In 1994 graduated from Oliver Wendell Holmes High School in San Antonio, TX, where he established
the Brandon Larson Scholarship Fund...attended Blinn Junior College in Brenham, TX, where in 1995 he hit .304 with
41rbi and in 1996 earned junior college All-America honors after hitting .421 with 10hr and 75rbi...received a degree
in information systems and decision sciences at Louisana State University...in 1997 was a first-team All-American
after establishing LSU and Southeastern Conference single-season records with 40hr and 118rbi...was named SEC
Player of the Year after leading the league in homers, RBI and total bases...also established an LSU record with 110
hits...was named 1997 College World Series MVP after leading the Tigers to their second consecutive national
championship (.368, 3hr, 8rbi)...also in 1997 was named first-team All-American by the ABCA,
*Baseball America*, NCBWA and *The Sporting News* and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award, given annually to the nation's best
amateur player.
2003
Didn't play after 8/16...on 9/2 had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder (Dr. Timothy Kremchek)...on
8/18 went on the 15-day disabled list with the shoulder injury...appeared in 32g during 3 stints with the Reds (Opening
Day-4/19, 7/17-7/25, 8/6-8/16)...produced his second consecutive All-Star season at Class AAA Louisville...his 20
homers there, in just 72g, tied for the most by any Reds minor leaguer...began the season as the Reds' starting third
baseman, with Aaron Boone playing 2B...started 15 of the club's first 18g at 3B but went 4-for-48 (.083, 0hr, 5rbi)
before he was optioned to Louisville on 4/19...in 63g for Louisville hit .324 (17hr, 65rbi) before he returned to the Reds
on 7/17...in 7g and 1 start for the Reds went 2-for-10 before he returned to Louisville on 7/26...rejoined the Reds on
8/6 and went 3-for-31 in 9 starts before his season ended with the shoulder injury...finished the season hitless in his
final 16ab...made 25 starts for the Reds, including 22 starts at 3B and 3 starts in LF (last, 8/10 at SD)...in the batting
order hit fourth (3gs), fifth (3gs), sixth (8gs), seventh (9gs) and eighth (2gs)...on 8/4 at LA struck out 4 times for the
only time in his career...hit his only homer of the season on 8/7 at LA, a solo shot off Hideo Nomo...when promoted
on 8/6 ranked among International League leaders in slugging percentage (1st, .617), homers (T2nd, 20), RBI (3rd, 74)
and batting average (T5th, .323)...was the TOPPS International League Player of the Month for June (.367, 6hr,
13rb)...when named to the IL's mid-season All-Star team led the league with 17hr, 65rbi and a .611 slugging
percentage while ranking fifth with a .324ba...also was selected to play in the Triple-A All-Star Game...hit 2 homers vs
Tol on 4/29...on 6/19 at Columbus produced a grand slam and 6rbi...during spring training missed 10g (3/3-3/12) with
a strained right rib cage muscle...aggravated the injury on 3/16 and missed 2 more games.
Career highlights: At Class AAA Louisville holds franchise career records for extra-base hits (134), homers
(61), grand slams (4) and 2-homer games (5)...his 26-game hitting streak (.368) from 5/15-6/21, 2003 is the longest
in Louisville history and the third-longest in the minors that season...ranks third on Louisville's all-time list in RBI
(202)...in 2003 was an International League mid-season and post-season All-Star and was selected to participate in
the Triple-A All-Star Game...was the TOPPS International League Player of the Month for June 2003...in 2002 received
the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the Reds' Minor League Player of the Year...as an IL mid-season All-Star was
selected to play in the 2002 Triple-A All-Star Game, where he won the home run hitting contest...was TOPPS'
International League Player of the Month for June 2002...in 2000 was the National League's starting third baseman in
the Double-A All-Star Game...in 1999 was a Midwest League mid-season All-Star.
2002
Spent the first half of the season at Class AAA Louisville, where he was a mid-season International League All-Star...led all Reds minor leaguers in hitting and homers and was the organization's minor league player of the year...although he played only half a season in the minors, he led the Bats and ranked third in the IL in homers...was promoted on 7/11, following the acquisition of RHP Ryan Dempster from the Florida Marlins...spent the second half of the season with the Reds but was limited to 23 apps, including 12 starts, because of a pair of disabling injuries...from 8/16-8/30 was on the 15-day disabled list with a broken big toe on his right foot suffered when he was hit by a Randy Johnson pitch (8/15 vs Ari)...was reinstated from the DL on 8/31 and and made 2 more apps, both as a pinch hitter, before his season was cut short by a broken left hand...on 9/4 at StL, while sitting in the dugout during the fourth inning of the Reds' 10-5 loss, he was hit behind the right ear by Walker's line drive foul ball and suffered the hand injury while falling to the dugout floor...didn't play again the rest of the season...for the Reds made 7 starts in LF and 5 starts at 3B...as defensive replacements also made his first 2 career apps at 1B (7/21 vs NYM, 7/31 vs LA)...on 7/21 vs Mets recorded his first career home run, a solo shot off Bobby M. Jones...the next night vs Pit recorded his first career 2-hit game and his first career stolen base...on 7/24 vs Pit produced a career-high 3rbi on a 3-run HR off Joe Beimel...from 7/20-7/31 put together a career-high 8-game hitting streak (.400, 3hr, 8rbi), raising BA from .200 to .343...in the ninth inning of the 15-10 victory at SD on 8/4, snapped the 10-10 tie with a 2-run single off Trevor Hoffman...drove in both Reds runs in the 7-2 loss to Ari on 8/15...in that game homered in his first career plate appearance vs Randy Johnson, walked in his second plate appearance and then produced his second RBI when was hit by Johnson's pitch with the bases loaded...played another inning after the HBP,
but the next day went on the DL with the broken toe...appeared in 80g at
Louisville, including 3 rehab apps from 8/28-8/30...when promoted on 7/11 ranked
among International League leaders in slugging percentage (1st, .667), home runs
(T1st, 24), extra-base hits (T1st, 45), RBI (2nd, 68) and hitting (4th,
.340)...was Louisville's Hitter of the Month for both May and June...at the
Triple-A All-Star Game in Oklahoma City won the Old Navy Home Run Derby by
hitting 18hr...became the first player in Louisville history to hit 3 grand
slams in a season, hitting all 3 slams in a 25-day span...for the Bats produced
three 2-homer games...his 41 career homers rank T3rd in Louisville franchise
history (Scott Krause, Stan Royer)...was a non-roster invitee to training camp.
2001
In 2000 was the National League's starting third baseman
in the Double-A All-Star Game...at Chattanooga hit .272 with 20hr, 64rbi and 15
stolen bases in 111g...with 20 homers led the club and ranked T4th in the
Southern League
1999
At Class AA Chattanooga and Class A Rockford combined to hit .294 with 25 HR and 94 RBI in 112g ... established career highs in every category during his first full professional season ... his 25 HR and 94 RBI were the second-highest totals among Reds minor leaguers ... began the season at Rockford and earned a spot on the mid-season Midwest League All-Star team ... hit a grand slam on 5/12 vs Peoria ... in July was on the disabled list with a bruised left knee, an injury unrelated to his 1998 surgery ... in August for the Lookouts led the Southern League with 9 HR and 28 RBI while putting together a season-high 9-game hitting streak ... twice homered in 3 consecutive games
1998
Appeared in only 18g because of a knee injury suffered on 5/6 while sliding into home plate ... had reconstructive surgery to repair the posterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee
1997
Following his first season as a professional was rated by Baseball America as the organizationbs ninth-best prospect
