June 23, 2002, 9:37AM Ex-Astro Kile found dead 33-year-old dies of apparently natural causes By RICHARD JUSTICE Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile, who began his 11-year major-league career with the Astros and eventually established himself as one of baseball's most respected competitors and admired people, was found dead in his Chicago hotel room Saturday afternoon.
Kile, 33, died of apparently natural causes, according to Chicago police officer Michael Chasen, who was called to the Cardinals' hotel after the pitcher failed to show up for Saturday's scheduled game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. "It appears he died in his bed, in his sleep," Chasen said. Cardinals team physician Jim Loomis said the 6-5, 212-pound Kile had no history of heart problems and was not on medication. An autopsy was planned for today. News of Kile's death stunned the baseball world. The Cardinals were taking batting practice when they were summoned from the field and told of his death. Saturday's game was immediately postponed, and players quickly departed the ballpark, many of them in tears. Cardinals officials were assembling a grief-counseling team, and another meeting was scheduled for later Saturday night. "Our club is just totally staggered. I mean, devastated," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said, wiping away tears. "You guys know what a pro he is." Fans were already in their seats at Wrigley Field when Cubs catcher Joe Girardi stepped to a microphone set up at home plate and announced the game had been postponed because of "a tragedy in the St. Louis Cardinals family." "I ask that you say a prayer for the St. Louis Cardinals family," Girardi said. Fans left without learning the reason the game was called off. Kile is survived by his wife, Flynn, and their 5-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and a son who was born last August. His death hit the Astros hard as well. He began his professional career with them after being drafted in the 30th round out of Chaffey Junior College in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., in 1987. It was at Chaffey where Kile made the transition from a gawky, soft-tossing righthander into a pitcher with a laserlike fastball and a knee-buckling curveball. He needed just four professional seasons to get to the major leagues, and by his third big-league season, 1993, he was a star. He was chosen for the National League All-Star team that summer and in September threw the ninth no-hitter in Houston franchise history. "Do you know how good he is?" Astros second baseman Craig Biggio said that night. "When he's on, like he was tonight, you've got a feeling he can do something like this." That no-hitter might have been the highlight of Kile's career, but it came eight months after he had been devastated by the death of his father, David, who was 44 at the time. David Kile suffered a stroke at his doughnut shop in Friday Harbor, Wash. Darryl took a break from spring training to deal with his father's death, and as he climbed rung after rung in his sport, he occasionally stopped to remind reporters how his father would have enjoyed the moment. "I don't think I'll ever get over it, because my father was my best friend," Kile said in 1993. "But in order to be a man, you've got to separate your personal life from your work life. It may sound cold, but I've got work to do. I'll never forget my father, but I'm sure he'd want me to keep on working and try to do the best I can do." Kile spent seven seasons with the Astros, winning 71 games -- the 10th-most in franchise history -- and helping the team win a division championship in 1997. Along the way, he made fast friends with a host of Astros, including players Biggio, Jeff Bagwell and Brad Ausmus, and a long list of team officials and personnel. The Astros closed their clubhouse Saturday afternoon to allow players some private time, and Bagwell, Biggio and Ausmus didn't start in Saturday night's game against the Seattle Mariners (Ausmus entered the game in the ninth inning). During the game, one of Kile's Astros jerseys was hung in the dugout. Kile was remembered as a quiet, conservative man, a voracious reader and a student of the game. He often joked about his lack of natural physical skills, once telling a reporter: "How could I pull a muscle? I don't have any." "Darryl was a kind, gentle, thoughtful family person," Astros owner Drayton McLane Jr. said. "He was a great athlete, someone with huge potential. He had some great victories while he was here. He was determined to get the best out of his abilities." Astros manager Jimy Williams made batting practice optional, and a moment of silence was held in Kile's honor shortly before Saturday's game. Flags at Minute Maid Park -- and at several other ballparks around the country -- were lowered to half-staff. "Part of our Christian faith is to remember the good things that a person accomplished," McLane said, "and that's what we're trying to think about Darryl today. He was quiet and thoughtful, very straight-laced. He had beautiful kids. He was a quiet guy but the kind of person that other players looked up to." Kile departed the Astros after the 1997 season to sign a $24 million contract with the Colorado Rockies. He struggled for two seasons, going 21-30 and leading the National League with 17 losses in 1998. He was traded to the Cardinals before the 2000 season and quickly re-established himself. That year, he went 20-9 with a 3.91 ERA. "He was a guy who loved to compete and win," Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said. "He demonstrated that on the field. He's been very instrumental in the development of (22-game winner) Matt Morris. He helped him become the great pitcher he is. You could see the work he did with a lot of the young guys. He was close to a lot of them and a good friend." Kile was 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 14 games this season. His final victory came Tuesday night as the Cardinals took over first place in the National League Central Division. That same night, the Cardinals learned of the death of their legendary broadcaster Jack Buck, and much of last week was devoted to honoring him. Kile dined with his brother Dan and friends at Harry Caray's restaurant Friday evening and was seen in the hotel lobby around 10:30 p.m. before heading to his room, according to teammates. The Cardinals are scheduled to be back on the field tonight against the Cubs. "It's going to be a difficult time for our team," Jocketty said. "Obviously, we've got a tough grieving period ahead, but we'll work through it. It's going to be tough to play for a while, but we have to deal with that."
