Cory Lidle
Encyclopedia
Cory Fulton Lidle was an American
right-handed baseball
pitcher
who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams. He was a descendant of Robert Fulton
, the inventor of the steamboat, as reflected in his middle name.
Lidle was killed when the small aircraft he owned crashed into a residential building
in New York City
.
as an amateur free agent
. After his release in , he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers
. Lidle was then traded in to the New York Mets
, and made his Major League debut for the Mets on May 8, 1997. Due to his participation as a replacement player
during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike, he was not eligible to join the MLB Players Union
. Lidle later appeared for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
, Oakland Athletics
, Toronto Blue Jays
, Cincinnati Reds
, and Philadelphia Phillies
. His best season was , when he achieved a 13-6 record with a 3.59 ERA
(10th in the American League) for Oakland, helping the Athletics win the wild card
. His career zenith occurred in August , when Lidle gave up one run
during the whole month (setting Oakland's consecutive innings without an earned run record), won
all five of his starts, and was one of the primary drivers in the A's historic run of 20 straight wins. It was on this Oakland team where he earned the nickname "Snacks", for his apparent love of "inhaling" junk food in the bullpen.
In , Lidle was posthumously inducted into the Binghamton Baseball Shrine. He played for the Double-A Binghamton Mets
(New York Mets).
Bobby Abreu
from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees
for minor league shortstop
C. J. Henry
, the Yankees' first round pick in the 2005 draft, along with left-handed
reliever Matt Smith
, minor league catcher
Jesus Sanchez, and minor league right-hander Carlos Monasterios
. In his first start for the Yankees, Lidle pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits
, en route to an 8-1 Yankee victory, a sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays. On August 21, 2006, Lidle pitched six three-hit shutout innings, completing an improbable five-game sweep (in four days) over the then-second place Boston Red Sox
(who went from games behind to games behind).
In his final game (Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS
), Lidle pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 3 earned run
s on 4 hits. The New York Yankees lost the game to the Detroit Tigers
8-3.
After losing to the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 ALDS, he was criticized for telling a reporter, "We got matched up with a team that, I think, was a little more ready to play than we were," which was taken by some as a jab at manager Joe Torre
. In his defense, he called up the radio talk show Mike and the Mad Dog
and gave an extended defense of himself and the Yankees. The snippy exchange was punctuated by co-host Chris Russo
's implication that Lidle was not entitled to "enjoy a day in New York" and co-host Mike Francesa
commenting, "I haven't thought much about you at all, to be honest with you." Following reports of Lidle's death, both hosts of the popular New York radio show expressed remorse for their previous hostility to Lidle.
with cut and sink. He threw a low 70s curveball
to keep hitters off balance, as well as a low 80s slider
. Lidle was a finesse pitcher who had to rely on changing speeds and hitting location.
airplane crashed into the Belaire Apartments
complex on York Ave. at E. 72nd Street on New York City's Upper East Side
, killing Cory Lidle and co-pilot/flight instructor, Tyler Stanger. In addition to the deaths of the two on board the airplane, 21 people were injured as a result of the accident, about half of them New York City firefighters
.
Lidle was the third Yankees player to die in the crash of an airplane owned by the player. The preceding two were catcher Thurman Munson
(died August 2, 1979) and pitcher Jim Hardin
(died March 9, 1991). Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
described Lidle's death as a "terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization" and offered his condolences to Lidle's wife and six-year-old son. On October 12, 2006, before the 2006 NLCS
game in New York City between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals
, the teams and spectators observed a moment of silence
to honor the memory of Lidle.
The Yankees wore black armbands during the 2007 season in memory of Lidle. The Yankees later added the number 10 above the armband to honor former Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto
, who wore number 10 and died in August 2007. On April 2, 2007, Cory's widow Melanie and his son Christopher both threw the ceremonial first pitch
on Opening Day
at Yankee Stadium
. Melanie Lidle attended the 2007 graduation ceremony at Mt. San Antonio College
in Walnut, California
. The community college's aviation team flew across the graduation field during the ceremony to pay respect to both Lidle and Stanger.
Lidle is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Covina Hills, in Covina, California
.
One of the baseball fields at West Covina's Cortez Park is named "Cory Lidle Field" in memoriam.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
right-handed baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe 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 a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who spent nine seasons in the major leagues with seven different teams. His twin brother Kevin Lidle also played baseball, as a catcher for several minor league teams. He was a descendant of Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton
Robert Fulton was an American engineer and inventor who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
, the inventor of the steamboat, as reflected in his middle name.
