Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

On the night Roger Clemens's mother passed away, he pitched a one run game, reportedly what she would have desired. What a man!
Then we have the manchild Austin Kearns. Gone for the 2nd day in a row. Reportedly to attend to "personal matters" in Lexington.
Personal matters.
A few months ago the out-of-shape manchild was demoted to the minor leagues. League rules dictate that he had 72 hours to report for duty.
The manchild sat home in Lexington the entire 72 hours rather than start the arduous journey to Louisville to begin his reconditioning process. A reconditioning process that his competitors completed last winter. What a man.
One wonders what the gravity of the "personal matters" issue that forced him to miss two games at the end of such a disappointing season.
A season he is now hitting a blistering .245.
We are Reds fans. We are used to disappointment. We are used to #1 draft choices flaming out.
Austin, you had such promise. Providence gave you the perfect baseball body and tools. Rest in Peace, while we mourn another failure.

Re: We mourn Austin Kearns, R.I.P
 

Perhaps you had better change the title of the thread.

Re: We mourn Austin Kearns, R.I.P
 

I dont agree with this simply for the fact that the Reds are out of it, we dont know what the personal matter is and we shouldnt be one to judge what is worthy of leaving the club based on that.

Sure he had a frustrating season but I dont think we can sit here and judge what he is currently experiencing as less important than baseball.

Clemens dealt with his loss by playing baseball as his mother requested...He and Austin arent the same person so I wont act like they should deal with such things the same way.

Re: We mourn Austin Kearns, R.I.P
 

Yep. We should wait until we know why before we pass any kind of judgment. That is the fair thing to do.

Re: We mourn Austin Kearns, R.I.P
 

Let's reserve judgement until we find out,if we ever do, what his problems are. Like Redsfansalways1966 said,it's the fair thing to do. I hope things will be OK for him.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

I was not happy with Austin's foot-dragging after being sent down, and said as much here on the board. But it was pointed out to me at the time that Austin's father was seriously ill and he was taking advantage of the opportunity to spend time with him. My guess would be that the current situation is similar. The success of the Reds is important to all of us, but family comes first.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

We are not Austin Kearns. We have no idea what's going on in his life, and even if we did, I don't believe we have the right to judge him or the situation. There are certain things in life more important than baseball, and if Austin has deemed his situation significant enough to return home for a few days, then all I feel that I can do as a fan is hope for the best for him. He's in my thoughts and prayers.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

I don't think comparing Kearns and Clemens is appropriate. Austin is about 20 years younger than Clemens. He's single and doesn't have a family of his own. Not to mention that Clemens is a starting pitcher and didn't even have to be with the club until last night. The story I read was that Clemens spent the last couple of days with his mother. Does that make him a "manchild" in your book now?

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

Austin used those 72 hours to visit a close relative who was in the hospital in Lexington. He wasn't sitting at home playing Playstation games.

You may have done it differently, but you have no right to indict the character of a man who felt it important to tend to ill family.

Hopefully this thread will be closed soon.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

You may know that, but I never saw that published anywhere. I read the papers closely. Maybe Austin needs someone to publicize the reasons for his absences.
He's being paid almost a million this year to work part time. Seems to me he could have visited a hospital in Lexington and worked in Louisville on the same day.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

Nice of you to ramble on about an athlete's personal life based entirely upon speculation. As part of the league's CBA, players are allowed the 72 hours to report. Period. It's not for you to decide how a player should use this time period. If Austin wanted to be by his father's side following heart surgery--or if he simply wanted to rearrange his sock drawer--how does that make a difference in your life?

By the way--with his three hits last night--Adam Dunn is hitting a "blistering" .249 and is having a fine season IMO....or do you consider Dunn another Reds # 1 draft pick flame out at this point in his career?

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

That's a brilliance of Redszone. You get info here that you don't get anywhere else.

And yeah. Great idea. Next time you have a relative in the hospital in another city and feel that it's vital you take time away from work to visit them, feel free to call up your local newspaper to tell them.

Or wait...maybe you'd just tell other family members, close friends, and your employer and leave it at that.

Again, what you might have done in the same situation is immaterial. Kearns didn't feel comfortable doing that and I respect his right to make that decision and commend him for putting his family first.

You appear to think that choice makes him less than a man. I think it makes him more of one.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

Or maybe people should mind their own personal business. I don't need to read about it in a newspaper to know it's true. Austin grew up just a few streets away from me in my neighborhood. He played ball at the same park that my boy does. His parents are fine people that still live in the same house to this day (although he is currently building a new one for them). Austin and his father are extemely close and his father's health has been an issue the last 2-3 years. Austin also has a fiance that substitute teaches at the middle school down the street. During the time period when he was being sent down, Austin visited her at school and spent hours signing stuff for the students in the cafeteria.

Oh, remember that park where he used to play ball? He also used some of his "lazy time" this summer to become the Chairperson for a major fundraising campaign called the "Miracle League." You see, the manchild in Austin actually realizes that his local popularity will greatly contribute to the accumulation of dollars necessary to modify the fields at this park. That way, all of the special needs children (age 4-19) who love to play baseball will finally have a place that they can call their own.

http://www.slyb.org/

But I guess none of this matters unless Hal McCoy puts it in his column and you read it.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

This thread is pretty awful. I have no idea what is going on with his family, and don't think it is fair to speculate or judge him for it. Hopefully, he will be back soon.

Re: Austin Kearns, Manchild
 

I don't need to read what personal business is ..... that's why it's personal.