Former Major League Baseball player Stephen Larkin has joined the Savannah State baseball coaching staff as an assistant coach. He is the brother of Barry Larkin, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who spent his entire 19-year MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1986 to 2004.
Stephen Larkin played in one MLB game, representing the Cincinnati Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he batted 1-for-3. The majority of his baseball career was spent in the minor leagues.
During his collegiate career, Larkin attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he played for the Texas Longhorns and participated in the College World Series in 1992 and 1993.
In 1994, he was drafted in the 10th round by the Texas Rangers and began his minor league career with the Low-A Hudson Valley Renegades, later joining the Single-A Charleston RiverDogs in 1995. He also played thirteen games for the Winston-Salem Warthogs that same year.
In 1996, Larkin played half a season with the Single-A Charleston AlleyCats before returning to the Winston-Salem Warthogs, where he played throughout the 1997 season. In 1998, he was called up from the minors to play for the Chattanooga Lookouts, where he appeared in a game with the Cincinnati Reds. During that game, Stephen played first base while his brother Barry played shortstop. Fellow Reds player Bret Boone played second base, and his younger brother Aaron Boone played third base, marking a unique occasion in baseball history where two sets of siblings were on the field simultaneously.
Larkin’s hit in the MLB was a single in the bottom of the sixth inning of a home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This game was the final one of the season for the Reds, who had already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Reds won the game 4-1. Larkin spent the 1999 and 2000 seasons with the Lookouts, finishing his career by playing in independent professional leagues from 2001 to 2005.
He officially joined the Savannah State baseball coaching staff on February 28, just before a weekend series against Kentucky State.
Let’s GO SSU! Welcome Coach Larkin!