 King's professional baseball career began on June 1, , when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the eighth round of the amateur draft.The southpaw spent the next four seasons playing for minor league affiliates in the Reds, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs organizations before finally making his major league debut on May 21, as a member of the Cubs.After two different stints with Chicago in 1999, King was dealt to the Milwaukee Brewers the following spring.