no. 299 - ed kirkpatrick

Who is the man: Ed Kirkpatrick had completed his second season for the second-year Kansas City Royals when this card was made. Kirkpatrick played even more in 1970 than he did in 1969, basically taking over the starting catcher role.

Can ya dig it: This is the fourth Royals action shot in the set (Rojas, Severson and Piniella are the others). I want to say either the Royals or the Yankees have the most. I should start keeping track.

Right on: Kirkpatrick is showing off his guns. And his sideburns.

You see this cat Kirkpatrick is a bad mother: Kirkpatrick manhandled Reds manager Sparky Anderson during a fight between the Pirates and the Reds in 1974. After the Reds' Jack Billingham brushed back Pirates pitcher Bruce Kison in retaliation for a brush back pitch Kison threw at Dave Concepcion, the benches emptied. As the players milled around, Anderson accidentally stepped on Kirkpatrick's foot and Kirkpatrick shoved him, touching off the brawl, which is now known for Reds pitcher Pedro Borbon biting Pirates pitcher Daryl Patterson on the neck.

Shut your mouth: Kirkpatrick was nicknamed "Spanky" for his facial resemblance to Spanky McFarland of the Little Rascals.

No one understands him but his woman: Kirkpatrick was partially paralyzed in an automobile accident in 1981 and forced to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. His wife, Judy, remained with him until his death in 2010.

(A word about the back): I was about to pounce on the fact that the bio mentions Kirkpatrick as a veteran of Little League ball AND that the bio abbreviates "league" twice for no apparent reason. But then I saw that little nugget about Kirkpatrick's first hit. Nice info. Then I looked it up. It happened on April 13, not April 15.