Johnny Ruffin facts for kids

Johnny Renando Ruffin was born on July 29, 1971. He is a former American professional baseball player. He was a pitcher, which means he threw the ball to the batter. Johnny played for six seasons in the Major League Baseball (MLB). This is the top baseball league in the United States. He played for teams like the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Florida Marlins. He also played baseball in other countries. He spent one season in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Kintetsu Buffaloes. He also played one season in South Korea's KBO League for the SK Wyverns.

Johnny Ruffin's Baseball Journey

Johnny Ruffin started his professional baseball career after being chosen in the 1988 MLB draft. The Chicago White Sox picked him in the fourth round. He began playing with their rookie team, the Gulf Coast League White Sox, in 1988.

Playing in Major League Baseball

Johnny Ruffin joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1993. He played with them until 1996. After that, he went to play baseball in Japan for a season. He returned to Major League Baseball later. He played for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2000. Then, he joined the Florida Marlins in 2001.

Playing Around the World

After his time with the Reds, Johnny played for the Kintetsu Buffaloes in Japan in 1997. He also played in South Korea for the SK Wyverns in 2002. That same year, he played for the Louisville Bats. This team is a Triple-A team, which is a high level of minor league baseball.

A Top Athlete from Alabama

In 2016, an article from AL.com called Johnny Ruffin the best athlete to come from Choctaw County, Alabama. This shows how talented he was in sports.