ST. LOUIS — Zipping around the Texas Rangers spring training complex at Surprise Stadium just northwest of Phoenix, Kyle Gibson is mic’ed up and heading to the players’ parking lot.
Behind the wheel of a golf cart, the seven-year MLB veteran stops and picks up fellow pitcher Jordan Lyles, offering the newly signed Ranger right-hander a ride to the clubhouse.
A nice guy by nature, Gibson has a purpose behind this act beyond providing Lyles with a lift. It’s showtime. Not only a newly acquired right-handed pitcher for the Rangers himself, the Greenfield native is also the host of his own social media show called, “Kart with Kyle.”
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“With the (Minnesota) Twins, I had a podcast that we did. I was a communications major in Missouri, so I’m just trying to put my partial degree to work,” Gibson explained while discussing the Rangers contemporary social media video series.
“I’m having some fun with it. It’s something I enjoy doing. When I was in Greenfield, we had the radio and TV station there, and it was something I always enjoyed doing.”
This is a bit different than his days at Greenfield-Central High School where he graduated in 2006. Behind his cart is a video production and sound crew led by the organization’s social media director, but Gibson is the talent.
Or, at least, the 6-foot-6 Gibson became the the host after he was unexpectedly thrust into the position.
“That was the funny part. When the Rangers asked me to do ‘Kart with Kyle,’ they were like, ‘Hey, we want you to interview some of the new guys and help the fans get to know them.’ And I said, ‘So, you task the new guy to get to know the news guys? I kind of like that idea,’” Gibson laughed. “It’s been fun, and it gives fans a chance to get to know me as well.”
For those who know Gibson, personality is one word many use to describe him. Admittedly, a talker, Gibson has no issues striking up a conversation in front of or away from the camera.
Unless, it’s for comedic purposes.
Case in point, his “Kart with Kyle” episode with fellow pitcher Corey Kluber that was released on YouTube on March 22. Known for being a man of few words, Kluber played up his reputation while riding along with Gibson.
With a runtime of 2 minutes, 12 seconds, the interview nearly consists of more silence than conversation, and it was exactly what Gibson and Kluber were aiming to give their viewers.
Each question Gibson offers is met with a tight-lipped nod or a glare by Kluber, who shows zero emotion or reaction to uphold his reclusive mystique.
“We talked a lot before we did that. Kluber is quiet, but he’s not necessarily a silent mute like that all the time,” Gibson joked. “We had a chance to kind of discuss what we were going to do a bit, and when it came down to it, we said, you know what, I’ll ask some questions, and you can just nod your head.
“We thought about going fully silent the entire time and riding around and not saying anything, but I liked how it ended up. Hopefully, some people found some humor in it.”
Their antics panicked the Rangers social media production crew momentarily, thinking Kluber’s mic went dead during the interview, but once they realized what the two had up their sleeves, it became another viral gem with more than 1,000 views.
For Gibson, that segment and others is just an extension of himself. A way to have some fun, while he is fortunate enough to play a children’s game for a living.
“To be able to speak with my teammates in a little bit different way, I feel like it gives them a chance to share and understand where the content is going. And it gives them a chance to be able to open up and actually talk without the worry of how the information is going to be framed,” Gibson said.
“They know they can trust me, and what they say is what is going to go out, and I feel that allows for good interviews and a way to get to know people a little bit differently. And, it’s a lot of fun.”
Remembering it’s a Game
As the 22nd overall pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft out of the University of Missouri, Gibson experienced his dream at various steps.
In high school, he transferred from Cathedral to his hometown school and upon his return to Greenfield, he led the Cougars to a sectional title while sporting a 7-2 record as a junior.
His senior year led to an 8-6 record, a 0.98 ERA and 140 strikeouts, which propelled the Cougars to an elite eight appearance. He was an Indiana All-Star and garnered enough attention to be drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 36th round in 2006.
