Darryl Kile: Remembering the Day

For Christmas, Stephanie gave me a desk calendar of my favorite comic strip, “Get Fuzzy” by Darby Conley. Each day, there is a comic strip from past publications. If you're not familiar with the strip, it is one of the funniest I’ve ever read. It’s about a 20/30-something single guy named, Rob Wilco, whose pet dog and cat are just as much his family as if he had children of his own. His pets are a Siamese cat with one tooth named Bucky Katt and a Lab/Sharpei mix named Satchel Pooch. Darby Conley is from the New England area and is a huge Red Sox fan. Actually, from what I can tell, he’s a huge baseball fan. Just look at the names: Bucky Katt….Bucky Dent; Satchel Pooch….Satchel Paige. The other day, the strip of the day on my calendar had Rob wearing a St. Louis Cardinals hat with the initials D.K. and the number 57, an obvious homage for the late starting pitcher, Darryl Kile. It gave me chills as I reminisced about the baseball star’s early death.

Last Wednesday, June 22, 2005, marked the third anniversary of pitcher Darryl Kile’s death, a moment that shocked the sports world. He was found dead in his hotel room in Chicago where the Cardinals were playing the Cubs that weekend. At the time, it was such a mystery as to what could have caused his death. We would later find out that his passing was due to coronary atherosclerosis, which is a narrowing of the arteries supplying the heart muscle. He was only 33. No one, including Darryl’s wife, had any idea there was a problem. I remember that day and the surrounding events so vividly. Throughout his career, Darryl Kile made a lot of close friends. The game between the Cubs and the Cards was canceled that day. Joe Giardi and the rest of the Cubs and Cardinals’ Manager, Tony LaRussa, came out to the field and made the announcement to the fans. If you’ve ever been to a game when the Cardinals are the visiting team, then you know they come out. It’s why I love to watch the Astros play the Cardinals. That day, as usual, there were a lot of Cardinal fans in the stands at Wrigley field. Their fans, along with the hosting Cub fans, were silent upon hearing the news. That night, in watching the sports recap of the day on ESPN, I watched a press conference with Larry Walker, a former teammate of Darryl’s when he played for the Rockies. I never have been a fan of Walker’s, but I did have to respect him for wearing his heart on his sleeve as he broke down remembering his fallen friend in the tear-filled interview.

What I will remember most about his passing was that night as the Astros hosted the American League’s Seattle Mariners. It was an inter-league game that my friend, Ray, and I were excited about and had planned to attend for some time as we wanted to see the phenom, Ichiro Suzuki, live and in action. We had seats a few rows behind right-field. Before the game started, the fans participated in a moment of silence for Darryl. Houston holds a special place in her heart for Darryl Kile as he spent seven of his twelve major league seasons in an Astros uniform with several stellar years, one of which included a no-hitter on September 8, 1993. For some of the fans, it was the first they had heard of the tragedy. So, the moment of silence was preceded by a collective gasp. Above, on the big screen, was a picture of Darryl in an Astros uniform atop the pitcher’s mound. Under this figure: “1968-2002.” In the Astros’ dugout, hung Kile’s old jersey.

Prior to the game, Jimy Williams, manager of the Astros at the time, gave Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, and Brad Ausmus the night off as they were very close to Darryl. He informed them that he would only use them as a last resort. Sure enough, all three were needed in the twelve inning thriller. Jeff Bagwell fittingly hit the game winning run in the bottom of the twelfth with a single that drove Julio Lugo in. Now, normally when something like this happens, the game hero's teammates mob him in celebration. Not this time. This night, Jeff's teammates met him, gathered around him, and hugged him. Jeff Bagwell's shoulders slumped as if an unbearable load had finally worn him down while his teammates escorted him off of the field.

