Aircraft crashes into New York high rise building...Cory Lidle confirmed dead

[Matt700wlw]

Statements From Cincinnati Reds



Cory Lidle played for the Reds in 2004. He was traded to the Phillies on 8/9/04.



“The Reds family and all of baseball is very saddened by the news of the accident and Cory’s death,” said Reds general manager Wayne Krivsky. “Our thoughts and prayers are with their friends and families.”

Reds outfielder Ken Griffey Jr., who was a teammate of Lidle with the Reds in 2004, said, “I was shocked by the news. Baseball lost a good player, friend, teammate and competitor. He left an impression on all of us. Our prayers are with his family.”

Said Reds pitcher Aaron Harang, who was a teammate of Lidle’s with the Athletics in 2002, “He was a great friend and teammate. Our thoughts are with Melanie and Christopher and the rest of the Lidle family. He will be missed.”

[OnBaseMachine]

I'm stunned. Very very sad news.

RIP Cory.

[TeamBoone]

I'm stunned. What a tragedy...

I truly hope the part about his family not knowing yet is untrue. I've never known the media to release a name until the family has been notified.

What a terrible loss.

I liked him when he was with the Reds, though it was a tough year for him statistically. RIP Cory.

[paintmered]

Very sad.

Condolences to his family, teammates and all of the lives he's touched over the years.

[mbgrayson]

[Falls City Beer]

I still think Cory was a nice pickup for the club; probably DanO's best deal.

Terribly sad.

[RFS62]

Wow, just got back and heard this incredible news.

RIP, Cory. How terrible for a young man with a family.

[Cigar2]

I just heard. Sad News, Very sad News.

[Reds Fanatic]

Really sad news. Cory's Dad found out on TV about his son's death.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2622099

Doug Lidle and his close friend Bobby Compton played a round of golf Wednesday morning near their southern California homes. Afterward, they went into the snack bar and watched as the television news broke in with an urgent flash: A small plane had crashed into a Manhattan skyscraper.


"We were watching it on TV," Compton told ESPN.com, "not even thinking it could be Cory, because Doug thought Cory had already left."

Lisa Lidle, Doug's wife, had just spoken to their son, Cory. "See you Saturday," he'd told her. Lidle's parents were sure he was on his way home. He'd planned to fly back to California later this week, making a few stops along the way.

Not worried, the men parted ways. Compton, who is also Doug Lidle's supervisor at Century 21 Colonial in Covina, Calif., went back to the office. Soon, the news began to spread through the building: Cory Lidle, who had been a customer of the real estate group as well as a friend, might have owned the plane that crashed.

Compton called his friend.

"Hey, Doug," he remembers asking. "Is it Cory's plane or not?"

"I don't know," Lidle told him. "I'm watching it."

Just then, a television report had confirmed the plane was registered to Cory Lidle, and that his passport had been found.

"Doug, call Cory," Compton said. "And call me back."

That's how Doug Lidle found out his son wasn't coming home.

A few minutes went by. Then a few minutes more. The truth began to set in around the office.

"He didn't call me back," Compton said. "I waited a little bit and he didn't call me back. I called and called; and then I said, 'Screw it.' I drove over to see him."

He found Lidle's parents struggling to accept the loss of their son, a young man who loved flying his new airplane and playing poker.

"Doug's holding on," Compton said Wednesday evening. "He's totally devastated. But that can be expected."

Compton said Lidle's wife, Melanie, and their 6-year-old son Christopher had left New York for Los Angeles before the accident, and likely had no way of learning of the news. According to Compton, a priest planned to meet the flight at Los Angeles International Airport and break the news to Melanie Lidle that her life is forever changed.

"She doesn't know," Compton said. "She's on a plane heading home. She has no clue."

[RFS62]

Really sad news. Cory's Dad found out on TV about his son's death.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2622099

Man, what a heartbreaker.

[kaldaniels]

Any word on the 2nd person???

[George Foster]

It was reported on Fox news at about 10pm that the plane apparently ran out of gas. An instructer was on board as well and pilot error(during the flight anyway) is not expected.

If the plane had had enough fuel to reach Nashville, where Lidle had reservations tonight, the fire would have been a lot more intense.

The plane was only 20 miles form the airport in New Jersey were it took off.

Very sad.

[vaticanplum]

Any word on the 2nd person???

Logic says that it was his flight instructor, since no one in the building was killed. But reports out of Teterboro Airport said that Lidle was alone on the plane. I think those reports may be wrong.

[Reds Fanatic]

I heard the 2nd person that died was the flight instructor.

[GriffeyFan]

Hmmmm....of course the first place I looked for a thread on a baseball player dying in a plane crash was on the "Non-Baseball Chatter" thread.

Makes about zero sense.