Cory Lidle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cory Lidle |
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Lidle with the New York Yankees in 2006
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: March 22, 1972 Hollywood, California, U.S. |
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| Died: October 11, 2006 (aged 34) New York City, New York, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| May 8, 1997, for the New York Mets | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| October 1, 2006, for the New York Yankees | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 82–72 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.57 | ||
| Strikeouts | 838 | ||
| Teams | |||
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Cory Fulton Lidle (born March 22, 1972 – died October 11, 2006) was an American professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher who played in Major League Baseball. Cory played for several teams, including the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees. His career lasted from 1997 to 2006. Sadly, Cory Lidle passed away when a small plane he owned crashed in New York City.
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Cory Lidle's Baseball Journey
Cory Lidle finished high school at South Hills High School in West Covina, California in 1990. He played baseball there with future major league stars Jason Giambi and Aaron Small.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
No baseball teams chose Cory Lidle in the draft. But the Minnesota Twins signed him as a free agent. He was released in 1993. For one season, he played for a team called the Pocatello Posse in Idaho. He also worked as a bartender during that time.
After playing in Pocatello, the Milwaukee Brewers signed him. In 1996, Lidle was traded to the New York Mets.
Playing in the Major Leagues
Cory Lidle made his first appearance in Major League Baseball on May 8, 1997, with the New York Mets. He became a reliable relief pitcher that season. He won 7 games and lost 1, with a good earned run average (ERA) of 3.19. Cory had arm surgery in 1998.
Later, Lidle played for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Oakland Athletics, Toronto Blue Jays, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and New York Yankees. His best season was in 2001 with the Oakland Athletics. He won 13 games and lost 6, with a 3.59 ERA. This helped the Athletics win the wild card spot.
In August 2002, he had an amazing month. He allowed only one run and won all five of his starts. This helped the A's win 20 games in a row, which was a team record! On this Oakland team, Cory earned the nickname "Snacks." This was because he loved to eat junk food in the bullpen.
After the 2002 season, Lidle was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. He played there for one season. In 2003, he had a tough year. He allowed many earned runs and had a higher ERA. Then, Lidle signed with the Cincinnati Reds. They later traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Cory played for the Phillies for parts of three seasons. He had a record of 26 wins and 20 losses. On July 30, 2006, Lidle was traded to the New York Yankees. He was traded along with outfielder Bobby Abreu. In return, the Phillies got some minor league players.
After the trade, Cory spoke about his old team. He said he was excited to join the Yankees, a team that expected to win. In his first game for the Yankees, Lidle pitched well. He helped the Yankees win 8-1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. On August 21, 2006, he pitched a great game. He helped the Yankees sweep the Boston Red Sox in a five-game series.
Cory Lidle was known for speaking his mind. In 2006, he questioned the home run records of Barry Bonds.
On October 7, 2006, Cory played his final game. It was Game Four of the 2006 ALDS. The Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers. After the game, Cory made some comments that some people thought were critical of his manager, Joe Torre. He later called a radio show to explain himself.
In his Major League career, Cory Lidle had 82 wins and 72 losses. His career earned run average was 4.57.
Cory Lidle's Family Life
Cory Lidle married Melanie Varela in 1997. Their son, Christopher Taylor Lidle, was born on September 18, 2000.
Cory was a descendant of Robert Fulton. Robert Fulton was famous for inventing the steamboat. This is why Cory's middle name was Fulton. Cory also had a twin brother named Kevin. Kevin played baseball too, as a catcher and pitcher in the minor leagues.
Remembering Cory Lidle
On October 11, 2006, Cory Lidle and his co-pilot, Tyler Stanger, were flying a small plane. The plane crashed into a building in New York City. Both Cory and Tyler passed away. This happened just four days after the Yankees' season ended.
Cory Lidle was the third Yankees player to pass away in a plane crash. The others were catcher Thurman Munson in 1979 and pitcher Jim Hardin in 1991. The Yankees owner, George Steinbrenner, said Cory's death was a "terrible and shocking tragedy." He sent his thoughts to Cory's wife and young son.
On October 12, 2006, before a baseball game in New York City, both teams and all the fans observed a moment of silence. They did this to remember Cory Lidle.
The Yankees wore black armbands during the entire 2007 season. This was to honor Cory's memory. On April 2, 2007, Cory's wife Melanie and his son Christopher threw the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium.
See also
- List of people who died in aviation-related incidents
- List of Major League Baseball replacement players
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
