Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Watching Sports Center this morning I was reminded that it's been two years since we lost Darryl Kile. The first thing that popped into my head was that in today's environment the first thing people would assume would be the possible involvement of steroids. What a difference two years makes...

I was at Wrigley that day, here's what I wrote at the time:

Darryl Kile
1968-2002

It was a hot muggy day at Wrigley, more or less what you would expect at the start of a Chicago Summer. The natives were growing restless, the big clock on the centerfield scoreboard was well past the stated start time. It was a nationally televised game, and things slow down for TV, but the more astute fans noted that the pitchers weren't warming up in the bullpens, and the teams weren't waiting in the dugouts. Rumors circulated through the crowd - television was holding up the game for an announcement by President Bush, the players were staging a mini-strike. But the worst rumor was the one that was true.

Cub Joe Girardi announces the cancellation

Darryl Kile was found dead in his hotel room in Chicago Saturday. He appears to have died in his sleep, and no foul play is suspected. He is survived by his wife and three children, twins aged five and a one-year-old. This is the second day of sadness in the Cardinals family this week. Jack Buck passed Tuesday. Baseball cancelled the day's game between the Cubs and Cardinals, it will be made up in August. The thoughts of The Diamond Angle are with Kile's loved ones.

posted by David 8:06 AM