How to go
What: 11 Days of Larkin
Where: Great American Ballpark, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202
When: August 16-26
More Info: www.reds.com
From the moment legendary Cincinnati Reds shortstop, Barry Larkin, received the news he would be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds organization knew they would be throwing some form of commemorative celebration at Great American Ball Park. But the idea quickly grew beyond its original conception.
“After he was named, he flew in to Cincinnati to do a press conference and we pulled him aside,” said Karen Forgus, Vice President of Business Operations for the Reds. “When something like this happens, we have a protocol, usually a private party, and they name the guests we’d like to invite. But Barry said he wanted to make it bigger, to be not just about him, but to celebrate anybody who made the Cincinnati region proud.”
Therefore, on August 24-25, Larkin will do a post-game Q&A before his No. 11 jersey will be retired in a ceremony on August 25. Standing on the field with him will be not only former Reds teammates and players from the Big Red Machine era, but also local Olympians past and present. It isn’t official yet which athletes will be coming, especially since current Cincinnati-based Olympians are still in the midst of traveling.
“We already had a lot of tickets sold for that weekend, because it’s the Cardinals, so we expanded it to two nights,” Forgus said. “All week we’ll have been whetting peoples’ appetites for what a good player he was, and this will be the climax.”
Larkin’s idea to expand the celebration beyond himself may not be surprising. Forgus called his connection to Cincinnati, “heartwarming.”
“It has been woven into every national interview he’s done,” she said. “He was on one team his entire career. He even married the girl from the cul-de-sac behind him.”
The following are the special events that will occur during the 11 Days of Larkin:
August 18: For a 7:10 p.m. game against the Chicago Cubs, the first 20,000 fans who enter the ballpark will receive a free Barry Larkin Reds cap.
“It’s a cap from his era, the pinstriped hat,” Forgus said. “It will have his #11 on the side.”
Daily: Fans listening on the radio or watching the game at home or at the ballpark will be treated to audio and video highlights of Larkin’s career. Forgus said the highlights would be varied, not restricted to anyone’s idea of a “Top 10.”
“You could do a Top 10 on his clutch hits alone,” she said. “Let alone what he did on the field.”
All fans named Barry will receive free admission to the Reds Hall of Fame & Museum. Anyone wearing Larkin gear will receive half-price admission. The Reds Hall of Fame & Museum features an ongoing Larkin exhibit including rare artifacts and images from his playing days.
August 24: Barry Larkin’s daughter, Cymber Larkin, will sing the National Anthem before the 7:10 p.m. opening game vs. the Cardinals. Following the post-game Q&A, there will be a “Barry Blast” fireworks show set to music from his era.
August 25: At 1 p.m., before the 4:05 p.m. game, fans can attend the Reds Community Fund Block Party on Joe Nuxhall Way and Freedom Way. There will be plenty of food and beverages, and a live show by Cymber Larkin, a R&B/pop singer. Admission to the party is free, and all proceeds from the concessions will benefit the Red Community Fund’s Urban Youth Academy.
“I understand that (Cymber) is on the verge of breaking out,” Forgus said. “She has an agent. We figure we should get her before it becomes too hard to get her. She’ll be with her band, and Barry will be there, too, onstage. It will get a festival atmosphere going, especially since there’s so many bars and restaurants down there now, keeping people downtown.”
The first 11,000 fans into the ballpark will also receive a Reds stein featuring a timeline of Reds players past and present, including Larkin.
At 3 p.m., the actual retirement ceremony will take place, which will be replayed the following day, August 26, on the scoreboard at noon just before the 1:10 p.m. conclusion to the Cardinal series.
“There will be video tributes to multiple players who played with Barry,” Forgus said. “(Reds CEO/owner) Bob Castellini will be on the field with Barry. His number will be unveiled and installed in the ballpark. That number will be in any ballpark the Reds play in. You can be one of the people can say you were there. But hopefully, it won’t be the last time you see the guy.”
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