{"id":563542,"date":"2026-02-10T04:04:32","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T04:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/563542\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T04:04:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T04:04:32","slug":"cardcorner-1995-donruss-wayne-kirby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/563542\/","title":{"rendered":"#CardCorner: 1995 Donruss Wayne Kirby"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coming off an impressive rookie season where he seemingly established himself as a key member of a young Cleveland core, Wayne Kirby stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 11th inning on Opening Day in 1994.<\/p>\n

The 41,459 fans at Jacobs Field that day were celebrating the debut of their new ballpark, and the crowd was in a frenzy after the Indians rallied to force extra innings.<\/p>\n

With runners on second and third, Kirby slapped a single down the left field line to score Eddie Murray, ushering in a new era of success in Cleveland. It would be the highlight of a playing career that preceded a long, successful stint as an MLB coach for the lefty-swinging outfielder from Williamsburg, Va.<\/p>\n

\"Front
Wayne Kirby played for the Indians, Dodgers and Mets over an eight-year major league career. (Donruss baseball card photographed by Milo Stewart Jr.\/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Born Jan. 22, 1964, Kirby was the second oldest of four children born to Wayne and Thelma Kirby. An all-around athlete in his prep days, Kirby was a running back at Yorktown, Va.\u2019s, Tabb High School and led the Tigers to a Group AA state championship in 1981, rushing for more than 3,500 yards in his career.<\/p>\n

Kirby gained 105 yards on the ground and scored all three of the Tigers\u2019 touchdowns in a 20-6 win over Martinsville in the title game.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Kirby kid is all that we had heard about him,\u201d Martinsville coach Dick Hensley told the Martinsville Bulletin after the championship game. \u201cProbably his ability to dip and go, moving and finding the seams, might have been the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Kenny Kirby \u2013 one year younger than Wayne \u2013 set a school record with 45 points in one basketball game and also played on the state title football team. But it was the youngest brother, Terry, who was considered the family\u2019s best athlete. Terry Kirby was one of the country\u2019s most heavily recruited running backs coming out of high school in 1988 before enrolling at the University of Virginia, where he starred for four seasons before becoming a third-round pick of the NFL\u2019s Miami Dolphins in 1993.<\/p>\n

Terry Kirby would play for 10 seasons in the NFL, totaling 2,875 yards rushing and 333 receptions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe coaches say I\u2019m sort of a combination of my two older brothers,\u201d Terry Kirby told the Roanoke Times in 1988. \u201cHaving the chance to play against them and with them has helped me, without a doubt.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduating from Tabb High School in Yorktown, Va., in 1982, Wayne Kirby enrolled at Newport News Apprentice School, a vocational institution that trained students to work in the shipbuilding industry. Kirby, who intended to become a mechanic, played basketball for NNAS, excelling at point guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cWayne adds a lot of quickness to our program,\u201d Builders coach Horace Underwood told the Daily Press of Newport News.<\/p>\n

\"Back
Originally drafted and developed by the Dodgers, Wayne Kirby signed with Cleveland as a minor league free agent following the 1990 season.\u00a0(Donruss baseball card photographed by Milo Stewart Jr.\/National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Undrafted out of high school, Kirby was available in the January 1983 MLB Draft as a student at a post-high school educational institution. The Dodgers selected Kirby in the 13th round of that draft, and Kirby signed on May 8, 1983.<\/p>\n

Of the 43 players taken after Kirby in that draft, only Damon Berryhill \u2013 taken one spot after Kirby by the White Sox \u2013 ever made it to the major leagues.<\/p>\n

Kirby played for the Dodgers\u2019 Gulf Coast League team in Bradenton, Fla., in 1983, batting .292 with a .389 on-base percentage and 23 stolen bases in 60 games. He played at three levels (Pioneer League, California League and Florida State League) in 1984, hitting a combined .281 with 72 runs scored and 38 steals in 119 games.<\/p>\n

