40 at-bats. Perhaps one of the shining moments of his season was one of his four hits was a home run
.
Barnes has only made one appearance in the majors since his 40 at-bat season with the Angels. In , with the Dodgers
, he appeared in 30 games and hit .211. Since then, he has bounced all over the world, playing in Japan
(Kintetsu Buffaloes
) in and in the Marlins organization in .
In , Barnes played for the Las Vegas 51s
in the Dodgers system, but he was released in August.
Barnes currently resides in Bakersfield, California
.
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
) is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
first baseman
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
. He attended Bakersfield High School
Bakersfield High School
]Bakersfield High School is a high school located in Bakersfield, California, USA.Institutional names and dates of operation:*Kern County High School 1893-1915*Kern County Union High School 1915-1945*Bakersfield High School 1945–present...
and then Fresno State University.
He was drafted by the Florida Marlins
Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
in the 1993 Major League Baseball Draft
1993 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*Scott Rolen was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2nd round of the 1993 amateur draft....
, but opted not to sign. In the 1994 Major League Baseball Draft
1994 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1994 Major League Baseball draft.-Compensation picks:-Other notable players:*A.J. Pierzynski , Minnesota Twins, 3rd round*Bobby Howry , San Francisco Giants, 5th round...
, Barnes was drafted by the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 51st round. Again, he decided it was best for him not to sign. In , he was not even in the draft-he was finally signed as a free agent by the California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
.
Not only did Barnes-who is 6'1" and 195 pounds-have a good professional rookie season batting-wise, he also did well when it came to pitching. He hit
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.310 and had 12 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 56 games—and also pitched in three games, won
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
two, and had a 2.25 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
.
Even though he had success pitching in his first pro year, he found minimal success in the years following.
Perhaps Barnes' best professional season came in , when he was playing for the Angels' Single-A, Cedar Rapids Kernels
Cedar Rapids Kernels
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Class A minor league baseball team based in Iowa. It is affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and plays in the Midwest League.-Franchise history:...
. His statistics for that season:
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 131 | 489 | 84 | 155 | 36 | 5 | 27 | 112 | 9 | 6 | 58 | 101 | .317 |
(Source: The Baseball Cube)
After that season, his success simmered off. But, he still performed well enough to earn a promotion. On April 11, , at 26 years old, he made his major league debut with the Angels. His first glimpse of the major leagues would not impress anybody-he hit .100 in 40 at-bats. Perhaps one of the shining moments of his season was one of his four hits was a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
.
Barnes has only made one appearance in the majors since his 40 at-bat season with the Angels. In , with the Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, he appeared in 30 games and hit .211. Since then, he has bounced all over the world, playing in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(Kintetsu Buffaloes
Kintetsu Buffaloes
The was a Nippon Professional Baseball team based in Osaka, Japan, which were in the Pacific League. The team was owned by Kinki Nippon Railway Co. and later sold to the Orix Group, the owner of the Orix BlueWave baseball team, in 2004...
) in and in the Marlins organization in .
In , Barnes played for the Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
in the Dodgers system, but he was released in August.
Barnes currently resides in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
.