The news came this afternoon around 3 p.m. A small plane had hit a building in Manhattan. The news was eerily reminiscent of another event for New Yorkers. Exactly five years and one month ago 9/11 happened. When the news of that was first trickling out, all people knew was that a plane hit the World Trade Center. Most people first assumed it was a light aircraft. Of course, it wasn't. So when today's story broke, people followed it closely.

I was at work and read the sketchy early reports about it online. Then I found a TV and watched for a while. The building was on fire, the FDNY was putting it out, no other details. Right before I left work at 5:30, I saw the headline online that it was Cory Lidle's plane. Still nothing definite about who may have died. Reports at that time differed, some said 4 were dead, some said 2. No one was going on record that one of them was Lidle. By the time I left at 5:45, Newsday had reported that Lidle was indeed one of the dead, and that he had been piloting the plane. His flight instructor also perished.

Cory Lidle, dead at 34. R.I.P.


Fans observe a moment of silence before Game 2 of the ALCS in Oakland. Lidle pitched for Oakland in 2001 and 2002.

Lidle's final career stats:
82-72, 4.57 ERA, 1322.2 IP, 838 K, 11 CG, 5 SHO