http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/373 Recent articles about Cory Lidle en-us Wait.. what? Yep, that's right. ESPN has late New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle listed as being activated from the Toronto Blue Jays 15-day disabled list. Cory Lidle, if you don't remember, died in 2006 when he flew his private plane into the side of a NYC building. Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:25:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220096 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/220096 This offseason has been a long one, anytime without baseball is a bad time. To help pass the countless days between watching the Phillies succumb to the Rockies in the 2007 playoffs until the 2008 Opening Day pitch from Brett Myers, I began an interview segment on the blog called Check Your Head. After many great Q&A sessions, I've decided to wrap it up with an interview of myself. Yep, I'm going to sit down and ask myself some questions...I just hope I can type as fast as I think. 1. Statistics aside, who is your favorite non-superstar Phillie of the past? Wes Chamberlain hands down. He played for the Double A Harrisburg Senators when they were a Pirates affiliate and I remember going to the park and watching him thinking he was going to be an absolute stud some day in the Bigs. When the Phils acquired him in a trade with the Buccos I was ecstatic. I envisioned him putting up 30+ homeruns a season and leading the Phils to championships. He had the body of a linebacker, and was built for speed and power...neither really ever materialized in the Majors, but he was an integral member of the '93 squad. 2. Why the hell are you a Phillies fan anyway? I never remember not loving the Phillies. Quite honestly, some of my earliest childhood memories revolve around me loving the Phils, trying to watch them on tv every chance I'd get, and wearing that awful maroon cap (which I've since lost in a McDonald's) and satin maroon jacket (which I've since out grown). Also, my Grandpa's friend, Nevin (God rest his soul), was a huge Phils fan and guided me along this path of despair. 3. What is your favorite aspect of baseball- pitching, offense, or defense? All of it! I love baseball, and I truly mean that. I enjoy watching a masterfully pitched ball game, or sitting there tickled pick while the offense completely obliterates the competition, or gazing in awe at Web Gems. Like Corey, I think the strategy of the game is also very intriguing. There are so many intricacies in baseball that make it a thinking man's game, and therefore it tends to move at a slower pace than other sports, but during those moments that are seemingly just "down time" a lot of stuff is actually going on- defensive arrangement, pitch selection, base running, batter's intent, etc. 4. Describe your overall impression/opinion of the Phillies fanbase. Nucking Futs. They are crazy s.o.b.'s and proud of it. They like to boo, cheer, drink beer, and back a winner. Some call us fickle, but I tend to describe it as over the top passion. Sometimes it amazes me that the Phils have so many loyal fans considering all the years of disgust and failure with so few years of excitement and success mixed in. The Phillies are all I know, and I will never change allegiance. I feel like I'm like most Phils fans, ready to go psycho if they win 3 in a row and ready to go psycho if they lose 3 in a row. There's no even keel with us, it's all or nothing, and we want it all! 5. Discuss the evolution of WSBGM's. It's hard to imagine that nearly 2 years ago Corey and I started this as a fun little thing to do. I never expected people to come and read my opinion, and at first nobody did. Over time people slowly started stumbling upon the site and liking it for some odd reason. That odd reason is probably the fact that we speak our mind, don't sugarcoat things, and try to keep it amusing while thought provoking. I take pride in the blog now; it's really turned into something that is good in my opinion. I like the fact that you can log-on to our page and not read a bland post of what the newspapers and other Phillies sites around the web have already reported..that's boring, and that's merely taking someone's ideas and trying to spin them as your own. Rather we try to come up with our own ideas, some good and some bad, but nonetheless they're our ideas. After all, baseball is entertainment, so I try to be entertaining and not take myself so seriously. I'd still love for the site to become more popular, not for recognition, but for the sake that it drives me to continue to improve and be more creative. 6. Give Patty G a rating on a 1-10 scale (11 being the highest) of the job you think he's done thus far. I'd give him a 4. Why? Rod Barajas was a dumb signing. Wes Helms a total bust. Adam Eaton is a crippling signing. Getting no value in return for Bobby Abreu and Cory Lidle was and still is nauseating. Failing to bolster the bullpen the past two seasons with quality or even mediocre arms is unforgivable. Yes, it is true that he was GM while the Phils made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, but they did it in spite of him, not because of him. If they draft solid players with all these draft picks they have accumulated then I'll look at him more favorably, but right now I see Grand Pappy Moyer as the one significant asset he's collected during his time here. Jeff Conine, Kyle Lohse, David Dellucci were all short-term "fixes", but are they helping the Phillies now? *By the way, props to you for the Spinal Tap reference in the question. 7. What is your honest opinion of Charles Fuqua Manuel? I think he's a horrible in-game strategist. Loyal readers of this blog know we enjoy making fun of Charlie's speech impediment, but that really has no bearing on his managerial skills. However, his inability to properly make the double-switch, continual lapses of judgment when making pitching changes, and repeated unsuccessful Aprils do make put up the red flag as a cause of alarm. Sure he keeps the guys loosey-goosey in the clubhouse, but that doesn't always translate to winning on the field. He seems like a nice enough guy, and I won't deny his aptitude for hitting, but as a manager I feel he falls short in the brains department. 8. Which opposing team and player do you dislike the most? I hate the Mets. I've always disliked the Yankees, but they don't really affect the Phils other than their free-wheeling spending habits. The Mets and Phils have the makings of a great rivalry right now. Each team is good, they have proximity, the players are smack talking, and their fans hate each other. Therefore, I hate the Mets, and take pleasure in doing so. Also, I feel this rivalry is good for baseball, because too long has the BoSox/Yanks thing been the focus of Fox and ESPN; it's time for a new thrill ride at the amusement park. Player I hate the most- Paul LoDuca. That gaytastic fairy jig he pulled last season on the Phils after belting a homerun made me want to inflict pain upon him. I never believe in showing up the other team, and his antics were far past the line of being appropriate. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:21:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/211598 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/211598 Cyril Morong of 'Beyond the Boxscore' created two 15 player lists, one of pitchers who improved from the 2005 to 2006, the other of players who declined. He used a statistic called RSAA which means "the amount of runs that a pitcher saved vs. what an average pitcher would have allowed. It is adjusted for park effects." In short, it's a good list for determining the value of pitchers in 2007, who will be a bargain, who had a nice comeback season and who may have just had a career year. Mon, 18 Dec 2006 21:43:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/7044 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/7044 The NTSB has determined that Cory Lidle's crash was due to a light wind that blew the plane off-course and into the Eastside high rise. More importantly, they said that Lidle was trying to make a U-turn over the East River, with a questionable amount of room to do so. So... operator error. Fri, 03 Nov 2006 22:18:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/4472 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/4472 Lidle has a moving funeruel/tribute, with Airplains flying overhead a few times and with his favorite, Hamburgers... Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:37:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3624 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3624 "This is a terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization. I offer my deep condolences and prayers to his wife, Melanie, and son, Christopher, on their enormous loss."- George Steinbreiner "I am deeply saddened by this tragic event and I ask everyone to keep Cory, his family and all those affected by this tragedy in your prayers."- Brian Cashman Tue, 17 Oct 2006 23:13:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3614 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3614 Their was a service held for Cory Lidle in his hometown. Tue, 17 Oct 2006 23:10:17 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3613 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3613 Following up on my previous post about Barry Zito's blog (http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3334), Cliff Floyd of the Mets also talks about the impact of Lidle's death on him. It's another heartfelt look at how something like this affects the players themselves. Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:56:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3349 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3349 Citing concerns over weather, MLB finally scheduled the makeup Mets/Cards game for Friday at 8:05 and moved the Tigers/A's game to 4:30. In addition, both games with have a moment of silence to remember the life of Corey Lidle. Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:18:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3348 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3348 While there's a ton of commentary from various journalists about the death of Corey Lidle, its always interestiing to hear from his friends and past/present teammates. Barry Zito has an entry up on his MLBlog that tells a bit about his friendship with Lidle. In addition to that, he has a recap of his loss and his thoughts on what went wrong as well. Thu, 12 Oct 2006 16:59:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3334 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3334 The trio in the booth can't seem to agree on how to pronounce Craig Monroe's last name. Is it MON-roe or mon-ROE? At least Steve Lyons is consistent. He goes with MON-roe, and also refers to the Tigers hometown as DEE-troit. Know what? They should ask the cops who arrested him for stealing that belt how to pronounce it. Eric Chavez forgot to pack his Gold Glove this postseason. Took the lead one instead. Thu, 12 Oct 2006 14:01:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3328 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3328 According to The Frog's source on the Mets staff, it's currently a surreal scene at Shea Stadium. While the National League Championship series game has been rained out, the press room and locker room remain packed with players and a multitude of media members that have stuck around to talk about Cory Lidle. One of the interesting subplots developing out of this unfortunate situation is the Mike & the Mad Dog angle. Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:17:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3312 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3312 Cory Lidle died in a plane crash on 72 st. and York, he flew into a building and crashed on the 42nd fl. Cory Lidle and his instructer died along with a least two others who were eitheir on the ground or in the building. The plane was believed to have crashed when the right wing dipped. This plane was on a touring trip around the statue of liberty and heading back to the New Jersey base. He leaves behind a wife and six year old child. Bloomberg Plane With Yankees' Lidle on Board Crashes in NYC (Update2) By Chris Dolmetsch and Peter Young Oct. 11 (Bloomberg) -- A small plane piloted by New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle crashed into a 50-story apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side, exploding in a fireball that killed him and another person. ``This is a terrible shock,'' Yankees Manager Joe Torre said