According to a report, Kile had 90 percent blockage in two coronary arteries near his heart. All rights reserved. While another MLB game aired in place of the expected Cardinals-Cubs matchup, FOX 2 ran a crawl that reads: The Chicago medical examiner confirms St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile has died. was somber as they dealt with the death of starting pitcher Darryl ???? All images are property the copyright holder and are displayed here for informational purposes only. Professional sports, especially baseball, are usually Fantasy Island. And there was no warning with Darryl. It's the worst day.". Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. I was watching the WGN broadcast from Wrigley Field as then Cub catcher Joe Girardi, choking back tears, cryptically announced to the crowd that the game that day was being canceled because of "a tragedy within the Cardinal family." June 22, 2002 But it was good," Axelrod recalls. All Rights Reserved. #inline-recirc-item--id-927facd4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d, #right-rail-recirc-item--id-927facd4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d { And I loved the fact I could jump and hit the ball hard.. At the end, one is left remembering Kile as he would surely have it: as a man who was relentlessly loyal to friends and teammates, and most of all to his family. Catcher Mike Matheny was the first to share a sense of dread. His twin sister, Sierra, is a sophomore at TCU(Ft. Worth, TX), playing sand volleyball for the Horned Frogs, and majoring in business. He made a relief appearance against Colorado on April 25, allowing one hit in two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Darryl Kile weighed 185 lbs (83 kg) when playing. But it wasn't. He was a special person to me.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Astros honored Kile with a memorial plaque that hangs along the left field wall at Minute Maid Park under the 1997 Central Division Championship banner, the last season Kile played for Houston before signing with Colorado. Matheny tried to coax the watch through a year before making a fresh purchase on the club's next trip to Gotham. Darryl Andrew Kile (December 2, 1968 - June 22, 2002) was an American Major League Baseball starting pitcher. Who was Karl Lagerfeld? Legendary Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck had died on June 15, after Kile beat the Angels to move the team into sole possession of first place. And then I think of his reputation as a peerless teammate, husband and father. The Rockies have a memorial near the bullpens. Moments later, one-time Cardinal and then-Cubs catcher Joe Giradi held back tears while delivering an emotional message at Wrigley Field: I thank you for your patience. The winners are selected by the Houston and St. Louis chapters, respectively, of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), the organization responsible for Baseball Hall of Fame voting. "But as my career continued, I would offer advice to younger guys, and most of what I told them came from DK. The first recipient of the award on the Astros was 2017 Hall-of-Fame inducteeJeff Bagwell. He died at the age of 33 of coronary artery disease in 2002 in Chicago, where he and the St. Louis Cardinals were staying for a weekend series against the Chicago Cubs. My father, Dave (Jensen), has been a big influence on me. Kile passed away June 22, 2002, of a sudden heart attack (officially, a narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart muscle). Kiles coaches and teammates always spoke so highly of him. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The number is not retired, but it is not available to players. A relationship rarely found between a pitcher and bench player took hold. The Cardinals 2002 season ended with a National League Championship series loss to the San Francisco Giants. Darryl Kile left behind memories of a dominating pitcher who collected Ks with a knee-buckling curve. His answer was Why would I want to be a batboy when I can play?'. Kile's death removed a clubhouse pillar that couldn't be replaced. As someone who grew up a Cardinals fan, I vividly remember the day Darryl Kile died. "I am a better person because I knew Darryl Kile," Bagwell said. #inline-recirc-item--id-927facd4-8c88-11e2-b06b-024c619f5c3d ~ .item:nth-child(5) { Draft: Drafted by the Houston Astros in the 30th round of the 1987 MLB June Amateur Draft from Chaffey College (Rancho Cucamonga, CA). He exited the game in the eighth inning to a standing ovation. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: mlb | pageType: stories | Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Monday, May 1, 12:21AM. Our club is just totally staggered, I mean, devastated, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. The first Cardinals award recipient was Mike Matheny. Data Provided By not long ago at all.". 33-year-old Darryl Kile died in his Chicago hotel room from a blockage of arteries to his heart. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Darryl Kile #57 of the Houston Astros pitches during the game against the San Francisco Giants at 3Com Park on September 7, 1997 in San Francisco, California. Everybody starts looking at themselves thinking, What about my family? It was very sobering. The night before, he had gone to dinner with his brother, Daniel..