CINCINNATI — Reunited in Mumbai: More than three decades after winning the World Series together, Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Chris Sabo are working together again.
Baseball United, the first professional baseball league in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent, announced Wednesday that Sabo will become the first manager of the Mumbai Cobras. The Cobras are the first baseball franchise in the history of India.
The news comes less than a year after Larkin first announced his partnership with Baseball United. He was named the Cobras' honorary general manager earlier this week.
"I love everything about this game, from the feel of the dirt to the smell of the stadium to the comradery of the clubhouse. I’ve been very impressed with the entire Baseball United organization, and I’m looking forward to getting to work with Lark, Kash and the entire BU team. And I can’t wait to get to know our fans in Mumbai," Sabo said in a release.
The league's president, Kash Shaikh, is a former Procter & Gamble Co. executive who runs the marketing firm BSB Group.
"We continue to be humbled by the quality of world-class leaders and baseball minds that are coming together to build our organization," Shaikh said. "Chris Sabo is one of them. ... We are very grateful to have Chris represent our first-ever franchise and can’t wait for him to team with Barry Larkin once again as they work to build a winning culture in Mumbai.”
In addition to their time on the Reds, Sabo and Larkin attended the University of Michigan together. They will work with John Miedreich and Eddie Diaz, the league's executive vice president and vice president of baseball operations, to construct the team's roster ahead of Baseball United's showcase in November.
