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Heartbroken: The death of St. Louis pitcher Darryl Kile stunned a team and a city already mourning the loss of a beloved broadcaster On June 18, in his best outing of the year, Kile had pitched St. Louis to the top of the National League Central for the first time since April 15, allowing one run in 7 2/3 innings of a 7-2 win over the Anaheim Angels. But the joy of victory was tempered by the death that night of Buck, the patriarch of the franchise. La Russa and general manager Walt Jocketty attended Buck's funeral outside St. Louis on Friday morning and arrived in Chicago only minutes before the series opener that afternoon. Less than 24 hours later Kile was found dead by hotel security, and pennant races suddenly seemed insignificant. With a pair of Kile's jerseys hanging behind their bench and black patches with his number 57 sewn onto their left sleeves, the Cardinals lost 8-3. "You could see the attitude of their players coming to the plate, almost walking with their heads down," Girardi said. "It's amazing they were able to play." "It's the most devastating thing I've seen on a ball club," said the 57-year-old La Russa. "You see so many strong men, and you're seeing them break down." -- Stephen Cannella Issue date: July 1, 2002 Photograph by Brad Mangin
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