| Clay Kirby | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1948-06-25)June 25, 1948 Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
| Died: October 11, 1991(1991-10-11) (aged 43) Arlington, Virginia, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 11, 1969, for the San Diego Padres | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1976, for the Montreal Expos | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 75–104 |
| Earned run average | 3.84 |
| Strikeouts | 1,061 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Clayton Laws Kirby, Jr. (June 25, 1948 – October 11, 1991) was an AmericanMajor League Baseball (MLB) pitcher for theSan Diego Padres (1969–1973),Cincinnati Reds (1974–75) andMontreal Expos (1976).
Clayton Laws "Clay" Kirby, Jr, was born inWashington, D.C., and attendedWashington-Lee High School inArlington, Virginia.[1] He was drafted by theSt. Louis Cardinals in the third round of the1966 draft, however, in October 1968 he was chosen in theexpansion draft by the Padres, who would begin play in 1969 along with the Expos.[2]
He made his Major League debut at age 20 with the first-year Padres on April 11, 1969 as the Padres fell at home 8-0 to theSan Francisco Giants. The first major league hitter he ever faced wasWillie Mays, who walked, as Kirby gave up three earned runs in four innings.[3] Although he led the National League in losses that year with 20 (against seven wins), he had a 3.80earned run average in 35 starts with 215.1 innings pitched.[2]
On July 21, 1970, Kirby hadno-hit the visitingNew York Mets through eight innings, but was trailing 1-0. In the first inning Kirby had walkedTommie Agee, who stole second base. With one out Kirby walkedKen Singleton and the Mets pulled off a double steal, placing Agee on third. Agee subsequently scored on anArt Shamsky ground out to second basemanRon Slocum.[4] Now with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Padres ManagerPreston Gómez hadCito Gaston pinch-hit for Kirby, denying him a chance to complete the no-hitter. The 10,373 fans in attendance booed long and loud. Padres relieverJack Baldschun then gave up two runs and three hits in the ninth. The Mets'Jim McAndrew had retired 15 batters in a row en route to what would be a three-hit, 3-0 victory for the Mets. According to Mets pitcherTom Seaver. "The Mets bench just gasped in disbelief," Seaver toldsportswriterJoe Durso. "I personally would have let him (Kirby) hit. If the pennant race were involved, no. But in this situation, yes."[5][6] That season, Kirby posted a 10-16 record with a 4.53 ERA. The next two years Kirby had numbers of 15-13, 2.83 (with 13 complete games and 231 strikeouts) in 1971, and 12–14, 3.13 in 1972. In 1973 his record fell to 8-18 with a 4.79 ERA.[2]
The Padres, who began play in 1969, were the last Major League Baseball team never to have thrown a no-hitter untilJoe Musgrove threw the franchise's first on April 9, 2021 against the Texas Rangers. Fans and writers occasionally attribute this unlikely failure to the "Curse of Clay Kirby," in recognition of the controversial decision by Preston Gómez to remove Kirby from the game.[7][8]
In November 1973 Kirby was traded to the Reds for outfielderBobby Tolan and the move paid off as Kirby went 12–9 with an ERA of 3.28 as the Reds won 98 games. In 1975, Kirby was one of six starters to win 10 or more games for theBig Red Machine, who won the National League title as he went 10–6 with an ERA of 4.72 in 19 starts. The Reds later won the1975 World Series, but Kirby did not play in the series.[9]
He was sent to theMontreal Expos forBob Bailey on December 12, 1975.[10] In January 1976 Kirby was stricken with a long bout of pneumonia before he joined the Expos in Florida for spring training. He was still weak and had a sore shoulder when the season opened. He got off to a miserable start and never recovered and in the 1976 season he fell to 1–8 with an ERA of 5.72, and it was his final major league season. Montreal released him on December 2, 1976. In January 1977 the Padres picked up their former pitcher to give him another chance. They invited him to theirspring training camp inYuma, Arizona. A knee injury in the final week of spring training delayed his comeback try for almost two months. The Padres placed him in theirPacific Coast League farm club in Hawaii. He won his first game for theIslanders on June 18, but never won another. According to teammateJohn D'Acquisto in his bookFastball John, "Game after game, I would see him step off the mound in despair, unable to do what he had done all through high school and through much of his time at the major league level: pitch competitive baseball." His record for the season was one win, seven losses, and an earned-run average of 7.95.
After San Diego gave up on Kirby, he tried out with the Minnesota Twins during spring training in 1978. He lasted only two weeks before he was released. Kirby was out of organized baseball before his 30th birthday.
In his eight seasons in the Major Leagues, Kirby played 261 games (239 started) and had a 75–104 record with a 3.84 ERA, 42 complete games, eight shutouts, 1,548 innings pitched and 1,061 strikeouts.[2]
Following his baseball career, Kirby was acting tournament chairman for the annual Major League Baseball Players Alumni (MLBPA) Washington Metropolitan Area Charity Golf Tournament. The event, which benefited the American Lung Association, was part of the "Swing With the Legends Golf Series."[1] His family continued to live inSan Diego County until 1983, when they returned to Virginia. Kirby became a self-employed financial securities broker.
On July 19, 1991, Kirby underwent a coronaryatherectomy to open a blockage in an artery just above his heart. After the procedure he was told he had suffered a silent heart attack. Kirby had been complaining about chest discomfort and numbness in his arm. He died of aheart attack on October 11, 1991, at the age of 43. His wife found him about 11 o'clock in the morning in his chair. It appeared that he had fallen asleep while reading and suffered the fatal attack. He was survived by his wife, Susan, his mother, Gloria, his sister, Carolyn, his son, Clayton, his daughter, Theresa, and two grandchildren. He was buried in the National Memorial Park in Falls Church, Virginia.