NO.
33
Kirk Sipila

Kirk Sipila enters into his tenth season as one of the most relied upon ball players to ever play for the Dallas Spirits Baseball Club. A consistent winner of the team MVP award and Big Stick award for the highest batting average. Kirk or “Sip” as his teammates refer to him, is capable of playing any position on the field and offensively, you can expect him to come up with clutch hits or to generate runs at any time. He brings a natural leadership to his teams and to the club as a whole his leadership is present as he co-manages the Spirits (40+) squad and also assists with managing the Spirits (45+), (50+), and Fall squads.

Kirk was a 3 year Varsity starter at Oliver Wendall Holmes High School in San Antonio, TX before transitioning to the college level. He left OWH with a number of achievements including, 1987 All District Second Team and All City Honorable Mention (1B), as well as 1988, 1989 All District and All City Honors. Sipila attended Ranger College in 1990 where he batted .358, with 7 HR, 29 R, 32 RBI, and 31 SB. He continued with receiving honors which included North Texas JC All Conference (CF) and North Texas JC Freshman of the Year awards. His 1991 stats included a batting average of .349, 11 HR, 31R, 47 RBI, and 27 SB while reaching North Texas JC All Conference and Midwest JC All Region Tournament Team honors. From 1992-1993, Kirk played with the Nuevo Laredo Tecolotes in the Mexican Independent League.

Kirk was voted “Big Spirit” by his fellow teammates on the Spirits (45+) team in 2017. The Big Spirit award represents a player who goes above and beyond the call both on and off the field, and Sipila is always in the running for this particular title on any team he plays for. Sipila was the Spirits (35+) squad back-to-back batting champ (2014, 2015) finishing 2014 at .647 and 2015 at .417 and showed consistency in his hitting finishing the Spirits (45+) season at .415 in 2017. Additionally in 2017, Sipila tied for the team lead in extra base hits with 5, led the team with 19 runs scored and also led the team with 17 RBIs. Kirk was tied for second with 22 hits, third in bases on balls, and he struck out only once in 2017.

During 2018, Sipila was once again voted to both the Spirits (35+) and (45+) All-Star teams and he went on to capture the batting title and MVP title on both teams as well. He didn’t disappoint in 2019 either. For the Spirits (35+) squad, Kirk led the team with a .440 batting average, including a team-high 21 hits. He was second on the team with a 2.80 ERA as a pitcher, and also finished second in strikeouts with 19 Ks in just 25 innings pitched. For the Spirits (40+) squad, Kirk led the team with a .509 batting average while also leading the team with 29 hits, including 9 doubles. He finished with a team-high 22 RBIs and drew 6 free passes to first. Sipila led the pitching staff with 15 strikeouts and finished with a 4.78 ERA on the (35+) squad.

Kirk won the batting title on both squads and also captured MVP for both teams as well in 2019. During the Fall campaign, Sipila batted an unreal .713 with 13 runs batted in, 3 doubles, a triple and a team high 17 hits, including zero strikeouts at the dish as the squad picked up its second Fall Championship in its history. Kirk started off 2020 right where he left off in 2019, finishing the MSBL Las Vegas Kickoff Classic with a .462 batting average including a double, an RBI and a pair of walks. He went on to finish second in hitting for both squads in 2020, batting .490 while leading the team with 25 hits for the Spirits (35+) squad, adding a team-leading 5 extra-base hits and tied for second with 12 RBIs. For the Spirts (40+) squad, Sipila hit for .449 finishing tied for second with 22 hits while finishing third with 17 runs batted in.

In 2021, Kirk was right there at the top again, battling for the coveted “Big Stick” team awards. Sipila hit .549 for the Spirits (40+) squad, finishing just .012 points behind the leader. Kirk led the team in hits with 28, adding 4 doubles, 23 runs scored, and 10 runs batted in. He tied for third on the team with 10 walks, and added 4.33 innings of work from the mound, allowing no earned runs while striking out 5. For the League Champion, Spirits (45+) squad, Sipila finished with an average of .554, collecting a team-high 31 hits that included 8 doubles and a triple. He scored a team-high 27 times, 10 runs higher than the next player, and knocked in 17 runs, good enough to be tied for second. Kirk had a team-high 9 walks and 4 hit-by-pitches to add to his frequent trips around the base paths.

During the 2022 campaign, Kirk earned the coveted “Big Stick” award for both the Spirits (45+) and (50+) squads. For the (45+) squad, Sipila hit .560, finishing with a team high 28 hits and 24 runs scored. He added 6 doubles and tied with a team high 18 runs batted in. For the (50+) squad, Sipila hit for .587 with a team high 27 hits and 22 runs scored. Kirk added 5 doubles and 2 triples, along with 6 walks and 14 runs batted in. Kirk hit .364 for the Spirits (40+) squad, adding 7 walks, 10 runs scored, and 8 runs batted in.

Sipila can be expected to lead the team in several categories each season and he commands the constant attention of any opponent. Kirk is a solid defender at any position on the field, and is also relied upon for his submarine style of pitching whether it be a complete-game starter or closer in tight game situations. Kirk is a team favorite, and his personality and character are second to nobody you’ll ever meet.

Sipila served our country as a United States Air Force Active Duty and Veteran (1993-2000) and the Spirits are extremely proud of his time served. He is married to his wife and soulmate, Michelle and the couple is deeply proud of their 4 children (sons, Joshua and Noah; daughters, Olivia and Sofia). Sipila resides in Prosper, TX.

Nickname: “Sip,” “Count Sipila,” “Kirk,” “Sucio”


(NOTE: Choose 2023 Season Under League After Choosing Link Below)
Spirits (40+) Individual Stats
Spirits (42+) Individual Stats
Spirits (50+) Individual Stats
Spirits (40+) Fall Individual Stats
Spirits (50+) Fall Individual Stats

Position IF/OF/P/C
Season 2023