Kearns gets his walking papers

Former MattroStar Austin Kearns in his pre-bust days.

Back in 2002, the MattroStars took a look at two Reds slugging prospects -- Austin Kearns and Adam Dunn. Both were projected to be middle-of-the-order power threats. Some even rated Kearns above Dunn. The MattroStars were one of those teams. Scouts had this to say about Kearns in 2001:

Austin Kearns is the Reds' best prospect, bar none. Scouts love him for his tools while people like us get excited about the power and plate discipline he's shown at age 20. His 2000 performance is inflated by the level--a real comer doesn't usually get 900-odd ABs in the Midwest League--so he may look like a relative disappointment this year. Ignore it: Kearns will be a star.

The rest, as they say, is history. Since breaking into the league Adam Dunn has gone on to hit 212 homers. Kearns, 28, has battled injuries, weight issues and indifference on his way to a whopping 84 homers over 6 seasons. This season he's batting a paltry .253/.316/.394 with 5 HR and 23 RBI in 221 ABs. This week, the MattroStars finally cut bait with Kearns, opting for the younger, and thus far this season, more productive Corey Hart. Hart, who found himself as the fourth outfielder after an early-season injury and hot starts by Kevin Mench and Geoff Jenkins, is now playing nearly every day in Milwaukee. He's hitting .298/.371/.452 with 3 HR and 10 SB in 124 ABs.

"It's sad, really," said Stars owner Matt Grisafi. "We gave Austin every opportunity to succeed here and for whatever reason he never lived up to that potential. He helped us win a championship, and for that he'll always be welcome in our clubhouse. But it's become pretty obvious that whatever we were hoping for isn't coming. It's time to give someone else a shot. You won't have Austin Kearns to kick around anymore."