Vital Statistics:
Born: May 21, 1981
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 235
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Family: Wife, Katie; daughter, Sierra
Primary position: Center field
Before The Bigs:
- Named USA Baseball Amateur Player of the year and Baseball America High School Player of the Year in 1999, when he hit .529 with 20 stolen bases, 13 homers and 35 RBI in 70 at-bats.
- Selected first overall in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, receiving a $3.96 million signing bonus.
- Hit 10 homers in 56 games at rookie-level Princeton (W.Va.) in 1999, and .302 with 13 homers in 96 games at Single-A Charleston (S.C.) in 2000.
- Got in an auto accident in 2001, and became addicted to drugs. He did not play baseball from 2002 to 2006, a combination of injuries and suspensions because of drug use.
Career Highlights:
- Left unprotected by the Devil Rays and was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the Rule 5 draft before the 2007 season. His rights were then traded to the Cincinnati Reds
- Hit .403 in spring training for the Reds, and made the team. Was NL Rookie of the Month in April. Hit .292 with 19 homers and 47 RBI as a rookie.
- Traded to the Texas Rangers before the 2008 season (for pitcher Edinson Volquez) and hit .310 with 21 homers and 95 RBI and was selected a starter for the AL All-Star team in 2008.
- Hit a record 28 homers in the first round of the 2008 All-Star Home Run Derby, and finished second.
