The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Larkin was mainstay on 2003 Captains
Shaun Larkin didn’t hesitate when asked for his most vivid memory of playing for the Captains in 2003.
Larkin was the starting third baseman for the Captains, a full-season Single-A affiliate of the Indians, during the franchise’s inaugural season in Eastlake.
“The winning,” Larkin said recently during a telephone interview from the home in McKinney, Texas, he shares with his wife, Denise, and their two children, 3 ½-year-old son Cason and 1 ½-year-old daughter Corrie.
Managed by former majorleague infielder Luis Rivera, the 2003 Captains were 97-43 during the regular season and breezed to the first-half and second-half titles in the South Atlantic League’s Northern Division.
In the postseason, the Captains swept past the Lexington (Ky.) Legends in the bestof-three Eastern Division finals. They were beaten by the Rome (Ga.) Braves, 3-1, in the best-of-five SAL championship series to finish the season with an overall record of 100-46.
“Any time you win 100 games in the minor leagues, that’s incredible,” Larkin said.
Craig Deas recalled the 2003 team’s propensity for winning, too. The Perry Township resident was sports director at WELW-AM 1330 back then, doing pregame shows before the station’s broadcasts of Captains games.
During the season, Deas moved into the broadcast booth and assisted play-byplay announcer Dave Wilson with game calls.
“They didn’t win every day, but it sure seemed like it sometimes,” Deas said.
“That team was very mature. They acted like true professionals, not kids. The pitching was unbelievable and they could hit, especially in the clutch. They got on such a roll.”
Larkin remembers going to spring training in Winter Haven, Fla., in February 2003 uncertain of where he’d start the season.
After being selected by the Indians in the ninth round of the 2002 draft out of Cal State-Northridge, he batted .226 with nine home runs and 38 RBI in his pro debut with short-season Single A Mahoning Valley.
“I thought I had a chance to make Lake County as the fourth or fifth infielder, but I spent time on the extended roster that spring training,” Larkin said, referring to the roster of players staying in Florida when the Captains and other fullseason teams left to begin their regular seasons.
About two weeks before the end of spring training, highly touted infield prospect Matt Whitney broke his leg in a freak accident off the field. Whitney was on track to be the everyday third baseman in Lake County.
Installed by Rivera as the starter at third base, Larkin had a standout season from start to finish. He batted .266 in 128 games with team-high totals of 20 home runs, 26 doubles and 80 RBI.
“I don’t know what happens if I have to stay behind in extended,” Larkin said. “What would my outlook have been? But then Matt (Whitney) gets hurt, and I break camp with the Captains. I took advantage of the opportunity.”
Larkin was one of nine Lake County players to earn spots on the SAL Northern Division All-Star team. He was joined by outfielder Jason Cooper, shortstop Chris De La Cruz, catcher David Wallace, outfielder Nathan Panther and pitchers Shea Douglas, Dan Eisentrager, Todd Pennington and Fausto Carmona, later revealed to have the given name of Roberto Hernandez.
Rivera also made the trip to Lexington for the AllStar
Game, joined by pitching coach Tony Arnold and hitting coach Wayne Kirby.
“It was a great group of guys, to start with,” Larkin said. “The clubhouse was close. Luis, Tony (Arnold) and Kirbs (Kirby) did a great job setting the tone. The pitching was lights out and we scored runs when we needed to. We had no choice but to have fun.”
Larkin, a left-handed batter, packed plenty of punch into his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame. He was the first Captains batter to hit a home run that landed on the roof of the Classic Park batting cage field house well beyond the right-field fence.
“That was just me and my little-guy syndrome showing I could hit them where then big boys do,” Larkin said, laughing.
All the winning Larkin and the Captains did on the field in 2003 paid dividends at the box office. Lake County drew 437,515 that season, averaging just over 6,000 per game. Both figures were tops in the SAL.
“We had great crowds and a great atmosphere at the ballpark,” Larkin said.
Larkin retired as a player after the 2007 season and joined the Indians’ player development staff as a minor-league coach. He returned to the Captains as manager in 2015, leading them to a 71-66 finish.
He was the second 2003 Captains player to return as manager. Wallace was the first in 2012. Larkin left the Indians’ organization after the 2015 season to join the Dodgers as a minor-league manager. He now is assistant field coordinator. His boss, field coordinator Clayton McCullough, was a catcher on the 2003 Captains.
“A lot of really cool things happened for us at a team and individually in 2003,” Larkin said. “We caught lightning in a bottle. I’ll never forget that season.”