Remembering Darry Kile 18 years later

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images Eighteen years ago today, the ace of the St. Louis Cardinals pitched an absolute gem. He was having a bit of a down year, partially because he’d set such a high standard, but you wouldn’t know it from how he pitched on June 18th. It was an interleague game against the Angels and he had earned just his fifth win of the year - you know when we cared about such things. He pitched into the 8th inning and received a standing ovation. It was the last game he ever pitched.

Most of you already know the story. Four days later, Darryl Kile was found unconscious in his hotel room, having died of an inexplicable heart attack. This was an utterly shocking and devastating death…