Kirby spent the 1985 and 1986 seasons in the Florida State League with Vero Beach, putting up similar numbers each season (.281 batting average with 28 RBI and 31 steals in 1985, followed by a .261 batting average with 31 RBI and 28 steals in 1986). He moved up to Double-A San Antonio in 1987 after spending most of that season with Class A Bakersfield, hitting a combined .264 with 62 steals.<\/p>\n

Then in 1988, Kirby again spent the season in Bakersfield and San Antonio, batting .244 with 35 steals. It was a season in which he almost quit the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was playing in Double-A and they wanted to play a prospect in front of me, Miguel Santana, a center fielder,\u201d Kirby told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 1995, referring to a player who never made the major leagues. \u201cAnd it was frustrating sitting on the bench knowing that I could be out there playing every day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a talk with my parents, and they said they didn\u2019t raise any quitters, so that was always in the back of my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally in 1989, Kirby reached Triple-A, where he hit .342 with Albuquerque in 78 games. He returned to Albuquerque in 1990, batting .278 with 29 steals in 119 games.<\/p>\n

\"Jim
The 1991 Cleveland Indians roster featured 23 rookie players, including Wayne Kirby and future Hall of Famer Jim Thome, pictured above. (MLB Photos)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Following that season, Kirby became a minor league free agent. In eight seasons with the Dodgers organization, he had compiled 286 steals but hit just four home runs \u2013 none since 1987. Still, when Kirby hit the open market, the Indians quickly signed him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason I signed with Cleveland is that I heard they were changing their system to speed and lots of line drive hitters,\u201d Kirby told the Willoughby (Ohio) News-Herald in Spring Training of 1991. \u201cI know I\u2019m not a power hitter. I like to be a pest when I\u2019m hitting. I\u2019ll bunt or do whatever it takes to get on base.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Indians were reshaping their team that season around leadoff hitter Alex Cole, who electrified the team with his speed in 1990 and prompted the franchise to move the fences back at Cleveland Stadium for the 1991 season. But Cole struggled that year, and Kirby spent the season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he batted .294 with 29 steals in 118 games before getting a September call-up to Cleveland.<\/p>\n

Kirby made his big league debut on Sept. 12 against the Orioles as a defensive replacement and got his first hit five days later against the Tigers \u2013 a fourth-inning double against Walt Terrell that scored Jim Thome in what became a 3-1 win for Cleveland.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy money is on the ground,\u201d Kirby told the Willoughby News-Herald of his hitting style in the spring of 1991. \u201cPounding the ball into the dirt and all-out running to first. I don\u2019t know what my chances are here, but I do know I\u2019m going to play hard every day. That\u2019s the way I always play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cleveland used a team-record 53 players that season, including 23 rookies like Kirby and Thome. The Indians lost 105 games but began a rebuilding project that would quickly bear fruit with youngsters like Sandy Alomar Jr., Carlos Baerga, Albert Belle and Thome \u2013 all of whom played for Cleveland that year.<\/p>\n

Kirby appeared in 21 games down the stretch, batting .209 over 47 plate appearances. In 1992, Kirby once again played in 21 games for Cleveland, batting .167 after being recalled in September. But during his time in Triple-A that year, Kirby hit .345 with 18 doubles, 16 triples, 11 homers and 51 steals in 123 games while leading the Pacific Coast League in hits (162) and runs (101).<\/p>\n

