Larry Barnes

Who is Larry Barnes?

Larry Richard Barnes, Jr. 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 1995, 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 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 1996, when he was playing for the Angels' Single-A, Cedar Rapids Kernels. His statistics for that season:

After that season, his success simmered off. But, he still performed well enough to earn a promotion. On April 11, 2001, at 26 years old, he made his major league debut with the Angels. His first glimpse of the major leagues as 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.