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Misery on the banks of the Mississippi (R.I.P., Darryl Kile)

June 24, 2002 ~ 1:25 p.m.

When it comes to the St. Louis Cardinals, I don�t know much. I love baseball, but the Cardinals are one of those National League teams that I just never pay much attention to. They caught my attention when they acquired All-Star center fielder Jim Edmonds from Anaheim two seasons ago. Rather poignantly, I know that the Red Sox lost the World Series to the Cardinals in 1946 and again in 1967. I know the name of their ballpark is Busch Stadium and that they had a legendary fireballer by the name of Gibson (first name escapes me). And until recently, that�s all I really knew � or cared � about the St. Louis Cardinals.

However, I now also know that they lost a good pitcher and all-around great team player named Darryl Kile. Kile was in his prime and was an asset to the team. He had a 5-4 record and a 3.72 ERA this season (and 133 lifetime wins), was known for possessing a devastating curveball, and had pitched his team into first place in their division in the last game he pitched. Kile was found dead in his Chicago hotel room Saturday afternoon, having passed away in his sleep from a blocked main artery. He was 33.

It is astounding that a professional athlete could expire from a medical condition normally associated with the older and out-of-shape. But even all the medical analysis by the world�s best doctors won�t bring Kile back. What it can do, hopefully, is shed further light on the sinister killer that is coronary heart disease.

But this is not about baseball or blocked arteries. I write this entry simply to express my sadness and wish Kile�s family and teammates well. Before Sunday night�s game with the Cubs, the aforementioned Edmonds leaned against the dugout wall and wept. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa cried. The impact that Kile�s death has had on the team is understandably phenomenal. The Cardinals were only just starting to deal with the death of their longtime and legendary broadcaster Jack Buck. Have they become cursed all of a sudden?

So basically, I just want to say to Cardinals fans everywhere � sorry. When Boston pitcher Bryce Florie got his face shattered by a comebacker line drive late in the 2000 season, we Sox fans were horrified. Florie is still recuperating and still cannot pitch effectively, but he did not die. Kile lost not only his career as a pitcher, but his life as well. Stark difference. I cannot even imagine losing a valued member of my team to something as final as death. Having lost Buck and Kile, two stars within the organization, St. Louis must be in agony. No city, no team and no fan deserves this kind of grief.

But it is hardly even necessary to be a resident of St. Louis to feel despondent at this moment. Look at the facts: Kile was an approachable guy who enjoyed working with younger pitchers. He was a family man, a clubhouse leader and all-around good guy.

Godspeed, Darryl Kile.

� M.E.M.

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Copyright � 2001-2007 by M.E. Manning. All material is written by me, unless explicitly stated otherwise by use of footnotes or bylines. Do not copy or redistribute without my permission.

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