Kevin Beirne

Who is Kevin Beirne?

Kevin Patrick Beirne was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He is the son of Jim Beirne, who played with the Houston Oilers and San Diego Chargers of the NFL from 1968 to 1976.

Beirne was a star outfielder and wide receiver for McCullough High School in The Woodlands, TX where he was a teammate of future NFL player Larry Izzo. In 1989 as a sophomore, Beirne caught 18 passes in a game against Westfield High School, at the time placing him second all-time in Texas high school football history for receptions in a single game. He was a first team all-state receiver his senior year and was ranked the #5 high school receiver in the class of '92 in Texas by the Austin American-Statesman. He signed with Texas A&M, where he played both baseball and football.

Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 11th round of the 1995 MLB amateur draft, Beirne switched from the outfield to pitching in part because a pitcher's schedule fit in better with his football. He did not begin to learn to pitch until he was 21 and playing professionally. Beirne would make his Major League Baseball debut with the Chicago White Sox on May 17, 2000.