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Austin Ryan Kearns (born May 20, 1980) is an American former
Kearns was traded to the Nationals on July 13, 2006, along with Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray,
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
. He played in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) from 2002 through 2013 for the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
, Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
, Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
, and Miami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
.
Baseball career
Cincinnati Reds
After playing at Lafayette Senior High School, he was offered ascholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholarsh ...
to play college baseball at the University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
. However, he decided to sign with the Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
after being selected seventh overall in the 1998 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1998 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1998. A total of 1445 players were drafted over the course of 50 rounds.
First round selections ...
. After three seasons in the Reds' minor league
Minor leagues are professional sports leagues which are not regarded as the premier leagues in those sports. Minor league teams tend to play in smaller, less elaborate venues, often competing in smaller cities/markets. This term is used in Nor ...
system, he made his Major League debut on April 17, 2002.
Washington Nationals
Kearns was traded to the Nationals on July 13, 2006, along with Felipe Lopez and Ryan Wagner from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Gary Majewski, Bill Bray, Royce Clayton
Royce Spencer Clayton (born January 2, 1970) is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Colo ...
, Brendan Harris, and Daryl Thompson.
On September 23, 2006, playing against the New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium (), formally known as William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City.Nick Johnson collided while making a sliding attempt to catch a fly ball. Kearns originally remained in the game relatively unhurt, but was removed shortly after play resumed by Manager 
In 2008, the Nationals placed Kearns on the 15-day
On January 5, 2010, Kearns signed a minor league contract with the
Frank Robinson
Frank Robinson (August 31, 1935 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional baseball outfielder and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played for five teams, from to . The only player to be named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of bot ...
. Kearns was replaced by Ryan Church
Ryan Matthew Church (born October 14, 1978) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played for the Montreal Expos / Washington Nationals, New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Career Minors
Drafte ...
, who played in Kearns' spot for most of the rest of the season. Kearns suffered severe bruising down his left side as well as soreness. Johnson sustained a broken femur
The femur (; ), or thigh bone, is the proximal bone of the hindlimb in tetrapod vertebrates. The head of the femur articulates with the acetabulum in the pelvic bone forming the hip joint, while the distal part of the femur articulates with ...
and underwent surgery that night to repair his injuries. Johnson missed all of 2007 recuperating from his injuries. Kearns, however, had career highs in several key areas, including 161 games played
Games played (GP) is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated (in any capacity); the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.
Basebal ...
and 74 RBIs
A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...
. On May 12, 2007, in a game at home against the Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
, Kearns hit a bases-empty inside-the-park home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
, the first ever for a Nationals player. The ball bounced off the glove of Florida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
player Reggie Abercrombie
Reginald Damascus Abercrombie (born July 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins and Houston Astros.
Professional career
Abercrombie graduated from Colum ...
. Kearns scored after receiving the sign to keep running by 3rd base coach Tim Tollman. Down the stretch, he tallied 4 hits in 11 at bat
In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...
s (with 2 home runs) in a late-season Nats' series sweep over the division leading New York Mets that kept the Mets out of the playoffs.
In 2008, the Nationals placed Kearns on the 15-day disabled list
In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL).
General guidelines
...
on May 22 because of loose bodies in his right elbow and on August 25 with a stress fracture
A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
in his left foot.
Kearns was placed on the disabled list on August 5, 2009 with a right thumb injury. His move to the list was retroactive to August 4. The Nationals called up outfielder Jorge Padilla from the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs to replace the ailing Kearns. On November 6, the Nationals declined the 2010 contract option on Kearns making him a free agent.
Cleveland Indians
On January 5, 2010, Kearns signed a minor league contract with the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
with an invite to spring training. He was added to the Major League roster on April 3. On July 5, 2010, vs. the Texas Rangers, Kearns was hit by a pitch three times. This set a new all time Indians record and tied the Major League record for most hits by pitch. The last player to do so was Manny Ramirez
Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30, 1972) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of 19 seasons. He played with the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, L ...
on the same date in 2008.
New York Yankees
On July 30, 2010, Kearns was traded to theNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
for a player to be named later, later revealed to be Zach McAllister
Zachary Taylor McAllister (born December 8, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. He was d ...
. Kearns was part of the Yankees 2010 postseason roster until the team lost to the Texas Rangers in the 2010 ALCS.
Second stint with Cleveland
On December 20, 2010, Kearns signed a one-year deal with theCleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
. He was designated for assignment on August 12, 2011 to make room on the active roster for the return of Shin-Soo Choo
Shin-Soo Choo (; ; born July 13, 1982) is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the SSG Landers of the KBO League. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, Ci ...
from the disabled list. Kearns was released on August 17.
Miami Marlins
Kearns signed a minor league contract with theMiami Marlins
The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park.
The franc ...
on January 25, 2012. He also received an invitation to spring training and would later make the Opening Day roster.
On May 23, 2012, The Marlins placed Kearns on a 15-day Disabled List after he strained his right hamstring. He was reinstated on June 7. In 2012, he hit .245 with 6 doubles, no triples, 4 home runs, 16 RBI, 22 walks, and 2 stolen bases in 147 at bats.
In 2013, Kearns was batting .185 through 19 games before he was placed on the Bereavement List by the Marlins. After seven games, having not returned to the team, he was transferred to the restricted list.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kearns, Austin 1980 births Living people Cincinnati Reds players Washington Nationals players Cleveland Indians players New York Yankees players Miami Marlins players Baseball players from Lexington, Kentucky Major League Baseball right fielders Billings Mustangs players Rockford Reds players Dayton Dragons players Gulf Coast Reds players Chattanooga Lookouts players Louisville Bats players Hagerstown Suns players Columbus Clippers players Jupiter Hammerheads players