When the winning run came in, the crowd went nuts. It didn't take much. The crowd was already on its feet, and the air was already filled with excitement when we saw Bagwell on deck. We knew we were about to witness something special. There was an awkward fan in our section that kept making nonsensical cheers throughout the evening. He kept talking about Spiderman which was the hit blockbuster movie that summer. When Bagwell came up to bat, the fan kept yelling, "Do it for Darryl!" Now while that is a horrible cliché, it was a unanimous sentiment that did not require vocalizing. When Lugo crossed the plate, strangers in a city of millions celebrated together. Grown, guarded men were high-fiving each other and hugging, not caring what anybody would think. For all we knew, we could have just won a pennant, or witnessed a no-hitter. It was a special moment that will forever be burned into my memory. It's held in such high regard with such memories as the Mike Scott no-hitter against the Giants in 1986 or, more recently, beating the Braves to advance to the National League Championship Series in 2004.

A few days later, a memorial was held for Darryl Kile at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. It was a tough year for Cardinal fans as they lost their long-time announcer, Jack Buck, earlier that week. I watched a web cast of the memorial service that day at work, and wept for Darryl Kile, his friends, and his family which included a wife, five-year old twins, a boy and a girl, along with a boy who would turn one that August. The remainder of the year, the Cardinals hung his jersey with reverence in their dugout. The Cardinals made it to the National League Championship Series where they lost to the San Francisco Giants. To this day, a circular sign with the letters, "DK", is still raised between the Astros pennants. Every time I see it, it takes me back to that summer night when I realized what the game of baseball really means to me.


"Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay." "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by Robert Frost

Go Spurs Go!

I know it's a little late, but congratulations to the City of San Antonio and the NBA Champion Spurs! Because I've spent so much time in San Antonio, I consider it my second home. So, I'm extremely happy for my second favorite basketball team. What a team! Tim Duncan has turned out to be one of the most respectable players in the game. So much of that has to be credited to David Robinson. I cannot think of a better person to mentor Tim than David. Speaking of David, wasn't it great to see him on the floor? He was obviously thrilled for the team, the city, and Tim. When Duncan and Greg Popovich embraced after winning another championship, I was reminded of why I love this game. It's the comradery, the players relying on each other, fighting for a common goal. In today's culture of individualism and statistics, it's so great to see players feeding off of one another, and realizing they're playing for something bigger than themselves. I hope that Tim Duncan plays in San Antonio his entire career. It would be fitting to his legacy and to that of David Robinson. That's about all that is going on. I hope everyone is doing well.


"Never underestimate the heart of a champion." Rudy Tomjanovich

Quote Me On That

Tuesday night, CBS aired AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes. It was one of the most enjoyable programs I can remember watching in a really long time. In case you missed it, Clark Gable's "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" from "Gone With the Wind" was the number one quote which is next to impossible to argue against. For the most part, the list was great. There were a few quotes that I thought could have been left out and some that could have been added. But, to be honest, the people who chose the quotes are more qualified than I am.

Some highlights for me were the following quotes:

#3 "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am." Marlon Brando "On the Waterfront"

#8 "May the Force be with you." Harrison Ford "Star Wars"

#11 "What we've got here is failure to communicate." Captain "Cool Hand Luke"

#21 "A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti." Anthony Hopkins "The Silence of the Lambs"

#45 "Stella! Hey, Stella!" Marlon Brando "A Streetcar Named Desire"

#51 "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?" Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry"

#57 "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good." Michael Douglas "Wall Street"

#72 "No wire hangers, ever!" Faye Dunaway "Mommie Dearest"

#92 "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!" Bill Murray "Caddyshack"


Here are some of the quotes that I thought could have been omitted to make room for some others:

#100 "I'm king of the world" Leo DeCaprio "Titanic" (James Cameron's Oscar acceptance speech alone should have kept this off of the list)

#98 "Nobody puts Baby in a corner" Patrick Swayze "Dirty Dancing"

#96 "Snap out of it!" Cher "Moonstruck" (Any movie involving Cher & Nicholas Cage should be burned)

#76 "Hasta La Vista, Baby" Arnold Schwarzenegger "Terminator 2" Ridiculous

#30 "I want to be alone" Greta Garbo "Grand Hotel"

#47 "Shane. Shane. Come Back!" "Shane" Not that great

#42 "Plastics." "The Graduate"

Here are some quotes that I think could have replaced those:

"Wax on, wax off." Pat Morita "The Karate Kid" Everybody knows it!

