Thursday, August 01, 2002
Getting Kearns out is almost a no-no
Rookie of the Year candidate Austin Kearns has hit safely in 14 of his past 16 games (22-for-55 with 10 RBI), including the last eight straight (13-for-30, 7 RBI). It didn't take him long to make a believer out of Dodgers starter Hideo Nomo.
Nomo threw a wicked 3-2 pitch on the outside corner, but Kearns was able to get a piece of it, fouling it over the Reds dugout. He walked on the next pitch.
It was early in the game, but Kearns is never in a rush.
In his second at-bat, Kearns took two balls, fouled off a pitch and then ripped the next one off the glove of a leaping Adrian Beltre at third base.
Later, he doubled in the eighth and walked again in the ninth.
Kearns, hitting .295, has the eye and patience of a jockey in a crowded backstretch. He knows exactly what he wants to do in his at-bats.
Speaking of which:
Just because Kearns is from Lexington, the horse capital of the world, doesn't mean he lives and dies with the equines. But, yes, he does like thoroughbred racing.
“Everybody thinks if you're from Lexington, you know all about horses,” Kearns said. “But that's usually not the case.”
Has he been to Lexington's Keeneland racetrack, known as the “Saratoga of the South”?
“Yes, and it's a lot of fun,” he said.
When was the last time Kearns was on horseback?
“I had some buddies who lived on farms, and I rode horses there, but it's been awhile - I was in Little League,” he said. “I just lost touch with it because of sports. But I do get into watching horse racing, whether it's the Kentucky Derby (on TV) or (live) at Keeneland.”
If he hits the jackpot in baseball, could Kearns see himself owning a thoroughbred?
“I think it'd be kind of fun, although I've never really thought about it,” he said. “But I know some people who do (own horses).”
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Getting Kearns out is almost a no-no