When right fielder Mark Whiten was traded to the Cardinals on March 31, 1993, Kirby seemingly had a chance to find playing time in Cleveland. But just nine days before, tragedy struck the team when relievers Tim Crews and Steve Olin were killed in a boating accident. The disaster forced the team to carry an extra pitcher on its roster as manager Mike Hargrove reworked the bullpen, and Kirby was the last position player cut. He headed to Triple-A Charlotte, however, knowing that his chance would come.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I went down in the spring, I went down with a positive attitude,\u201d Kirby told the Plain Dealer. \u201cI wasn\u2019t going down there to mess around.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Head
Wayne Kirby finished fourth in the 1993 American League Rookie of the Year Award voting after leading all major league outfielders with 19 assists. (National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum\/Major League Baseball)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirby hit .289 with 11 extra base hits in 17 games when he was recalled to Cleveland in May after right fielder Glenallen Hill could not handle the position defensively. In his second start on May 2, Kirby went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored against the A\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing this game for 11 years. There\u2019s no pressure on me,\u201d Kirby told the Plain Dealer. \u201cAll you do is take a deep breath, relax and go from there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirby was batting .333 through May and became the Indians\u2019 everyday right fielder. In 131 games, he hit .269 with 71 runs scored, 19 doubles, five triples, six home runs, 60 RBI and 17 steals \u2013 finishing fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year balloting. He also led all big league outfielders with 19 assists.<\/p>\n

But the Indians\u2019 rebuilding program that helped Kirby get to the big leagues now worked against him. Manny Ram\u00edrez made his Cleveland debut that September, and many believed Ram\u00edrez was the best young hitter in the minor leagues that season.<\/p>\n

In 1994, Ram\u00edrez was Cleveland\u2019s Opening Day right fielder, and his two-run double off Randy Johnson in the eighth inning tied the game at two \u2013 setting the stage for Kirby\u2019s heroics in the 11th inning. Kirby entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch-runner for Ram\u00edrez.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Manny is going to make our team, he has to start,\u201d Indians manager Mike Hargrove told the Akron Beacon Journal toward the end of Spring Training. \u201cRight now, if he\u2019s in the lineup, I\u2019d probably have to use a late-inning defensive replacement for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thus Kirby\u2019s role changed dramatically in 1994. He became a defensive specialist and bat off the bench, batting .293 with 11 steals in 78 games in a season truncated by a strike. When the business of baseball resumed, the Indians signed Kirby to a two-year extension \u2013 plus two club option years \u2013 worth $825,000.<\/p>\n

\u201cWayne Kirby is the kind of guy you want to have around your ballclub,\u201d Indians general manager John Hart told the Plain Dealer. \u201cHe\u2019s a very positive guy and he works very hard.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Kirby struggled at the plate in 1995 as the Indians steamrolled to the American League Central title. He hit .207 with 10 steals over 101 games as Ram\u00edrez earned the first of 12 career All-Star Game selections.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still want to play every day, but I had to learn to adjust,\u201d Kirby told the Plain Dealer. \u201cThis game is all about adjusting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to help Manny become the best right fielder he can.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirby appeared in his first career postseason contest in Game 1 of the ALDS vs. the Red Sox, entering the 13-inning contest as a pinch-runner. He played in all three games of Cleveland\u2019s sweep \u2013 getting a hit in his only at-bat \u2013 then appeared in five of the six games of the ALCS vs. Seattle, starting Game 4 in left field and going 1-for-4 with a stolen base.<\/p>\n

Cleveland advanced to the World Series and Kirby appeared in three of the six games off the bench as Atlanta defeated the Indians to win the title. Then on Dec. 1, 1995, the Indians declined Kirby\u2019s two option years, setting him up to be a free agent after the 1996 campaign.<\/p>\n

In 1996, Kirby found very little playing time as Belle, Ram\u00edrez and Kenny Lofton anchored the outfield and prospects Jeromy Burnitz and Brian Giles made their case for more at-bats. After appearing in just 27 games, Kirby was placed on waivers on June 19 and claimed by the Dodgers a week later.<\/p>\n

Kirby quickly moved into the Dodgers\u2019 lineup in center field and batted .271 over 65 games, helping Los Angeles capture the National League Wild Card. In the Division Series vs. the Braves, Kirby started the first two games and went 1-for-8 before Chad Curtis got the start in center field in Game 3. Kirby came off the bench in that contest as a pinch-hitter and scored a run, but the Braves won 5-2 to sweep the series.<\/p>\n