"Luke, I am your father" Darth Vader "The Empire Strikes Back" The shock heard 'round the universe!

"You'll shoot your eye out!" Everyone but Ralphie "A Christmas Story"

"You're so money!" Vince Vaughn "Swingers"

"We're on a mission from God." Dan Akroyd "The Blues Brothers"

"Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!" John Belushi "Animal House"

"Yeah, well....sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand." Paul Newman "Cool Hand Luke"

Those are just some favorites of mine that I think could have made the list. There are some quotes that I enjoy but I know would not be good enough for this list. I love a lot of the quotes from "Stripes" and "Strange Brew". I was disappointed not to see any Chevy Chase quotes in the list. The Fletch movies and Vacation movies could have provided some ammo. It's interesting to imagine what quotes will be on lists like this 50 years from now. Maybe we'll see some from "Napoleon Dynamite". That whole movie is a quote. I just hope Keanu's "I know Kung Fu" from the "Matrix" never shows up on a list like this, or any Keanu quote for that matter. Another quote I hope to never see on such a list is James Vanderbeek telling his dad, "I don't want your life!" from "Varsity Blues".
I've really enjoyed thinking about quoteable movies since watching the program Tuesday night. Please feel free to post some of your favorite quotes or opinions on the list.



"Me and my brother, Doug, always said that drowning in beer is like Heaven, eh. Now he's not here. I got two soakers. This isn't Heaven! This sucks!" Rick Moranis in "Strange Brew"

