Larry Barton Jr.

Larry Barton Jr., 80, died peacefully and surrounded by his family on Thursday, February 6, 2020 in Louisville, Kentucky. He leaves behind his wife of 17 years, Janice Barton; his sister, Mary Ann Hollis; his sons, Brett and Scott Barton and his five granddaughters. He was predeceased by his eldest son, Jeff Barton, who passed away from cancer in 2015.Born in Los Angeles on October 11, 1939, Larry was the only son of Wilma and Larry Barton Sr. He spent much of his childhood traveling and watching his dad play Minor League Baseball. Larry attended Gardena High School and furthered his education at Arizona State University where he played baseball.Larry was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1963 and played for their minor league team, the St. Petersburg Saints. Although he only played one season in the minors, Larry didn’t give up his love of the game. Following in his father’s footsteps, he became an amateur scout for the Cincinnati Reds. In his 38 years as a crosschecker for the Reds, Larry was an instrumental part of the formation of the Big Red Machine and responsible for signing numerous big league players to the organization.One of the highlights of Larry’s career was working in the early 90s with both his father and his son Jeff. Combined, the Barton trio worked for the Reds for more than 100 years. In 2004, Larry was named West Coast Scout of the Year. He was also awarded the first iBaseball Channel Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. After leaving the Reds, he scouted for the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Dodgers and returned to the Reds in 2015. In addition to scouting, Larry and his wife Janice managed a successful restaurant in Rosamond, California before moving to Louisville, Kentucky to be closer to family.While his first and biggest passion was baseball, he loved taking his granddaughters to IHOP and playing with his beloved dogs, Chucky, Bubba and Molly. He will be greatly missed by his family and the MLB scouting community.A memorial service will be held at Stoess Funeral Home, 6534 W State Hwy 22, Crestwood, KY 40014, on February 15. The visitation will take place from 12-3pm, with the service beginning at 3pm. There will be a private burial. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Larry’s name to Feeding America.

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