The NLCS would mark the final postseason games of Kirby\u2019s career.<\/p>\n

\"Head
Wayne Kirby, who became the Baltimore Orioles\u2019 first base coach in 2011, is the older brother of former NFL running back Terry Kirby.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u00a0(Tony Firriolo\/MLB Photos)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirby began the 1997 season in his customary bench role for the Dodgers. Major League Baseball retired Jackie Robinson\u2019s No. 42 across the league on April 15, and Kirby was thrust into the national spotlight as the only Black player on the Dodgers roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t bother me,\u201d Kirby told the New York Daily News. \u201cHideo (Nomo) is the only guy from Japan; Chan Ho (Park) is the only guy from Korea. We\u2019re from all over, and we look at each other as part of the same family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandfather idolized Jackie Robinson. (He) would always say: \u2018This is who you have to take after.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

But Kirby was hitting just .162 through May 20 when the Dodgers designated him for assignment and asked him to go to Triple-A Albuquerque. Kirby had the right to reject the assignment but decided to report, and he hit .335 with 18 steals in 68 games before being brought back to Los Angeles in August.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never got a chance this year,\u201d Kirby told the Albuquerque Tribune when he was sent to the minors. \u201cI never got a chance at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirby finished the season hitting .169 in 46 games with the Dodgers before becoming a free agent. He signed with the Cardinals but was assigned to Triple-A Memphis to start the year before being traded to the Mets for outfielder Shawn Gilbert on June 10, 1998.<\/p>\n

He appeared in 26 games for New York \u2013 the final games of his big league career \u2013 and hit .194 before being released in September.<\/p>\n

Kirby spent much of the 1999 season with Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting .300 in 66 games but failing to get a shot with the parent club in San Diego. He played a full season with Triple-A Rochester in 2000, hitting .284 over 129 games, and finished his playing career with the Solano Steelheads of the independent Western League in 2001.<\/p>\n

\"Wayne
Wayne Kirby\u2019s\u00a0coaching career has included stints in Baltimore, San Diego and New York.\u00a0(Todd Kirkland\/MLB Photos)
\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kirby\u2019s reputation as a good teammate, however, made him quickly employable as a coach. He rejoined the Indians in 2002 as Burlington\u2019s hitting coach in the Appalachian League, moving up the organizational chain through 2005 before joining the Rangers as a minor league baserunning instructor.<\/p>\n

In 2011, Kirby returned to the big leagues on Buck Showalter\u2019s staff in Baltimore as the Orioles\u2019 first base coach \u2013 a position he held through 2018. Kirby and Showalter had bonded when both were working for the Rangers.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t shut up since he was born,\u201d Orioles outfielder Adam Jones told the Daily Press of the affable Kirby. \u201cThe thing I like about him is he\u2019s the same every day. Wayne is good people. That\u2019s why he\u2019s been around so long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kirby joined the Padres as their first base coach in 2020 and stayed there two seasons \u2013 helping Fernando Tatis Jr. transition from shortstop into a Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder \u2013 before joining Showalter again as the Mets\u2019 first base coach in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201c(Kirby) is a blueprint of what a coach is supposed to be,\u201d Showalter told the Daily Press in 2011. \u201cI found out real quickly I could forget about what Wayne is responsible for. He\u2019s going to take care of it and I\u2019m not going to have to worry about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over eight big league seasons as a player, Kirby hit .252 with 302 hits, 183 runs scored and 44 steals. And while only a regular for one year, Kirby proved that there is a place in the sun \u2013 in many cases for decades \u2013 for those who refuse to give up.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re willing to work hard, play the game hard and you like the game,\u201d Kirby told the Plain Dealer early in the 1993 season, \u201cyou\u2019re going to stay in it for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craig Muder is the director of communications for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Coming off an impressive rookie season where he seemingly established himself as a key member of a young…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":563543,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2374],"tags":[143,47,2538,5,4,125],"class_list":{"0":"post-563542","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-baltimore-orioles","8":"tag-baltimore","9":"tag-baltimore-orioles","10":"tag-baltimoreorioles","11":"tag-baseball","12":"tag-mlb","13":"tag-orioles"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116044358548988000","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563542\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/563543"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}