While the MLB community was yet to recover from the tragic demise of the former Astros prospect Job Kemmer, we were hit with yet another tragic update. A former Reds prospect reportedly lost his life while working as an HVAC technician.

Brian Kirby, a former Reds prospect who never played in the majors, but his .231 average in the minors and independent leagues speaks a lot about his baseball skills, but it was cut short by a tragic accident that took away his life at 46.

“This morning [on April 15], a tragic accident occurred at our church building involving an employee of Kirby Heating and Air,” Graves Memorial Baptist Church in North Little Rock, Ark. said. “He was more than an employee — he was part of our family and our community. Tragically, he lost his life. He was a highly skilled and experienced HVAC technician, and his loss is deeply felt.”

Reportedly, after moving away from baseball in 2005, Kirby ventured into HVAC and roofing work. On April 15, he was working in the Graves Memorial Baptist Church for “Kirby Heating and Air.” However, just when he was working on the roof, the church authorities sensed something wrong and contacted the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office.

The help came, and they used a drone to locate Kirby, unresponsive, on the roof. According to the Sheriff’s office, Kirby’s body was found “near two air conditioning units on the roof.” While the exact reason was still unknown, fans were shocked to lose Kirby at just 46. He is survived by his parents, Curtis and Cindy, his wife, Jennifer, and the couple’s two daughters.

Kirby was not a well-known name in MLB. He was drafted by the Reds in the 1997 MLB June Amateur Draft. Then, in 2001, the Cleveland Indians drafted Kirby in the MLB June Amateur Draft. However, his career was short as he played for minor league and independent league teams from 2001 to 2005 before moving away from the diamond.

Kirby’s best year in baseball was in 2004, when he batted .256 and scored 16 homers with Springfield in the Frontier League.

“There are things of this world that I will just never understand,” Kirby’s cousin, Allison Avra Guerin, said. “It truly breaks my heart to its core. But I do know the promise of eternity on the other side. And for that, I can only rejoice through the sadness, knowing Brian is there celebrating until we meet again soon.”

It feels more tragic as the family’s celebration of life was scheduled for Wednesday, April 22.

Brian Kirby just added to the Reds’ long list of tragic losses

This is not the first time that the Reds have found themselves at odds. Most recently, in 2018, their minor leaguer Jairo Capellan was killed, and two other prospects were injured in a car accident. He was a 17-year-old pitcher who had a 6.25 ERA and 39 strikeouts in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League.

Then, the Reds’ other minor leaguer, Dernell Stenson, was tragically murdered in Arizona during a carjacking and robbery while playing in the Arizona Fall League in 2003. He was only 25 then. The Reds also witnessed two brutal losses where the players took their own lives.

Ryan Freel, the Reds outfielder, took his own life at the age of 36 in 2012. Same with Willard Hershberger, who took his own life in his Boston hotel room back in 1940. Reportedly, he blamed himself for a team slump and a couple of recent losses.

So, the Reds in their history had some terrible losses of talent, and Brian Kirby just added to the list. While Kirby was far away from baseball since 2005, and there were no reports of him associating with the sport, losing a talent at 46 is a great loss. In this difficult time, our thoughts are with the bereaved family, and may Kirby’s soul rest in peace.