While growing up, I hated this guy more than any other player except for Gary Gaietti(sp). I hated him because he was a Twin. I hated him because he beat my Tigers. But most of all I hated him because I really couldn't hate him.
He was a great ballplayer and he always seemed to me to know that he had the best job in the world. I met him at Tiger stadium and he was really friendly. He told us what it was like to get paid to play a game and I knew that he loved baseball as much as I did. I had to respect that.
He was a short, little fat guy who went hard ALL THE TIME. My brother and I used to root for him to break something when he crashed into the wall, but deep down we knew it was the wall who was hurting. I wish baseball had more players like him - a kid who grew up, lived his dream and enjoyed every minute of it, not some pre-madonnas who wreck my game by treating it like some petty business.
Godspeed Kirby!