Spring Break
Cardinals look to move forward
Steve Rosenbloom
Issue date: 6/27/02 Section: Sports
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ST. LOUIS (KRT) - Six days after legendary St. Louis broadcaster Jack Buck died at 77, three days after Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile died at 33 and on the day the Cardinals were to pay a pre-game tribute to Kile, it rained.
A metaphor for this tragedy-pummeled baseball city, to be sure. But not an obstacle.
Amid the drops of rain and tears, red-clad fans continued their pilgrimage, bringing flowers, pictures, letters and other mementos to be placed in the makeshift memorials for Buck and Kile outside Busch Stadium.
"I just feel like it's what I needed to do," said Tracy Fortenberry, 32, her voice cracking and her eyes watering. "I've been a Cardinals fan all my life."
They came in greater numbers as the day wore on, a subdued crowd of 33,074 attending the Cardinals' game against the Milwaukee Brewers, their first at home since Kile was found dead in his Westin Hotel room in Chicago Saturday afternoon, the apparent victim of clogged arteries.
The postponement of Saturday's Cubs-Cardinals game in Wrigley Field gave the disbelieving St. Louis organization a mere day to deal with the grief that might take years to sort out, still apparent in the Cubs' somber 8-3 victory Sunday.
The Cardinals attempted to gather themselves on a scheduled day off Monday. But Tuesday hardly would be a normal day of work. Normal doesn't live here anymore. Kile's locker remains game-ready with jerseys, pants and bats, which only makes it worse for close friend Dave Veres one stall over.
"When I look at his locker," said Veres, whose wife had the burden of telling Kile's wife, Flynn, she was a widow, "it will never be the same."
The rain gave way to sunshine by the time the Cardinals took the field Tuesday. But not before more tears fell during a 10-minute pregame tribute to the right-hander who never had missed a start in his major-league career.
The message board in left field displayed "DK 57" as Cardinals chair Bill DeWitt stood near home plate, backed by Cardinals players and management, and lauded Kile as a professional and a human being.
A metaphor for this tragedy-pummeled baseball city, to be sure. But not an obstacle.
Amid the drops of rain and tears, red-clad fans continued their pilgrimage, bringing flowers, pictures, letters and other mementos to be placed in the makeshift memorials for Buck and Kile outside Busch Stadium.
"I just feel like it's what I needed to do," said Tracy Fortenberry, 32, her voice cracking and her eyes watering. "I've been a Cardinals fan all my life."
They came in greater numbers as the day wore on, a subdued crowd of 33,074 attending the Cardinals' game against the Milwaukee Brewers, their first at home since Kile was found dead in his Westin Hotel room in Chicago Saturday afternoon, the apparent victim of clogged arteries.
The postponement of Saturday's Cubs-Cardinals game in Wrigley Field gave the disbelieving St. Louis organization a mere day to deal with the grief that might take years to sort out, still apparent in the Cubs' somber 8-3 victory Sunday.
The Cardinals attempted to gather themselves on a scheduled day off Monday. But Tuesday hardly would be a normal day of work. Normal doesn't live here anymore. Kile's locker remains game-ready with jerseys, pants and bats, which only makes it worse for close friend Dave Veres one stall over.
"When I look at his locker," said Veres, whose wife had the burden of telling Kile's wife, Flynn, she was a widow, "it will never be the same."
The rain gave way to sunshine by the time the Cardinals took the field Tuesday. But not before more tears fell during a 10-minute pregame tribute to the right-hander who never had missed a start in his major-league career.
The message board in left field displayed "DK 57" as Cardinals chair Bill DeWitt stood near home plate, backed by Cardinals players and management, and lauded Kile as a professional and a human being.
