May 20, 1980
The Reds made Austin Kearns of Lexington, Kentucky, their first round draft choice in 1998. His best major league season was his rookie year, as he batted .315 while hitting 13 homers and driving in 56 runs. He came in 3rd in Rookie of the Year balloting behind the Rockies’ Jason Jennings and the Expos’ Brad Wilkerson.
The Writer's Journey 