CINCINNATI — After being named a starter to the Triple-A All-Star game and winning the Old Navy Home Run Derby, former LSU third baseman Brandon Larson was called up to the major leagues on Thursday to play for the Reds.
Larson, who holds the Southeastern Conference records for single-season home runs (40), RBI (118) and total bases (250), batted .381 and helped LSU win the 1997 College World Series title.
When called up for 14 major league games in 2001, Larson was 4-for-33 (.121) with two runs scored, two doubles and one RBI for the Reds. He struckout 10 times while walking twice.
In Tuesday’s home run derby, Larson, 26, of the International League’s Louisville Bats put on an awesome power display to take the top prize, a check for $1,000 and a $500 gift certificate from the Old Navy stores. He was the Reds’ first round draft pick out of LSU in 1997. He ranks fourth in the league in batting average (.340), is tied for first in home runs (24) and is second in RBIs (68, four behind teammate Kevin Witt). He also leads the International League in slugging percentage (.667) and extra-base hits (45).
There were three players from each league in the Old Navy Home Run Derby with each contestant swinging until he made 10 outs. Any swing that did not produce a home run was considered an out.
Larson, with five, and Crede, with four, advanced while Jack Cust of Colorado Springs (COL) had 3; Mike Cuddyer of Edmonton (MIN) and another former Tiger, Andy Sheets of Durham (TB), had two each; and Mike Ryan of Edmonton (MIN) had one.
There was no carryover of homers into the final round, so Crede and Larson started even. Crede put up a good total with seven, but he was no match for Larson, who surpassed that with his eighth when he was only halfway through his alloted 10 outs. He continued swinging and finished with 11, nearly all of them against or over the double tier of billboards behind the left field bleachers.
Crede received a check for $500 for finishing second, while Cust, Cuddyer, Sheets and Ryan won $250 each.
Larson started Wednesday’s Triple-A All-Star Game at third base in a 5-0 loss to the Pacific Coast League.