Rye High School 2016 graduate George Kirby has made it to the big leagues.
Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2019, Kirby finally got the call up this past weekend, pitching his first game Sunday versus the Tampa Bay. Kirby led the Mariners to a 2-1 victory.
Kirby, also attracted a friends and family group of 30+ from Rye and from Elon University, where he played before heading off to the majors. From the Seattle Times:
“A boisterous group of more than 30 people, including his parents, two sisters, aunts and uncles and about 15 to 20 of his former teammates from high school and Elon University made their presence known from the first pitch until well after he finished with six shutout innings in the Mariners’ 2-1 win.
“They made a promise to me,” Kirby said. “They said, ‘The day you get called up, we’re going to be there.’ They kept their promise. Pretty awesome.”… Kirby finally got to meet up with his cheering section on the field of T-Mobile Park. They mobbed him in a huddle of hugs and cheers. His mom, Linda, wiped away tears while his father, also named George, beamed with pride. They took pictures and celebrated a dream coming true.“
Really excited for him and his family,” manager Scott Servais said. “I can only imagine how they feel tonight. They’ll enjoy it and have a good night in Seattle for sure.””
Family fans:
Gatorade bath:
.@gkirb98‘s first Gatorade bath >>> pic.twitter.com/kwuwmKv6gI
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) May 8, 2022
Other stories:
Rye’s George Kirby set to make his MLB debut for the Seattle Mariners – LoHud
George Kirby makes his MLB debut for Mariners with large and loud cheering section – Seattle Times
Kirby’s stellar debut in Seattle a Mother’s Day gift – MLB.com
