Larry Barnes

Infobox MLB player
bgcolor1=
bgcolor2=
textcolor1=black
textcolor2=black
name=Larry Barnes


position=First base
team=Free Agent
number=--
bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1974|7|23
debutdate=April 11
debutyear=2001
debutteam=Anaheim Angels
statyear=2007
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.154
stat2label=On-base percentage
stat2value=.175
stat3label=Home runs
stat3value=1
teams=
*Anaheim Angels (by|2001)
*Los Angeles Dodgers (by|2003)
*Kintetsu Buffaloes (by|2004)

Larry Richard Barnes Jr. (born July 23, 1974 in Bakersfield, California) is a Minor League baseball player who is currently a free agent. He attended Bakersfield High School and then Fresno State University.

He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in by|1993 (69th round, 1643rd overall). He opted not to sign. In the by|1994 draft, Barnes was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 51st round (1381st overall). Again, he decided it was best for him not to sign. In by|1995, he wasn't 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 bases 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 by|1996, when he was playing for the Angels' A-team, Cedar Rapids. His statistics for that season:

(Source: [http://thebaseballcube.com/players/B/larry-barnes.shtml The Baseball Cube] )After that season, his success simmered off. But, he still performed well enough to earn a promotion. On April 11, by|2001, 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 by|2003, 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 by|2004 and in the Marlins organization in by|2005.

One source (TSN.ca) says: "He consistently hits for power and drives in runners. His speed and base-running skills are surprising for a first baseman and he's an asset in the field. Although he can get himself around the bases efficiently, he has trouble reading pitchers' moves. Too many of his at bats result in a big, fat K. Overall, he is a good minor-league hitter."

In by|2007, Barnes played for the Las Vegas 51s in the Dodgers system, but he was released in August and is currently a free agent.

Honors and Awards

*In 1994, Barnes was a Second Team High School All-American.
*In 1996, he was the California Angels Minor League Player of the Year, a Midwest League All-Star, the Midwest League Most Valuable Player and a member of Baseball America's Class-A All-Star Team.
*In 1999 he was an Eastern League All-Star.

Other information

*Trent Durrington had been a teammate of Barnes for seven pro seasons, longer than any other teammate.
*Barnes currently resides in Bakersfield, California.

External links

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/barnela01.shtml Baseball-Reference.com]