Darryl Andrew Kile (December 2, 1968 – June 22, 2002) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
starting
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
. He pitched from 1991 to 2002 for three
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
(MLB) teams, primarily for the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
. Kile was known for his sharp, big-breaking
curveball
In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curve ...
. He died at the age of 33 of
coronary artery disease
Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves the reduction of blood flow to the heart muscle due to build-up of atherosclerotic pla ...
in 2002 in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
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, where he and the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...
were staying for a weekend series against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...
. He was the first active major league player to die during the regular season since 1979, when the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...
'
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson (June 7, 1947 – August 2, 1979) was an American professional baseball catcher who played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the New York Yankees, from 1969 until his death in 1979. A seven-time All-Star, Mun ...
died in a plane crash.
Early life
Kile was born on December 2, 1968, in
Garden Grove, California
Garden Grove is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, located just southwest of Disneyland (located in Anaheim, CA). The population was 171,949 at the 2020 census. State Route 22, also known as the Garden Grove Freeway, ...
, near
Angel Stadium
Angel Stadium of Anaheim is a baseball stadium located in Anaheim, California. Since its opening in 1966, it has served as the home ballpark of the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB), and was also the home stadium to the Los Ange ...
. He attended
Norco High School
Norco High School is California Distinguished School comprehensive public high school serving over 2,000 students from grades 9-12 in Norco, California, United States. It is part of the Corona-Norco Unified School District. The current principal ...
in
Norco, California
Norco is a city in Riverside County, California, in the United States. Norco is known as Horsetown, USA and prides itself on being a "horse community," with horse trails, hitching posts, and corrals, and city ordinances requiring construction to ...
, where his awkward frame and low pitch velocity — his
four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family of pitches and is usually the hardest (i.e., fastest) ball thrown by a pitcher. It is ca ...
topping out at — meant that he was mostly overlooked by college recruiters and
scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
. In 1987, after graduating from Norco, Kile enrolled at
Chaffey Junior College
Chaffey College is a public community college in Rancho Cucamonga, California. The college serves students in Chino, Chino Hills, Fontana, Montclair, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga and Upland. It is the oldest community college in California.
History ...
in
Rancho Cucamonga, California
Rancho Cucamonga ( ) is a city located just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County, California, United States. About east of Downtown Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga is the 28th ...
, and joined their
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...
team as a
walk-on
Walk On may refer to:
Music
* ''Walk On'', a 1994 album by Boston, and its title song
Albums
* ''Walk On'' (Boston album), 1994
* ''Walk On'' (John Hiatt album), 1995
* ''Walk On'' (Randy Johnston album), 1992
*''Walk On'', a 2007 album by ...
. Between his freshman and sophomore year of college, Kile underwent a
growth spurt
Human height or stature is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body, standing erect. It is measured using a stadiometer, in centimetres when using the metric system or SI system, or feet and inches when u ...
that took him from to , helped him gain , and added to his fastball.
Houston Astros
Kile was selected by the
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...
in the 30th round of the
1987 Major League draft. Having been successful with the
Tucson Toros
The Tucson Toros were a professional baseball team based in Tucson, Arizona, in the United States.
The original Toros were a Triple-A minor league baseball team in the Pacific Coast League from 1969 to 1997, where they won the PCL Championship in ...
, the Astros'
AAA club in the
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
, Kile entered the majors in 1991, going 7–11 in 22 starts. In his first major league start on April 24, 1991, Kile had a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
going when he was lifted after six innings by manager
Art Howe
Arthur Henry Howe Jr. (born December 15, 1946) is an American former professional baseball infielder, coach, scout, and manager, who appeared as a player in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates (–), Houston Astros (–), and ...
, who wanted to protect the 22-year-old rookie's arm. Kile's breakthrough year came in 1993 when he went 15–8 with a 3.51
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
and made the
All-Star team. On September 8, Kile pitched a
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...
against the
New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
. He pitched seven seasons with the Astros, mostly as a starter. Another strong season was
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, when he went 19–7, compiled a 2.57 ERA, made the All-Star team again, threw a career-high
innings
An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is bot ...
, and pitched four
shutout
In team sports, a shutout ( US) or clean sheet ( UK) is a game in which one team prevents the other from scoring any points. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.
Shutouts are usuall ...
s. He finished fifth in voting for the NL
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (NL). The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall ...
. Kile made his first postseason appearance in Game 1 of the
1997 National League Division Series
The 1997 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1997 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, September 30, and ended on Friday, October 3, with the champions of the three NL divisions along with a wild card team par ...
against the
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...
, giving up only two hits but suffering a hard-luck 2–1 loss. Atlanta swept
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
in the best-of-five series.
Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals
In 1998, Kile signed with the
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The team plays its home baseball games at Coors Fie ...
as a free agent. Kile suffered control problems, allowing hitters to lay off his curveball. After two seasons in which he was a combined 21–30 and posted ERAs of 5.20 and 6.61, Kile was traded to the Cardinals. In his first season with St. Louis, Kile went 20–9, becoming the first Cardinal pitcher since
John Tudor and
Joaquín Andújar
Joaquín Andújar (; December 21, 1952 – September 8, 2015) was a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, St. Louis Cardinals, and Oakland Athletics from 1976 through 1988. An ...
in 1985 to win 20 games in a season. He made his third All-Star team and again finished fifth in NL Cy Young Award voting. He earned the first playoff victory of his career in Game 2 of the
2000 NLDS
The 2000 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 2000 National League playoffs, began on Tuesday, October 3, and ended on Sunday, October 8, with the champions of the three NL divisions—along with a "wild card" team—p ...
against Atlanta, but suffered two losses in the
NL Championship Series, which the Cardinals lost to the Mets in five games.
Kile went 16–11 in 2001, and the Cardinals made the playoffs again, losing to the eventual world champion
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...
in the
NLDS
In Major League Baseball, the National League Division Series (NLDS) determines which two teams from the National League will advance to the National League Championship Series. The Division Series consists of two best-of-five series, featuring e ...
. Kile was the starting pitcher for Game 3 and received a no-decision. Kile threw innings and compiled a 3.09 ERA that season, despite having an injured shoulder which required surgery after the Cardinals were eliminated from the playoffs. He spent the offseason rehabilitating and was ready for the start of the 2002 season. In 12 seasons as a major league pitcher, Kile never went on the disabled list.
On June 18, Kile pitched in an interleague game against the
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
, scattering six hits over innings, allowing one run. He exited the game in the eighth inning to a standing ovation. Kile and the Cardinals won the game, 7–2, and moved into first place in the NL's
Central Division, a spot they held for the rest of the 2002 season.
Personal life
Kile proposed to his wife, Flynn, in 1991, when they were both 22 years old. They were married on January 11, 1992. He and his family spent the baseball offseason in
Englewood, Colorado
The City of Englewood is a home rule municipality located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 33,659 at the 2020 United States Census. Englewood is a part of the Denver–Aurora–Lakewood, CO Metropolitan Stati ...
.
Death
On June 22, 2002, during pregame warmups for what would have been a day game in Chicago against the
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Cubs, team personnel noted Kile's absence. Hotel staff entered Kile's room and discovered him in his bed, under the covers, dead of a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...
. An autopsy determined that the cause of death was a 90% blockage in two coronary arteries. Kile's death came four days after the death of longtime Cardinal broadcaster
Jack Buck
John Francis "Jack" Buck (August 21, 1924 – June 18, 2002) was an American sportscaster, best known for his work announcing Major League Baseball games of the St. Louis Cardinals. His play-by-play work earned him recognition from numerous hall ...
.
The details leading up to and following Kile's death are detailed to some degree in
Buzz Bissinger
Harry Gerard Bissinger III, also known as Buzz Bissinger and H. G. Bissinger (born November 1, 1954) is an American journalist and author, best known for his 1990 non-fiction book '' Friday Night Lights''. He is a longtime contributing editor at ...
's book, ''Three Nights in August''. An entire chapter is dedicated to Kile.
Cubs catcher
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi (born October 14, 1964) is an American former professional baseball player and manager in Major League Baseball (MLB). Girardi played the catcher position for the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and St. ...
announced at
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago Wh ...
that the afternoon's game versus the Cardinals had been cancelled, though he did not announce that the cancellation was prompted by Kile's death. Girardi tearfully gave the news at 2:37 pm
CDT, broadcast regionally on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
: "Excuse me. I thank you for your patience. We regret to inform you because of a tragedy in the Cardinal family, that the
commissioner
A commissioner (commonly abbreviated as Comm'r) is, in principle, a member of a commission or an individual who has been given a commission (official charge or authority to do something).
In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to in ...
has cancelled the game today. Please be respectful. You will find out eventually what has happened, and I ask that you say a prayer for the Cardinals' family." The game was rescheduled and made up later in the year on August 31, a 10–4 Cardinal defeat.
Jason Simontacchi
Jason William Simontacchi (born November 13, 1973) is a pitching coordinator in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was the pitching coach for the Springfield Cardinals, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals from 201 ...
, who pitched for the Cardinals, was visibly emotional during the game since Kile was a mentor to him. Later that season, when the Cardinals clinched the Central Division championship in a game against the Astros, teammate
Albert Pujols
José Alberto Pujols Alcántara () (); born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman, designated hitter and third baseman who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Nicknamed "The Machine", ...
carried Kile's #57 jersey, on a hanger, to the celebration on the field. Kile was survived by his wife, Flynn, his twins, daughter Sierra and son Kannon, and son Ryker.