Friday morning, Stephanie and I headed up to Fort Smith Arkansas. It was a long trip, but we enjoyed the road. The weather, for the most part, cooperated. We hit some rain between Nacodoches and the Oklahoma border, but that was about it. I was originally concerned because in checking the weather all week, it looked like we'd be driving through some thunderstorms. When we first got into Oklahoma, I was pretty disappointed. The first leg of our trip through Oklahoma was boring and not very attractive. In fact, we barely noticed we had crossed the border. There was a tiny sign welcoming us to Oklahoma. Gee....thanks. Did Oklahoma not realize that Craig AND Stephanie just entered its land? Where was the red carpet???
About 45 minutes into our drive through Oklahoma, the state made up for the less than thrilling entrance. We entered the Ouachita National Forest. Talk about a gorgeous drive! We drove through rolling hills and mountains covered in trees. The road had only two lanes; one going each way. So, the rest was all for the eye to enjoy. After navigating through the turns and broken highways, we made it into Fort Smith, Arkansas. The odd thing about crossing that border was that our crossing took place on a small road in the middle of a neighborhood. There was a tiny sign informing, but not thanking us that we had left Oklahoma and entered Arkansas.
We started to navigate our way through the city to find our motel, but it wasn't necessary. There's really only one road in Fort Smith that you need to know...Rogers. We were heading up the street and there was the Days Inn just like in the picture. Only in the picture, you didn't see its surroundings. Our motel wasn't in the most attractive setting. We were nervous and apprehensive at first, but it turned out to be okay. I think the only problem we had all weekend was the sexy hunk of a man in a Speedo on the second floor. It was nasy!!! I couldn't quite figure it out. We were in Arkansas. There is no Eurotrash in Arkansas. I know it's wrong to pigeonhole Speedo wearers into that category, but I don't care! It's justified.
There wasn't much to do in Fort Smith. There's the mall, which is on Rogers. It was just okay at best. When a clerk at a hat store in the mall found out we were from Houston, he couldn't believe we were in that mall. He informed us that he knew how awesome our malls were. Heck yeah!!!! We soaked in some local culture. There's the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Rogers, and Wal-Mart...that was about it.
Saturday morning, we asked the girl at the front desk where we should have breakfast. She suggested Benson's Grill, a local diner on, you guessed it, Rogers. This had to be the cultural highlight of the weekend if not the year. First, we walk in and the cigarette smoke escapes through the door celebrating its freedom from the captivation it had withstood. We started to sit down, but I saw an ashtray on the table. So, I assumed it was the smoking section. You know, a no smoking section in a restaurant is about as effective as a no peeing section in a public pool. It eventually makes its way over. Well, it turned out that the entire restaurant was a smoking section. Our waitress behind the diner counter was even smoking. Not on her break! Now this place was full of locals. The customers knew the workers and vice versa. There was a couple smoking, of course, and enjoying some coffee and conversation. She along with her man, a strapping man with an American Flag bandana on his head who although he looked 70 was probably in his late-30s to early 40s, decided to run to the store to get something for her stomach and more cigarettes. Our waitress asked them to pick her up some cigarettes in exchange for her protection of their coffee. The couple returned, but had picked up the wrong brand for our waitress. She non-chalantly tells the other waitress that she's going to bum a cigarette. The other waitress explained the terms, or consequences if you will, of the cigarette loan. She exclaimed, "You do and I'll kick your butt! That's my last one!" Well said. You speak for all of us. Now, our new local friend who did not work at the diner but returned with the wrong cigarettes was an entrepenuer. She posed the question, "You know those bumper stickers that say, 'Git-R-Done'? " Of course, everyone acknowleged their witnessing of said bumper sticker. She continued, "I oughta make a bumper sticker that says 'GOT-R-Done,'." to which everyone agreed. She went on to ask, "And you know those stickers that say 'Cowboy Up'?" Of course, everyone involved in the conversation had seen it. To which she added, "I should make a sticker that says, 'Cowboy Down'." Inspired, one of the waitresses added, "How 'bout 'Cowboy DONE'?!" Believe it or not, the food was really good. Believe me we were nervous. When I pray to God thanking Him for our food, I usually request something to the effect of "let it be nourishing to our bodies." In this particular case, I pleaded with the Lord, "PLEASE let it be nourishing to our bodies." God was listening and we didn't have any problems.
After breakfast, we checked out a casino in nearby Oklahoma. It was pretty depressing. Rows of slot machines were panhandling. We lost a grand total of six bucks in fifteen minutes and left. With the cigarette smoke in the casino, we probably took in a carton's worth of second-hand smoke. Tomorrow, we're planning to make the trip to Walgreens to buy second-hand nicotine patches. We admitted that we have a problem and that is the first and most important step to recovery. The wedding was really nice. It took place in this beautiful southern house in Historic Downtown Fort Smith. Now, while the house wasn't on Rogers, downtown was. Have you ever noticed that every small town has an "Historic Downtown"? As Stephanie pointed out, of course it's historic. The rest of the town was built around it. After the wedding, we decided to get some dinner. The choice for the evening...The Pig N Pepper on Rogers, which incidentally had a big paper mache bull outside. It was, as you've probably figured it out, barbeque. It was really good! They had some incredible barbeque sauces. After dinner we drove to a nearby mountain in hopes of watching the sunset. While we didn't get to see the sun set, it was a really nice drive.
We made our way home Sunday. It was a rough drive, but only because I was so tired. It had been a long weekend and we didn't get much sleep. We were ready to get home and see Roscoe. Now, if you read my first blog, I spelled his name Rosco without the "E". After posting the blog, Stephanie informed me that she bought him a new name tag and added the "E". So now he is legitmately named after Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles. When we got back into the Ouachita National Forest in Oklahoma, we decided to take a detour for a scenic drive. It was amazing. We went into a camping and picnic area that overlooked the valleys. It was the perfect way to cap off the weekend. Stephanie and I did not want to leave. We hope to return soon to camp there.
We finally made it home. When we left the apartment on Friday, the A/C was out. We were relieved to come home to a new unit which was cooling the apartment wonderfully. We then returned the rental car and picked up Roscoe from Linda who did a gracious and wonderful job of taking care of our boy. Thanks Linda!!! So, if there is nothing else you take from this blog, remember that if you're ever in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Rogers will get you anywhere!


