Didn't see a thread for this, other than the shoutbox.
I wrote this piece for
PhillySportsForum.Com (which I encourage you guys to check out). Such sad news, thoughts/prayers to his family.
Reports of a plane crashing into a New York City apartment building put the nation on edge Wednesday afternoon, stirring images of our country's loss on September 11th, 2001. Fears of terrorism were quickly dismissed as Cory Lidle's name began to appear on news wires as the plane's owner and pilot.
Lidle, 34, was reportedly a student-pilot on board of his state-of-the-art Cirrus SR-20 and was killed instantly along with his flight instructor, whose name had not been released by officials as of Wednesday evening. Several blocks surrounding the Belaire Condominiums were closed for hours following the crash as investigators arrived and began their search for a cause to the crash. Witnesses described a plane flying at a relatively low altitude seemingly traveling from LaGuardia International Airport. LaGuardia halted incoming flights for a short time after reports of the crash began to circulate.
The unconfirmed reports of Lidle's death began with the discovery of the Yankees' pitcher's passport among the debris on the street below the crash site. Just as those reports surfaced, it was confirmed by George Steinbrenner that the plane involved in the accident was indeed registered to a member of the New York Yankees. Many former teammates of Lidle released individual public statements and among those was New York's Jason Giambi, a long-time friend and teammate. "Right now, I am really in a state of shock, as I am sure the entire MLB family is. My thoughts are with Cory's relatives and the loved ones of others who were injured or killed in this plane crash. I have known Cory and his wife, Melanie, for over 18 years and watched his son grow up. We played high school ball together and have remained close friends throughout our careers. We were excited to be reunited in New York this year and I am just devastated to hear this news."
New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg would not confirm that it was Lidle piloting the doomed plane as attempts to contact his family were unsuccessful during the late afternoon hours. Several news agencies reported that Lidle's wife, Melanie, and son, Christopher, were en route to their California home at the time of the crash.
Cory Lidle spent eleven seasons in the major leagues with seven different clubs. During his career, the California native went 82-72 with two saves and an ERA of 4.57. His last appearence came with the Yankees in Saturday's season-ending loss to the Tigers in which he surrendered three earned runs but was not named the losing pitcher. Lidle was also expected to test the free-agency market this offseason, as his contract with New York was set to expire.
vCash:
10
Points: 6-178
Ex-Phillie dies as plane crashes into Manhattan high-rise 
Linear Mode
