PopTop
10-21-2002, 03:26 PM
http://houston.astros.mlb.com/
Astros announce award in honor of Darryl Kile (link can be found at site above) ... It's an award that will be decided upon by Houston's baseball writers, and will reflect, "...the qualities of decency and character Kile represented to those who knew him best. It's about making the best of tough times, of doing the right things for your team and of putting yourself second," according to Houston Chronicle baseball beat writer Richard Justice.
I think it's a great idea ... But the irony is that Kile took a beating from the media, electronic and print, along with the fans when he bolted from the 'Stros to the Rockies a few years back ... Still, I'm all for the award, and wanted to share my DK story if only to reinforce the idea of what a decent person he was.
A few weeks after Kile signed with the Rockies following the 1997 season, I was out doing some Christmas shopping at a local toy store ... I grabbed the little stuffed animal I came for, headed for the checkout line and immediately noticed a rather stunning blonde in line at the next counter ... A real looker ... Doing my best not to stare at her too much, I turned my eyes and noticed Darryl Kile standing near the exit with a small child of about one or so in his arms ... Didn't take long for even a dense old Aggie such as myself to put 2 and 2 together and surmise the blonde was Mrs. Kile.
I'm not an autograph hound normally, but for some reason I really wanted to get Kile's ... I got through my line a few seconds after Kile's wife, and livened my step heading out the store ... It sort of amazed me nobody else seemed to recognize him, and I started having second thoughts of interrupting his day in the mall with his family.
I was a step or so behind them when we headed out the door, and though I'm many years Kile's senior, I still heard myself say, "Mr. Kile, mind if I ask you for an autograph?" ... I had a pen, but hadn't really thought about what he was going to sign ... He shifted the child in his arms, his wife Flynn smiled though I could tell she wasn't real happy about this fat old man hitting her husband up for a signature.
Kile said, "No problem. The way things have been going on the call-in shows, it's nice to know people in Houston still want my autograph."
Out came the small stuffed parrot I'd just purchased, and he signed it ... We ended up walking in the same direction towards our cars for the next 100 yards or so, and I let him know I was sorry to see him leaving Houston but thought he would love the Denver area where I have a few friends ... He asked where they lived; I told him the Parker area ... He looked at his wife and said they'd both been told there were some nice places there ... We parted and he hollered back to me, "Thanks for waiting until we were out of the store to get the autograph."
My wife still has the stuffed animal, and I can't help but think about that little child Kile was carrying that day when I look at it.
Astros announce award in honor of Darryl Kile (link can be found at site above) ... It's an award that will be decided upon by Houston's baseball writers, and will reflect, "...the qualities of decency and character Kile represented to those who knew him best. It's about making the best of tough times, of doing the right things for your team and of putting yourself second," according to Houston Chronicle baseball beat writer Richard Justice.
I think it's a great idea ... But the irony is that Kile took a beating from the media, electronic and print, along with the fans when he bolted from the 'Stros to the Rockies a few years back ... Still, I'm all for the award, and wanted to share my DK story if only to reinforce the idea of what a decent person he was.
A few weeks after Kile signed with the Rockies following the 1997 season, I was out doing some Christmas shopping at a local toy store ... I grabbed the little stuffed animal I came for, headed for the checkout line and immediately noticed a rather stunning blonde in line at the next counter ... A real looker ... Doing my best not to stare at her too much, I turned my eyes and noticed Darryl Kile standing near the exit with a small child of about one or so in his arms ... Didn't take long for even a dense old Aggie such as myself to put 2 and 2 together and surmise the blonde was Mrs. Kile.
I'm not an autograph hound normally, but for some reason I really wanted to get Kile's ... I got through my line a few seconds after Kile's wife, and livened my step heading out the store ... It sort of amazed me nobody else seemed to recognize him, and I started having second thoughts of interrupting his day in the mall with his family.
I was a step or so behind them when we headed out the door, and though I'm many years Kile's senior, I still heard myself say, "Mr. Kile, mind if I ask you for an autograph?" ... I had a pen, but hadn't really thought about what he was going to sign ... He shifted the child in his arms, his wife Flynn smiled though I could tell she wasn't real happy about this fat old man hitting her husband up for a signature.
Kile said, "No problem. The way things have been going on the call-in shows, it's nice to know people in Houston still want my autograph."
Out came the small stuffed parrot I'd just purchased, and he signed it ... We ended up walking in the same direction towards our cars for the next 100 yards or so, and I let him know I was sorry to see him leaving Houston but thought he would love the Denver area where I have a few friends ... He asked where they lived; I told him the Parker area ... He looked at his wife and said they'd both been told there were some nice places there ... We parted and he hollered back to me, "Thanks for waiting until we were out of the store to get the autograph."
My wife still has the stuffed animal, and I can't help but think about that little child Kile was carrying that day when I look at it.