Ever wonder how the minor leagues work? Let Arizona's Director of Player Development, Shaun Larkin,tell you

Have you ever wondered how the minor league’s work in regards to player personnel?

Who says who goes up or down the ranks and when?

Well, as the Director of Player Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Shaun Larkin is that guy.

The former professional player and coach who spent a handful of years in both the Cleveland and Los Angeles Dodgers organizations before stepping into his current role with Arizona, is the man in charge of the minor leagues for the D-Backs and if you’re a player or staff member at any one of the major league franchise’s minor league affiliates, you’re probably lucky to have him.

Larkin has done everything from playing and teaching the game, to managing it or working in various front office positions that oversee it, but one thing he believes is a, if not the, key to success, is building a culture that allows everyone to meet or exceed their professional potential.

“I want to make sure that the people that we employ feel supported and fulfilled because at the end of the day, if our staff feel like they’re being developed and supported, our players will feel that,” Larkin said. “I want the people that work for the Diamondbacks to have a memorable and impactful experience.”

That would clearly make sense from a player standpoint, but Larkin believes that success is built with everyone in mind, and that’s how he operates when it comes to his organization.

“That’s my job,” he said. “To make sure we’re creating the best environment for our players to thrive, maximize the margins, and for our staff members to do the same thing.

“You only have one shot at being a professional baseball player or in some cases work in the professional game, and we’ve got to make sure we maximize that opportunity.”

That’s why Larkin has his hands in so many things, big and/or small with the players that he and the Diamondbacks hope will help them win a World Series somewhere down the line. What they eat; drink; how they train; in-season and offseason training regiments; and more.

“Basically, anything that goes along in their career as a professional baseball player while they’re in a D-Backs uniform or affiliate is on my watch,” Larkin said.

And that obviously means player movement up or down, and sometimes out of the organization altogether.

If a player is moving from Hillsboro to Double-A Amarillo, Larkin is making that call. Amarillo to Triple-A Reno? His call. Reno to the Diamondbacks? He’s got a big part in it. But in all cases he’s making those decisions not on his own, but rather with help from coaches, scouts and executives familiar with the players they work with and study on a daily basis.

“They’re here every single day with them, so things that might go unnoticed on a stat line, or how things are going in the clubhouse, teammate behavior, all of those types of things play into our decisions,” Larkin said. “To not utilize the people who are with them day in and day out would be foolish. But at the end of the day, it’s my call.”

And sometimes that call means telling a player his dream is over. As a former player himself, Larkin understands and appreciates the work that goes into a professional baseball career, including the time spent trying to get there to begin with. So, when the time comes to an end for someone in his organization, it’s something that he does with a heavy heart.

“These guys work so hard, and it’s a lifelong dream for all of our players for the most part,” Larkin said. “And to be the one that has to say, hey, time is up for you with the organization, it’s tough.”

Equally tough is winning games, and while player development is the primary focus in the minor leagues, Larkin believes that winning is part of that development and considers such when shuffling players to and from Arizona’s handful of affiliates.

“It’s at the front of my mind,” Larkin said. “Winning matters. Not at all costs, but it is something we talk about daily. How to win a baseball game goes hand and hand with player development.”

Does that mean leaving a player with a team or maybe even shuffling them up or down to help a team in the midst of a push for the playoffs or postseason run? Sure, if they feel the player would benefit from experiencing such.

“If we have one of our higher end prospects that we want to be a part of a playoff run it may bake into a decision of moving them up or down, sure,” he said.

And what does Larkin think might surprise people about his job or the minor leagues in general? Easy, the scope of it all.

“I just don’t think people realize how much goes into this,” Larkin said. “It’s a big operating machine with a lot of working parts and so many variables, be it player movement, player release, playing time, there’s just so much that goes into it.”