in a statement. ``He was a good teammate and a great competitor. My heart goes out to his family.'' New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a flight instructor and student were aboard the single-engine plane for a sightseeing trip. He declined to identify the dead until family members were notified. Lidle is married with a son. MLB.com, which is owned by Major League Baseball, reported that Lidle was the pilot and had been killed. The plane slammed into an upper floor of the high-rise at East 72nd Street near York Avenue about 2:42 p.m. local time, the New York Fire Department said. Debris fell to the street and flames shot from windows of the building. ``The place just lit up,'' said Patti Charles, a housekeeper on the 32nd floor. ``It shook the building.'' The Federal Aviation Administration said on its Web site that Lidle had an ownership application pending for the plane, a Cirrus SR20 registered in Lakeland, Florida. No Terrorism The FBI said there were no indications of terrorism. ``The president was informed shortly after it happened,'' White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto said. ``There is nothing to suggest that anything even remotely like terrorism was involved,'' Bloomberg said. He is the founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it sent fighter jets over ``numerous'' U.S. cities. ``While every indication is that this is an accident, we see this as a prudent measure at this time,'' said Mike Perini, a NORAD spokesman. The mayor said the plane left Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, circled the Statue of Liberty, then flew north along the East River. The pilot had been flying in a corridor over the river, FAA spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said. She said the pilot wasn't required to be in touch with FAA air-traffic controllers. Spokeswoman Laura Brown said planes flying over the East River corridor are required by the FAA to fly below 1,100 feet. Yankees' Munson Lidle, who earned his pilot's license during the offseason, said in an August interview he would rather fly himself than pay for a private jet like some of his teammates do. The accident spurred memories of the death of Yankees catcher Thurman Munson in 1979. Munson, who was the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1976, died after crashing his Cessna Citation while practicing touch-and-go landings at Akron- Canton Regional Airport in Ohio, according to a report by the National Transportation Safety Board. Lidle, 34, didn't have any additional certifications on his license, such as a rating for instrument flying or for multi- engine aircraft, according to the FAA Web site. Those ratings require a pilot to log more flying hours beyond the minimum needed for a private pilot's license, as well as specialized instruction. Lidle bought a four-seat Cirrus SR20 built in 2002 that had logged less than 400 hours in the air, the New York Times reported on Sept. 8. The pitcher kept the plane at Teterboro Airport during the season and planned to fly near his home in West Covina, California, during the offseason, the Times said. Condolences ``This is a terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire Yankees organization,'' Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said in a statement. ``I offer my deep condolences and prayers to his wife, Melanie, and son, Christopher, on their enormous loss.'' In a recorded message, the FAA reported turbulence below 6,000 feet in the New York area. Skies were overcast, there was no fog and clouds were at about 1,800 feet -- higher than the Empire State Building -- with visibility of nine miles, said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service forecast office in Upton, New York, which covers New York City. ``At least at first glance, weather doesn't appear to be playing a factor in this,'' Goodman said. ``Unless the plane was descending, I don't know how visibility was a factor.'' The NTSB sent two investigators to the scene, spokeswoman Deborah Hersman said in a televised news conference today. The U.S. Coast Guard sent crews to the East River to assist, WCBS-TV said. Sept. 11 Fears The incident occurred exactly five years and one month after terrorists flew two planes into New York's World Trade Center, bringing down its landmark twin towers. Almost 3,000 people were killed when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four airliners on Sept. 11, 2001, and crashed them into the trade center, the Pentagon outside Washington and a field in rural Pennsylvania. The Belaire, a 50-story red brick luxury condominium building with two-bedroom units priced at more than $1 million, was built in 1988, according to the cityrealty.com Web site. The residential tower was modeled after 30 Rockefeller Plaza for a development team headed by William Zeckendorf Jr. ``I didn't know if it was a plane or a helicopter,'' said Alexa Liguori, 23, who lives at 545 East 72nd St., where authorities were using the lobby as a staging area. ``I saw debris flying everywhere and I heard people screaming. It was really, really scary.'' Wed, 11 Oct 2006 22:48:38 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3308 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3308 According to CNN, the plane that crashed into the apartment building in Manhattan was piloted by Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle. Lidle has reportedly died in the crash. Lidle's passport was reportedly found on the street below the crash. R.I.P. Apparently, Lidle's flying was an issue for the Yankees but he indicated that he had a very safe plane that also had a parachute. Here's a piece from Randy Miller in phillyburbs.com (also credited with the picture) where Miller went up in the plane with Lidle and talked about his passion for flying. Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:12:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3301 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3301 A plane registered to Lidle crashed into a building on the upper east side today. Whether it was Lidle or someone else in the plane, 2 individuals are speculated dead. Details in this tragic story are still developing. Wed, 11 Oct 2006 21:03:52 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3300 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/3300