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CNN Live Today

Cardinals Take the Field After Kile's Death

Aired June 24, 2002 - 10:12   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: In the meantime, we are going to check a big story of a totally different nature from the Midwest, a story that broke over the weekend. In Chicago last night, the St. Louis Cardinals took the field with memories of Darryl Kile and his shocking death over the weekend overshadowed that game.

Just hours before the match-up in which Kile was slated to start, the medical examiner announced that a severely blocked artery was the likely the cause of death. The 33-year-old was found dead in his hotel Saturday.

CNN's Brian Palmer is in Chicago. He checks in now with more on this story -- hello, Brian.

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. Just to give folks a recap of exactly what happened, the rather saddening events in the world of baseball. Darryl Kile was discovered in his hotel room dead. He had apparently died in his sleep on Saturday just a few moments before the game was supposed to start between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

The medical examiner saying yesterday the suspected cause of death was a very severe form -- a very serious case of heart disease. He had 80 to 90 percent narrowing of two of the three branches of his coronary arteries. It is very, very serious. That is what the corner, what the medical examiner is saying the likely cause of death. The definitive results won't be out until probably four to six weeks, when toxicological tests come back.

Now, Saturday night's game between the Cardinals and the Cubs was postponed, but Sunday night's game went ahead as planned at Wrigley Field, and that started with a moment of silence.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Number 57, Darryl Kile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PALMER: Now, before the game, the manager of the Cubs, Tony La Russo, was saying that it was going to be very difficult for his team to concentrate, because of the Kile death, and that proved to be the case. The Cubs bested the Cardinals 8-3. The Cardinals did the best that they could with those three runs, but they could not really pull it out.

Now, the Cardinals are back in St. Louis today. We heard yesterday that they are going to be announcing some sort of plans for a memorial, but they have given no timetable as of yet -- Leon.

HARRIS: An incredible story there. As we understand from some of the details that we have learned about the condition that Darryl Kile may have died from here is that it may have run in his family. Have you heard that as well?

PALMER: Well, what we heard from various accounts is that his father did die at a very young age. He died at 44 of a similar condition, but again, we are going to wait for the medical examiner's final reports, so they can compare -- Leon.

HARRIS: You've got it. Thank you very much, Brian -- Brian Palmer in Chicago this morning.

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