While professional baseball was his goal, he opted to head to Missouri and was rewarded three years later by the Minnesota Twins.
However, adversity seemingly and repeatedly found it’s way in, and it slowly eroded Gibson’s enjoyment.
In 2011, he began suffering elbow soreness that led to Tommy John surgery and delayed his promotion to the big leagues. While motivated to return and advance through the Twins’ system, Gibson persevered and made his debut on June 29, 2013, but consistency and internal pressure built within him over time.
It reached it tipping point in 2017 after he was demoted back to Triple-A Rochester to refine his mechanics and focus.
Or as Gibson explains, it was a time for him to remember the why and the what.
“It opened my eyes to a little bit different approach that I needed to have. It opened my eyes to maybe how complicated I was making all of this,” Gibson said.
Working with catcher Mitch Garver, Gibson threw out the old to find the older version of himself, the one that loved the game.
“What I told Mitch (Garver) when I got sent down, was here’s the scouting report. I know none of these guys, and you don’t know many of them either. So what we’re going to do is figure out what pitch we can get ahead with and let the situation dictate when to go fastball or off-speed,” Gibson recalled. “From there, we’ll just let the hitter tell us what to throw.”
His new perspective netted results and an eventual promotion back with the Twins. It setup a solid 2018 season as he went 10-13 with a 3.62 ERA and a single-season best 179 strikeouts in 196 2/3 innings pitched.
“Honestly, that simple adjustment of allowing me to just focus on the game and focus on the task at hand, it really allowed me to start enjoying the game more. It allowed me to enjoy the competition side of it,” Gibson said. “I was focused so much on this report I needed to execute and making sure I got to this pitch or threw this pitch that I was missing so much of what I was supposed to be doing and losing sight of what made me, me.”
Who is Kyle Gibson?
According to Wikipedia, Gibson is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Texas Rangers. He previously played seven seasons with the Twins.
He has a 67-68 career record, 845 strikeouts and a career ERA of 4.52. The 32-year-old was on the World University Championship National Team in 2008 and this past December, he signed a three-year $30 million contract with the Rangers.
He’s also a father of three children, including a nine-month old daughter. He is married to Elizabeth, who he met while attending Missouri through a mutual friend.
Gibson is also an active philanthropist.
Last year, he was nominated for the Roberto Clemente Award, which is given to the MLB player that “best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”
Involved with multiple charities, relief efforts and organizations serving several communities nationally, locally and abroad, Gibson and Elizabeth have worked with Bright Hope Ministry and One Child Matters since they were married in 2010.
Gibson’s roots at Calvary Baptist Church and lessons learned from his father, Harold, and his mother, Sharon, continue to motivate him to give back.
“It was always important to my mom and dad that we were giving back, and that we understood we were very fortunate to be where we were at. They wouldn’t let us do that anyways, so we never took it for granted,” Gibson said.
“It was important to my dad, and it still is to this day to give back and be a giving part of the community when you have the ability to. Elizabeth and I are fortunate to be in a situation where we have the ability to have an impact on people, so we are active in helping when we are able.”
Gibson’s first missionary trip was in 2009, when he accompanied his agent to the Dominican Republic. While there, Gibson assisted in the construction of a boys and girls club for the impoverished community’s youth.
After their marriage, the couple made trips to Haiti and back to the Dominican on mission trips and in 2010, they both decided to sponsor a child and haven’t stopped.
“Two years later after we were married, we went down again, and this little girl kept sitting in our lap,” Gibson said. “The leader of the program told us she was 4 years old and next year she was going to be in the project, but she didn’t have anyone to sponsor her, and we got to know her parents.
“We made the decision it was something we wanted to do and needed to do. So, we’ve kept in contact with her and her parents ever since. It’s been great.”
Recently, Gibson joined St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright in the Home Plate Project to fight childhood hunger. With the backing of musician Garth Brooks, the project raised more than $1 million to provide over four million meals for kids, who normally would rely on school meals for daily nutrition.
