1987 Donruss, Barry Larkin

#492 Barry Larkin

Here is a card that I got signed by Barry Larkin at the College World Series in 2012. Barry works some college games for ESPN during the tournament, so it is not uncommon for him to be in Omaha. I saw him there a few years back at the AT&T Fanfest tent and got an 8x10 signed by him. Unfortunately, he would only sign the 8x10 at that time.

When I saw that he was going to be signing in 2012, I was excited because he wasn't going to be in the AT&T tent (where only signing the 8x10 is the norm). Instead, he was going to be a the Capital One booth. There was one small problem, though. I did not take any cards of Barry with me. So, when I got the chance, I went over to the card shop across the street from old Rosenblatt. There, I was able to find this card. It set me back $1.50, which I thought was a little steep. But, I got it signed, so I cannot complain.

Barry got inducted into Cooperstown in 2012. But, since the CWS is in June, he had not been inducted yet. Otherwise I would have asked for a Hall of Fame inscription.

Barry is fun to meet. The first time I met him, he had just started working college games and I asked him who he was paired with when he worked the Super Regional. He told me and then started asking what I thought about the little fight that Brett Wallace got into with his Arizona State teammate. Then, the time I got this card signed, I was wearing a Royals cap and he started asking about the All Star Game the Royals were hosting late that summer. He seems like he would be a fun guy to just sit and watch a game with. He likes to ask questions and get others opinions rather than just talk non-stop and be the life of the party.