Flynn was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. He attended Bryan Station High School, where he starred in baseball, basketball and football, playing quarterback on a 12-1 team. He went to the University of Kentucky on a combination baseball-basketball scholarship. While attending Kentucky, Flynn and some friends went to a Cincinnati Reds tryout camp. Flynn made the cut. After one more tryout camp and yet another audition at Riverfront Stadium, the Reds signed him as an amateur free agent in 1971.\n', '

Flynn batted .245 with six home runs and 113 runs batted in over three seasons in the Reds\' farm system. Still, his glove impressed Reds manager Sparky Anderson. Despite having played shortstop predominantly in the minors, Flynn went into Spring training 1975 battling Darrell Chaney, Dan Driessen and John Vukovich for the open third base job.\n', '

He made the team, but as a utility infielder, and made his major league debut on April 9 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at short. Starting the following night, Flynn scored his first major league run after reaching on a force play on the fourth inning. Three innings later, he chased Dodgers starter Rick Rhoden out of the game with his first career hit, a single to center.\n', '

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