and made a run-saving play on defense in the Reds' 5–4, 12-inning win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Sabo continued to make the most of the opportunity throughout the season. On April 18, he hit his first career home run, a solo shot off San Francisco Giants pitcher Mike Krukow. For the season, he posted a .271 average with 11 home runs and 44 RBI, pounded out 40 doubles and also stole 46 bases. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award and quickly became a fan favorite with his hustle and determination punctuated by his flat-top haircut and ever-present wraparound protective eyeglasses commonly known as Rec Specs. That season, Sabo was featured on the cover of Baseball America and The Sporting News and was the subject of a feature article in Sports Illustrated. After a forgettable campaign in which he was limited to 82 games, Sabo returned to help lead the Reds to a World Series Championship as he batted .270 with 25 home runs and 71 RBI. Sabo also had an outstanding World Series, batting an astounding .583 with nine hits in 16 at bats, including two home runs and five RBI plus two walks. At the Reds' Fountain Square victory celebration, he famously grabbed the microphone and bellowed to the cheering crowd, "We've got the rings, we've got the money, we've got everything!" He had his most productive season in , posting career-highs in batting average (.301), home runs (26), RBI (88), hits (175) and games played (153). Sabo made the National League All-Star team in , and . After injuries limited his play in , his production dropped off drastically. Sabo never again hit above .260 nor would have more than 10 steals in a season. Baltimore signed him in where he endured another injury-plagued season and then split 1995 between Chicago and St. Louis. His final season was in Cincinnati in . His homecoming did not go as well as he had hoped. In July, Sabo shattered his bat, which was filled with cork. As a result of the incident, Sabo received a seven-game suspension. Sabo maintains that he never corked a bat in his life, (even saying to the press afterward, "I can't even change a lightbulb!") claiming that the bat in question (which he was given in the middle of the plate appearance after breaking his original bat) belonged to another