Memorial
The Cardinals honored Kile by placing a small "DK 57" sign in the home bullpen. This sign was carried over to the new
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. The stadium serves as the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, the city's Major League Baseball (MLB) f ...
and remains today. The team wrote "DK 57" on their hats. The team put chalk and markers in the Busch Stadium concourses so fans could write similar messages on their caps. In the
All-Star Game
An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or div ...
, Cardinals pitcher
Matt Morris wrote DK 57 on his hands and held them up when they announced his name in honor of his fallen teammate and close friend.
Since Kile's death, the Astros and Rockies have not assigned number 57 to another player. The Cardinals were the first of Kile's former teams to re-issue the number, doing so in 2021, giving it to pitcher
Zack Thompson during spring training. Thompson wore the number during his major league debut in 2022, nearly twenty full years after Kile's death.
The Astros honored Kile with a memorial plaque that hangs along the left field wall at
Minute Maid Park
Minute Maid Park is a retractable roof stadium in Houston, Texas, United States. It opened in 2000 as the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. It has a seating capacity of 41,168, which includes 5,197 club seats and 63 ...
under the 1997 Central Division Championship banner, the last season Kile played for Houston before signing with Colorado. The Rockies have a memorial near the bullpens. It is circular, says "DK 57", and is on pinstripes.
In 2003, the Darryl Kile Good Guy Award was established and is presented annually to the
Astros player and
Cardinals player who best exemplify Kile's traits of "a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man". The winners are selected, respectively, by the Houston and St. Louis chapters of the
Baseball Writers' Association of America
The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) is a professional association for journalists writing about Major League Baseball for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying websites. The organization was founded in 1908, and is known fo ...
.
[Darryl Kile Award]
Baseball Almanac. Retrieved 2011-08-14. The first recipients of the award were
Jeff Bagwell
Jeffrey Robert Bagwell (born May 27, 1968) is an American former professional baseball first baseman and coach who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career with the Houston Astros.
Originally a Boston Red Sox fourth- ...
and
Mike Matheny
Michael Scott Matheny (born September 22, 1970) is an American former professional baseball player and former manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for 13 seasons as a catcher ...
[ of the Astros and Cardinals, respectively.
Kile was given an exemption by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and placed on the ballot for the ]Baseball Hall of Fame
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...
in 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
. With seven votes, he was eliminated from future BBWAA ballot consideration.
See also
* Houston Astros award winners and league leaders This is a list of award winners and league leaders for the Houston Astros, an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL), having moved to the ...
* List of baseball players who died during their careers
This is a list of baseball players who died during their careers. These deaths occurred during a game, due to illness, results of accidents, acts of violence, or suicide.
Repeated studies have shown that Major League Baseball players have a greate ...
* List of Colorado Rockies team records
These are lists of Colorado Rockies records from their inception all the way through the 2018 season.
Single season records
Batting
*Games: Vinny Castilla, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (1998), Neifi Pérez, 162 (2000)
*Batting Average: Larry W ...
* List of Houston Astros no-hitters
The Houston Astros (formerly known as the ''Houston Colt .45s'' from 1962–1964) are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Houston, Texas. Formed in 1962, they play in the American League West division (formerly in the National League Central ...
* List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders
In baseball, hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a batter or his clothing or equipment (other than his bat) is struck directly by a pitch from the pitcher; the batter is called a hit batsman (HB). A hit batsman is ...
* List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
Below is a list of Major League Baseball no-hitters, enumerating every no-hitter pitched in Major League Baseball history. In addition, all no-hitters that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games are listed, although they are no ...
* St. Louis Cardinals award winners and league leaders The St. Louis Cardinals, a professional baseball franchise based in St. Louis, Missouri, compete in the National League (NL) of Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the NL in 1892, they were also a charter member of the American Association ( ...
References
Further reading
* Contains a chapter about Kile. Se
Excerpt
at National Public Radio.
External links
Darryl Kile Profile and Career Highlights
- Baseballbiography.com
ESPN
of press conference following Kile's death
Salon.com, 24 June 2002
"The Daily Prospectus: Darryl Kile"
Baseball Prospectus, 24 June 2002
Boxscore for Kile's last game
History: Tributes: Darryl Kile (December 2, 1968 – June 22, 2002)
MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media, L.P.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kile, Darryl
1968 births
2002 deaths
Baseball players from California
Chaffey Panthers baseball players
Colorado Rockies players
Columbus Mudcats players
Gulf Coast Astros players
Houston Astros players
Major League Baseball pitchers
National League All-Stars
Navegantes del Magallanes players
American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela
People from Garden Grove, California
Sportspeople from Orange County, California
St. Louis Cardinals players
Tucson Toros players