Kirkpatrick, affectionately known to Kansas City fans by his nickname “Spanky”, was a bonus baby signed by the Angels out of Glendora, California. Kirkpatrick was a hot commodity. There were representatives for 11 teams that attended his high school graduation. Ed signed with the Angels for $20,000 and used some of that money to purchase a cherry red 1963 Corvette - typical stuff for a newly rich 17 year old.
The Angels started him out at Quad Cities of the Class D league, and in the first 45 games of his career, Kirkpatrick slashed .381/.442/.685 with 9 home runs and 62 RBI.