milner was drafted out of central state university in wilberforce, ohio by the reds in 1976. he was a part of the disappointing transition of the championship cincinnati reds teams of the 1970s. the reds transitioned from players including ken griffey sr., george foster, and ray knight, taking their chances with players including milner, gary redus, and clint hurdle. a highlight of milner's career was a 20-game hitting streak 1986 in which he belted 15 home runs.