With COVID-19 closing schools nationally, many children were forced to go without daily nutrition, so Wainwright, Gibson and others sprung to action.
“Adam is a guy that I’ve now looked up to for a couple of years and the work he does on and off the field. As a pitcher, obviously being successful and a World Series champ that he is, but the big thing is how he never lost sight of his platform and what he feels his responsibility is off the field,” Gibson said.
“I’ve learned a lot from him when it comes to that, so to be connected to him in so many endeavors and to now be part of that organization as vice president is a lot of fun and something I really, really enjoy.”
For Kyle and Elizabeth, any opportunity is welcomed, something they both believe and have practiced since being involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while at Missouri.
“Kids rely on school food in every community, every single day to make sure they get the nutrition they need to survive. I think somewhere around 22 million kids rely on it every day,” Gibson said. “We did the Homeplate Project last year but we just did it in August. When the opportunity came up to partner with MLB and Garth (Brooks) again on it, Adam thought it was a no-brainer to do it a little bit earlier and to get it going. It’s awesome to see something like that come together and a community rally around it.”
Mindset is Everything
Gibson is competitive. He wouldn’t be a MLB pitcher, if he wasn’t. But, with maturity comes appreciation.
And after contracting E. coli and ulcerative colitis while on a missionary trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 2019 during the offseason, Gibson hasn’t stopped being selfless.
The illness hindered his production on the field last season, leading to a trip on the disabled list before returning to help the Twins during their playoff run. While the E. coli is gone, the ulcerative colitis remains and will for the rest of his life.
Instead of regretting his decision to travel abroad, Gibson pushed through his condition and has adapted. Elizabeth, who is studying nutrition, has helped fine-tune his diet along with Rangers dietitians.
Gibson isn’t complaining about the changes. Not too much.
“(I can’t eat) everything that’s good, honestly,” Gibson laughed. “Everything that I loved to eat as a kid and everything I loved to eat during my weight gain in college. It’s a little painful to talk about, but pizza and everything that tastes good. I was a big sweets guy, so no more sweets. It’s been a big change.”
What does he miss the most?
“Ice cream, 100 percent. I’ve had to give up ice cream because of the dairy and the sugar in it. Man, that’s been a tough one for sure,” Gibson said. “To find a sugar-free, dairy-free is pretty tough and worth eating and being called ice cream. To quote someone from ‘Parks and Recreation,” be ice cream or be nothing. It’s not ice cream. It’s not the same.”
While at home during coronavirus delayed start to the MLB season, Gibson is spending quality time at home as a father and husband, but he also reached out to the local American Legion.
He’s spent several occasions pitching simulated innings against local Legion players ranging from 15-18 years old. He’s staying in shape, but he’s having fun doing it.
“You have to have fun. No matter what job you’re doing, you have to find some level of fun in it. And, if you’re not able to, then I think you need to find something else to do,” Gibson said. “That’s not always possible or easy, but if you’re not having fun and enjoying what you’re doing, you’re never going to be the best version of yourself in that job or the place that you’re supposed to be.”
More importantly, he’s a role model, and he’s trying to live up to the player he admired growing up — Greenfield’s Jake Fox.
Fox, a family friend, spent several seasons at the MLB level in his career. Fox is now a hitting coach in the San Francisco Giants’ organization, and he remains actively involved in charitable efforts.
“It’s something you don’t plan on, right? You don’t live life saying, ‘Man, I really want kids looking up to me and this and that,’ but you have to understand when it’s happening. And, you have to understand when that time comes to take on that role with either the young guys in the clubhouse or in the community,” Gibson said.
“If you can understand when that time comes, you have a better chance of being essential in that. It’s been something that I was very fortunate to have guys around me when I was coming up that really cared about my well-being, and if I can be that for other guys and lend some advice, and helps them out whenever I can, I’d love to do it.”