Lidle was killed when the small aircraft he owned crashed into a residential building
2006 New York City plane crash
The 2006 New York City plane crash occurred on October 11, 2006, when a Cirrus SR20 general aviation, fixed-wing, single-engine light aircraft crashed into the Belaire Apartments in New York City at about 2:42 p.m. local time...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Baseball career
Lidle was signed in by the Minnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
as an amateur free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. After his release in , he was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. Lidle was then traded in to the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, and made his Major League debut for the Mets on May 8, 1997. Due to his participation as a replacement player
Replacement player
In professional sports, a replacement player is an athlete who is not a member of the league's players association and plays during a labor dispute such as a strike or lockout.- National Football League – 1987 :...
during the 1994 Major League Baseball strike, he was not eligible to join the MLB Players Union
Major League Baseball Players Association
The Major League Baseball Players Association is the union of professional major-league baseball players.-History of MLBPA:The MLBPA was not the first attempt to unionize baseball players...
. Lidle later appeared for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
, Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
, Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, and Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. His best season was , when he achieved a 13-6 record with a 3.59 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
(10th in the American League) for Oakland, helping the Athletics win the wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
. His career zenith occurred in August , when Lidle gave up one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
during the whole month (setting Oakland's consecutive innings without an earned run record), won
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
all five of his starts, and was one of the primary drivers in the A's historic run of 20 straight wins. It was on this Oakland team where he earned the nickname "Snacks", for his apparent love of "inhaling" junk food in the bullpen.
In , Lidle was posthumously inducted into the Binghamton Baseball Shrine. He played for the Double-A Binghamton Mets
Binghamton Mets
The Binghamton Mets are a U.S. minor league baseball team based in Binghamton, New York. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the New York Mets major-league club...
(New York Mets).
As a Yankee
On July 30, 2006, Lidle was traded along with outfielderOutfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Bobby Abreu
Bobby Abreu
Bob Kelly "Bobby" Abreu , nicknamed "El Comedulce" and also "La Luche", is a Major League Baseball left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim....
from the Philadelphia Phillies to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for minor league shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
C. J. Henry
C. J. Henry
Carl Joshua Henry, Jr. is a college basketball player for the Southern Nazarene University men's basketball team.-Early life:Henry is the son of Carl Henry, Sr., a former professional basketball player...
, the Yankees' first round pick in the 2005 draft, along with left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
reliever Matt Smith
Matt Smith (baseball)
Matthew J. Smith is a former left-handed relief pitcher. He graduated from Bishop Gorman High School, where he played baseball. He was a 3-year letter winner and is the all-time leader in strikeouts at OSU and was named to the Big 12 Second Team twice and First Team once...
, minor league catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
Jesus Sanchez, and minor league right-hander Carlos Monasterios
Carlos Monasterios
Carlos Monasterios Hernandez is a right-handed pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.He was originally signed as a non-drafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 2006 but was shortly traded to the Philadelphia Phillies Carlos Monasterios Hernandez (born March 21, 1986 in Miranda, Venezuela) is a...
. In his first start for the Yankees, Lidle pitched six innings, giving up one run on four hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, en route to an 8-1 Yankee victory, a sweep against the Toronto Blue Jays. On August 21, 2006, Lidle pitched six three-hit shutout innings, completing an improbable five-game sweep (in four days) over the then-second place Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
(who went from games behind to games behind).
In his final game (Game 4 of the 2006 ALDS
2006 American League Division Series
-Game 1, October 3:Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkA five-run third inning by the Yankees put the game out of reach for the Tigers. Bobby Abreu doubled to score Johnny Damon and Derek Jeter . Gary Sheffield then singled in Abreu, and Jason Giambi launched a two-run home run for a commanding 5–0...
), Lidle pitched 1.1 innings, allowing 3 earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s on 4 hits. The New York Yankees lost the game to the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
8-3.
Controversies
After being traded by the Philadelphia Phillies in July 2006 at the trade deadline, Lidle criticized his former team: "On the days I'm pitching, it's almost a coin flip as to know if the guys behind me are going to be there to play 100 percent." He noted he was joining a Yankees team that expects to win all the time: "That's why I'm most excited about it. Sometimes I felt I got caught up kind of going into the clubhouse nonchalantly sometimes, because all of the other guys in the clubhouse didn't go there with one goal in mind."After losing to the Detroit Tigers in the 2006 ALDS, he was criticized for telling a reporter, "We got matched up with a team that, I think, was a little more ready to play than we were," which was taken by some as a jab at manager Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
. In his defense, he called up the radio talk show Mike and the Mad Dog
Mike and the Mad Dog
Mike and the Mad Dog was an afternoon drive sports radio program based out of WFAN in New York City that featured Mike Francesa and Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo talking sports and taking phone calls from listeners. From 2002 onwards the show was simulcasted on the YES Network...
and gave an extended defense of himself and the Yankees. The snippy exchange was punctuated by co-host Chris Russo
Chris Russo
Christopher Michael Russo , known as the "Mad Dog," is an American sports radio personality who is best known as the former co-host of the widely popular Mike and the Mad Dog sports radio show with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on WFAN in New York City and simulcast on the YES Network...
