Darryl Kile
A master of the devastating curveball, his promising career and life were tragically cut short, leaving a profound mark on baseball.
1968–2002 (age 34)·American baseball player·Birthday: December 2·Generation X
Biography
Darryl Kile was a pitcher's pitcher, an artist whose primary brushstroke was one of the most vicious curveballs of his generation. Drafted by the Houston Astros, he honed his craft, using that signature 12-to-6 breaking ball to baffle hitters and earn an All-Star selection in 1993. After a difficult stint in Colorado, where the thin air betrayed his breaking stuff, he found redemption with the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming the ace of a contending staff and winning 20 games in 2000. Kile was known for his old-school mentality, competitive fire, and respected presence in the clubhouse. His sudden death from a previously undetected heart condition in a Chicago hotel room in 2002, while still an active player, sent shockwaves through the sport. The Cardinals, grieving, famously played their scheduled game that day as a tribute, and Kile's number 57 was retired by both the Astros and Cardinals, a rare honor cementing his legacy as a player beloved and gone too soon.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Darryl was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Darryl Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Darryl's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2002Died at 34
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- He pitched a no-hitter for the Houston Astros against the New York Mets on September 8, 1993.
- He was selected as a National League All-Star in 1993 and again in 2000.
- He won 20 games for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2000 season, finishing fifth in Cy Young Award voting.
- His uniform number 57 was retired by both the Houston Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Did You Know?
He wore uniform number 57 because his birthday is December 2nd (12/2), and 1+2+2=5, and he was the seventh child in his family, making 57.
He was a noted clubhouse prankster and was well-liked by teammates across the league.
The Darryl Kile Good Guy Award is given annually by the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association to a Cardinals player who exemplifies Kile's professionalism and kindness.
“That curveball isn't thrown with the arm; it's thrown with the fingertips.”
