{{for|the general and fighter pilot|Duane S. Larson}} {{Infobox MLB player |name=Duane Larson |birth_date={{birth year and age|1948}} |birth_place= |death_date= |death_place= |bats=Both |throws=Right |position=[[Infielder]] |highlights= }} {{BLP refimprove|date=November 2024}} '''Duane Carl Larson''' (born December 6, 1948) is an American former [[minor league baseball]] [[infielder]] and [[manager (baseball)|manager]] and is currently a [[Major League Baseball|Major League]] scout and special assistant to the [[General Manager]] in the [[Atlanta Braves]] organization.
Larson came to the Braves organization in 2003 from the [[Toronto Blue Jays]], where he worked in scouting and player development for 26 years. Larson joined the Blue Jays organization in 1977, working as a minor league scout and manager of Utica in the [[New York–Penn League]].
The former infielder played in the [[San Diego Padres|Padres]] [[farm system]] from 1972 to 1976, and began coaching as a player/coach with Reno of the [[California League]] during the 1975-76 seasons. Larson was the skipper for the [[Carolina League]] [[Carolina Mudcats|Kinston Eagles]] in 1979. From 1982 to 1984, Larson managed at Medicine Hat, where he led the team to a [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]] championship in 1982. In 1985 Larson became a scouting supervisor and was named a special assignment scout in 1994. Larson was honored in 1996 with the Toronto Blue Jays [[Al LaMacchia]] Award for excellence in scouting.
Larson graduated from the [[University of Santa Clara]], majoring in [[economics]]. He played with the [[Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks]] during the summer seasons of 1970 and 1971.<ref name="allstar">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairbanks-daily-news-miner/158465212/|title=All-time Goldpanner all-star team named|first=Allan|last=Simpson|work=[[Fairbanks Daily News-Miner]]|date=July 18, 1973|access-date=November 5, 2024|page=16|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1970, he hit .335 and was named the team MVP.<ref name=allstar/> In 1971, Larson hit .310 and set the team's single-season stolen base record with 47,<ref name=allstar/> beating the previous record of 35 by Doug Hunt in 1969. He also helped the Goldpanners to a runner-up finish at the 1971 [[National Baseball Congress World Series]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/fairbanks-daily-news-miner/158464984/|title='71 Goldpanners holding reunion|work=[[Fairbanks Daily News-Miner]]|date=June 21, 1973|access-date=November 5, 2024|page=13|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> In 1973, Larson was selected to the all-time Goldpanner all-star team by a fan vote.<ref name=allstar/>
He lives in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]].
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20111019004846/http://goldpanners.com/Scrapbook/l/larson-duane_70-71.html Alaska Goldpanners Scrapbook] * [http://pressbox.mlb.com/pressbox/downloads/y2007/atl/player_dev.pdf Official bio]{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{baseball stats|brm=larson001dua}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Larson, Duane}} [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Alexandria Aces players]] [[Category:Atlanta Braves scouts]] [[Category:Hawaii Islanders players]] [[Category:Minor league baseball managers]] [[Category:New York Mets scouts]] [[Category:Reno Silver Sox players]] [[Category:Toronto Blue Jays scouts]] [[Category:Santa Clara Broncos baseball players]] [[Category:Walla Walla Padres players]] [[Category:Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks players]] [[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]