's implication that Lidle was not entitled to "enjoy a day in New York" and co-host Mike Francesa
Mike Francesa
Michael Patrick "Mike" Francesa, Jr. is an American radio talk show host and television commentator. He is primarily known in his former role co-hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN in New York City...
commenting, "I haven't thought much about you at all, to be honest with you." Following reports of Lidle's death, both hosts of the popular New York radio show expressed remorse for their previous hostility to Lidle.
Scouting report
Lidle threw an 88–90 mph fastballFastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
with cut and sink. He threw a low 70s curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
to keep hitters off balance, as well as a low 80s slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
. Lidle was a finesse pitcher who had to rely on changing speeds and hitting location.
Death
On October 11, 2006, a Cirrus SR20Cirrus SR20
The Cirrus Design SR20 is a piston engine composite monoplane that seats four. The SR20 is noted for being the first production general aviation aircraft equipped with a parachute designed to lower the aircraft safely to the ground after loss of control or structural failure.-Design and...
airplane crashed into the Belaire Apartments
Belaire Apartments
Belaire Apartments is a mixed-use high-rise condominium apartment building in Manhattan, New York City. The 42-story building is located at 524 East 72nd Street between York Avenue and the FDR Drive. It has 183 condominium apartments, a health club, parking garage and swimming pool...
complex on York Ave. at E. 72nd Street on New York City's Upper East Side
Upper East Side
The Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
, killing Cory Lidle and co-pilot/flight instructor, Tyler Stanger. In addition to the deaths of the two on board the airplane, 21 people were injured as a result of the accident, about half of them New York City firefighters
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
.
Lidle was the third Yankees player to die in the crash of an airplane owned by the player. The preceding two were catcher Thurman Munson
Thurman Munson
Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...
(died August 2, 1979) and pitcher Jim Hardin
Jim Hardin
James Warren Hardin was a professional baseball player for the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees, and Atlanta Braves from 1967 through 1973 and was a member of one of the best pitching staffs of the 1960s and 1970s that included Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Tom Phoebus, and Mike Cuellar...
(died March 9, 1991). Yankees owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
described Lidle's death as a "terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization" and offered his condolences to Lidle's wife and six-year-old son. On October 12, 2006, before the 2006 NLCS
2006 National League Championship Series
The National League Championship Series , the second round of the 2006 National League playoffs, began on October 12 and ended on October 19; it was scheduled to begin on October 11, but was postponed a day because of inclement weather. The St...
game in New York City between the New York Mets and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, the teams and spectators observed a moment of silence
Moment of silence
A moment of silence is the expression for a period of silent contemplation, prayer, reflection, or meditation. Similar to flying a flag at half-mast, a moment of silence is often a gesture of respect, particularly in mourning for those who have recently died or as part of a commemoration ceremony...
to honor the memory of Lidle.
The Yankees wore black armbands during the 2007 season in memory of Lidle. The Yankees later added the number 10 above the armband to honor former Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto
Phil Rizzuto
Philip Francis Rizzuto , nicknamed "The Scooter", was an American Major League Baseball shortstop. He spent his entire 13-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, who wore number 10 and died in August 2007. On April 2, 2007, Cory's widow Melanie and his son Christopher both threw the ceremonial first pitch
Ceremonial first pitch
The ceremonial first ball is a longstanding ritual of American baseball in which a guest of honor throws a ball to mark the end of pregame festivities and the start of the game. Originally, the guest threw a ball from his/her place in the grandstand to the pitcher or catcher of the home team...
on Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Melanie Lidle attended the 2007 graduation ceremony at Mt. San Antonio College
Mt. San Antonio College
Mt. San Antonio College is a community college located in the Los Angeles suburb of Walnut, California, 2.12 miles west of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona ....
in Walnut, California
Walnut, California
Walnut is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 29,172 at the 2010 census and its current mayor is Tom King, a former Detective from the Los Angeles Police Department....
. The community college's aviation team flew across the graduation field during the ceremony to pay respect to both Lidle and Stanger.
Lidle is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park - Covina Hills, in Covina, California
Covina, California
Covina is a small city in Los Angeles County, California about east of downtown Los Angeles, in the San Gabriel Valley region. The population was 47,796 at the 2010 census, up from 46,837 at the 2000 census...
.
One of the baseball fields at West Covina's Cortez Park is named "Cory Lidle Field" in memoriam.
See also
- List of people who died in aviation-related incidents
- List of Major League Baseball replacement players