"The end of our journey impended. Great fields stretched on both sides of us; a noble wind blew across the occasional immense tree groves and over old missions turning salmon pink in the late sun. The clouds were close and huge and rose." On the Road by Jack Kerouac

From June 16, 2005

So, our A/C is out. You may not believe this, but it's HOT!!! It went out Tuesday night. We had air blowing, but not very hard. So, it wasn't too bad. The apartment sent the maintenance guys yesterday to fix the problem. Evidently, they just had to fix the compressor. It was better, but through the course of the evening, we noticed it had gotten warmer. So, the maintenance guys came out today, and the unit is shot! So, they will not be able to get it fixed until this weekend. They set up this cool personal A/C unit in our bedroom. It seems to be working. Luckily we'll be out of town. So, we won't have to deal with all of this over the weekend. I'm sitting here waiting for one of those moments of clarity as if I was in one of those sweaty rituals in a teepee. You know, Dylan and Brandon were in one on 90210 when they decided to ride motorcycles cross-country. They stopped to go to the restroom on the side of the road and got arrested for desecrating a sacred burial ground. What ground-breaking scripts we got to enjoy in the 90's. So, the sheriff of the reservation sentenced them to dig a pit so they could make the little smoke teepee. You probably only understand what the heck I'm talking about if you actually saw that episode. Well, to make a long story longer, Dylan and Brandon had these wonderful moments of clarity while in this ceremony. So, I'm waiting on one of those.Oh....I think I have one.....no wait.......I don't. I find it hard to have those profound thoughts while being in a miserable situation like that. All I can think is, "It's hot. Or if I was to fast, I would just think, "Dang! Some hot wings would be great right now!" Well, it could be worse. It's hard to imagine, but people live without A/C everyday. Sadly, it's usually the fragile elderly people on fixed incomes or malnutritioned homeless people. So, I have to think of those less fortunate than me to put it all in perspective. There it is! I did have my moment of clarity! Now I guess I should start fasting. Ha!

"...the sun doesn't go down. It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round" Do You Realize by the Flaming Lips

Craig's Blog; The Beginning

Hello one and all.......well, more than likely one. Hi Stephanie! Thanks for reading my first blog. For those of you lost souls who are wondering how you got here and don't know me, Stephanie is my beautiful wife. Being that this is my first blog, I'm not going to focus on a certain subject thus setting a tone for what this blog is going to be all about. The truth is, this blog isn't going to be about one thing. I'm not sure what it's going to be about. If interesting things are going on in my life, then I will write about that. Otherwise, I'll more than likely write about music, movies, current events, television, sports, or whatever is on my mind at the time.
Stephanie and I just gave our dog, Rosco, a bath and a dip. When we give him a dip, we can't dry him. Therefore, he is miserable and barking. Rosco is a lab-dachsund mix. I would have loved to see how that came about. He's named after Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in L.A., a favorite of mine. How can you go wrong with a combination of chicken and waffles? Yes, I realize that the spelling of the name is different from the restaurant, but we like it that way! He's had a rough start in life, but he is really healthy now.
Stephanie and I are going to Arkansas and Oklahoma this weekend. So, I'll hopefully have plenty of things to write about. I mean, come on! We're talking about Arkansas!!! Road trip stories are the best. I know you'll be coming back for more!
Well, thanks for stopping by. I'm looking forward to making future entries. I think I'll end every entry with a quote, thought, or lyric. So, here it goes:

"Yeah, well....sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand." Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke