Darryl Kile’s Legacy Lives On
Perhaps Tony La Russa described Darryl Kile the best: “He was literally too good to be true. And you had to keep saying ‘was he really as great as we thought he was?’ and the answer is yes.”
La Russa was just one of many who shared his thoughts in “The Life and Death of Darryl Kile,” a powerful and emotional documentary from MLB Network that premiered last night. And, to a man, each of those interviewed spoke more about the person Darryl was — not just the baseball player.
“The fact that you see his number hanging up in three different stadiums, in three different organizations he played with, tells you the type of person Darryl was,” said Brad Ausmus. “He didn’t change when he went from organization to organization. He didn’t change with success or failure, and he didn’t change with a different salary. He was always Darryl Kile.”
And Darryl Kile was so much more than a baseball player — that much was very clear from the recollections of all.
“He was a great father, he was a great husband, great guy, cared about people. That’s what I want to be in my life, and that’s who Darryl Kile was,” said Jeff Bagwell.
“He was genuine. He was real. You want to pattern your life after what Darryl Kile did,” said Phil Nevin.
“You start talking about legacy, and that’s how you influence people,” said Mike Matheny. “And I think you’re going to find out not just from me but every person you’re going to have this conversation with. They’re going to talk about that.”
