savafan
03-04-2006, 12:34 PM
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060304/COL03/603040355/1071/SPT04
SARASOTA, Fla. - Austin Kearns is dead center between All-Star and Almost. There comes a time in a baseball player's career when potential turns from a blessing to a noose. Kearns is there.
He has been hurt, overweight, platooned and demoted. Three years ago, he was considered the Reds' best young player. Now he's nearly 26, approaching baseball middle age, and no one is saying that anymore.
He's at a crossroads. Kearns doesn't like that term. Neither does Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky. The closest manager Jerry Narron comes to labeling the situation as such is to say it's important for Kearns to stay healthy and play well.
But how else would you describe a career that peaked nearly three years ago? On May 21, 2003, the day after his 23rd birthday, Kearns crashed into Atlanta pitcher Ray King and ripped his shoulder. Since then, he has been a hope, an enigma and two-legged bad luck.
This is the year to make or break those perceptions. Kearns is healthy. He shed 15 pounds and former Reds GM Dan O'Brien, who was not his best friend. He won't be traded to Cleveland for pitcher Jake Westbrook, he won't be sharing time in right field with Wily Mo Peņa. This is the year we find out about Austin Kearns.
"At-bats take care of a lot of things," Kearns said. "In the minor leagues and the first couple years here, I played every day. Then I found out how tough it is when you don't play every day.
"It's tough looking over your shoulder. It wears on you sometimes. You get in there, you know you'd better produce. It's easy to press. I press enough as it is."
Kearns said Friday he almost welcomed his five-week demotion to Triple-A Louisville last June, a trip O'Brien laid partly on Kearns' weight.
"It put my mind at ease. I was so mad at the whole situation" in Cincinnati, said Kearns. "It was probably good to get away from what was going on. It was a mental rest. I play better when I'm having fun, laughing and joking around. Last year was the total opposite."
When you ask him about the weight issue, Kearns shrugs. The team wanted him to lose weight, so he did. He doesn't know what effect it will have this year. Last year, he thought the team used it as an excuse to demote him to
Triple-A.
"They didn't say one word about it in spring training, when I had a good spring. Don't make a big deal about it (in June)," Kearns said. "I was struggling. I got off to a bad start. Nothing more than that."
It's instructive to compare Kearns to his friend Adam Dunn. Their careers have followed the same path, but their trajectories have been radically different. Between 1998 and 2001, Kearns and Dunn traveled the same Billings-Dayton-Chattanooga minor-league road. Dunn started the '02 season in Cincinnati; Kearns was called up June 25. Dunn is six months older than Kearns.
Dunn averaged 35 homers over the past four years and played in at least 158 games in three of them. Kearns in those years has totaled 55 homers and averaged 91 games.
Dunn just signed a two-year contract with an option for a third. He'll make $7 million this year and $10.5 million in '07. Kearns will earn $1.85 million this season.
When the Reds signed first baseman Scott Hatteberg, a free agent, last month, the first reaction wasn't "Oh, great, veteran depth in the infield." It was "Now they'll trade Kearns or Wily Mo Peņa for pitching and move Dunn back to left field."
O'Brien wanted to trade Kearns but feared Kearns' potential too much to follow through. It is a tribute to that potential that the Reds are still waiting for Kearns.
Kearns knows it's time to give his potential some legs.
Spring training is a time capsule of hope, faith and optimism. Especially optimism. If you can't love life in Florida in March, you might as well check yourself out.
Kearns has a flat stomach and a full-time job. He looks as good as everyone else does down here in March. Cross your fingers for his health, then sit back and see what happens.
"I think if I'm out there and healthy, my numbers will be there," Kearns said.
We're about to find out.
SARASOTA, Fla. - Austin Kearns is dead center between All-Star and Almost. There comes a time in a baseball player's career when potential turns from a blessing to a noose. Kearns is there.
He has been hurt, overweight, platooned and demoted. Three years ago, he was considered the Reds' best young player. Now he's nearly 26, approaching baseball middle age, and no one is saying that anymore.
He's at a crossroads. Kearns doesn't like that term. Neither does Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky. The closest manager Jerry Narron comes to labeling the situation as such is to say it's important for Kearns to stay healthy and play well.
But how else would you describe a career that peaked nearly three years ago? On May 21, 2003, the day after his 23rd birthday, Kearns crashed into Atlanta pitcher Ray King and ripped his shoulder. Since then, he has been a hope, an enigma and two-legged bad luck.
This is the year to make or break those perceptions. Kearns is healthy. He shed 15 pounds and former Reds GM Dan O'Brien, who was not his best friend. He won't be traded to Cleveland for pitcher Jake Westbrook, he won't be sharing time in right field with Wily Mo Peņa. This is the year we find out about Austin Kearns.
"At-bats take care of a lot of things," Kearns said. "In the minor leagues and the first couple years here, I played every day. Then I found out how tough it is when you don't play every day.
"It's tough looking over your shoulder. It wears on you sometimes. You get in there, you know you'd better produce. It's easy to press. I press enough as it is."
Kearns said Friday he almost welcomed his five-week demotion to Triple-A Louisville last June, a trip O'Brien laid partly on Kearns' weight.
"It put my mind at ease. I was so mad at the whole situation" in Cincinnati, said Kearns. "It was probably good to get away from what was going on. It was a mental rest. I play better when I'm having fun, laughing and joking around. Last year was the total opposite."
When you ask him about the weight issue, Kearns shrugs. The team wanted him to lose weight, so he did. He doesn't know what effect it will have this year. Last year, he thought the team used it as an excuse to demote him to
Triple-A.
"They didn't say one word about it in spring training, when I had a good spring. Don't make a big deal about it (in June)," Kearns said. "I was struggling. I got off to a bad start. Nothing more than that."
It's instructive to compare Kearns to his friend Adam Dunn. Their careers have followed the same path, but their trajectories have been radically different. Between 1998 and 2001, Kearns and Dunn traveled the same Billings-Dayton-Chattanooga minor-league road. Dunn started the '02 season in Cincinnati; Kearns was called up June 25. Dunn is six months older than Kearns.
Dunn averaged 35 homers over the past four years and played in at least 158 games in three of them. Kearns in those years has totaled 55 homers and averaged 91 games.
Dunn just signed a two-year contract with an option for a third. He'll make $7 million this year and $10.5 million in '07. Kearns will earn $1.85 million this season.
When the Reds signed first baseman Scott Hatteberg, a free agent, last month, the first reaction wasn't "Oh, great, veteran depth in the infield." It was "Now they'll trade Kearns or Wily Mo Peņa for pitching and move Dunn back to left field."
O'Brien wanted to trade Kearns but feared Kearns' potential too much to follow through. It is a tribute to that potential that the Reds are still waiting for Kearns.
Kearns knows it's time to give his potential some legs.
Spring training is a time capsule of hope, faith and optimism. Especially optimism. If you can't love life in Florida in March, you might as well check yourself out.
Kearns has a flat stomach and a full-time job. He looks as good as everyone else does down here in March. Cross your fingers for his health, then sit back and see what happens.
"I think if I'm out there and healthy, my numbers will be there," Kearns said.
We're about to find out.