1. Early Life
Darryl Kile was born on December 2, 1968, in Garden Grove, California, located near Angel Stadium. His early life and physical development significantly shaped his path toward a professional baseball career.
1.1. Childhood and Education
Kile attended Norco High School in Norco, California. During his high school years, he possessed an awkward physical frame, and his four-seam fastball velocity was relatively low, topping out at only 78 mph. This limited velocity meant he was largely overlooked by both college recruiters and professional scouts. After graduating from Norco High in 1987, Kile enrolled at Chaffey Junior College in Rancho Cucamonga, California, joining their college baseball team as a walk-on player.
1.2. Early Physical Development and Baseball Career Formation
A pivotal period in Kile's physical development occurred between his freshman and sophomore years of college, when he experienced a significant growth spurt. During this time, he grew from 6 in to 6 in and gained 20 lb (20 lb) of weight. This growth was instrumental in his baseball career, as it also added 13 mph to his fastball, transforming him into a more formidable pitcher and attracting the attention of professional scouts.
2. Professional Career
Darryl Kile's professional baseball career spanned 12 seasons in Major League Baseball, marked by significant achievements and a journey across three different teams before his untimely death.
2.1. Houston Astros (1991-1997)
Kile was selected by the Houston Astros in the 30th round of the 1987 Major League Baseball draft, being the 782nd overall pick. He signed his contract on May 18, 1988. After four years in the minor leagues, where he found success with the Tucson Toros, the Astros' Pacific Coast League Triple-A affiliate, Kile made his major league debut on April 8, 1991. In his first major league start on April 24, 1991, Kile pitched six no-hit innings before manager Art Howe removed him from the game to protect the young 22-year-old rookie's arm. In his debut season, he finished with a 7-11 record in 22 starts with a 3.69 ERA.
His breakthrough year came in 1993, when he compiled a 15-8 record with a 3.51 ERA and was selected for his first All-Star team. On September 8 of that year, Kile achieved a no-hitter against the New York Mets. He pitched for seven seasons with the Astros, predominantly as a starting pitcher. Another standout season for Kile was 1997, where he recorded a 19-7 record with a 2.57 ERA. He was again selected to the All-Star team, threw a career-high 255.2 innings, and recorded four shutouts. He finished fifth in the voting for the National League Cy Young Award. That year, the Astros made their first postseason appearance in 11 years. Kile started Game 1 of the 1997 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, allowing only two hits but suffered a tough 2-1 loss. The Astros were ultimately swept by Atlanta in the best-of-five series. Following the 1997 season, Kile became a free agent.
2.2. Colorado Rockies (1998-1999)
In 1998, Darryl Kile signed a three-year contract worth 23.00 M USD with the Colorado Rockies as a free agent on December 14, 1997. His time with the Rockies proved to be a challenging period in his career. He struggled with control problems, which allowed opposing hitters to lay off his signature curveball more easily. Kile also failed to adapt to Coors Field, which is known as a hitter-friendly ballpark, often referred to as "a pitcher's graveyard." In his two seasons with the Rockies, he accumulated a combined 21-30 record, posting disappointing ERAs of 5.20 in 1998 and 6.61 in 1999. His 1998 season saw him lead the league with 17 losses. By the end of the 1999 season, Kile was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals as part of a 3-for-3 trade that included José Jiménez.
2.3. St. Louis Cardinals (2000-2002)
After joining the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2000 season, Darryl Kile experienced a significant revival in his career under the guidance of legendary pitching coach Dave Duncan. In his first season with St. Louis, Kile achieved a career-best 20-9 record with a 3.91 ERA, becoming the first Cardinals pitcher since John Tudor and Joaquín Andújar in 1985 to win 20 games in a single season. He was selected for his third All-Star team and once again finished fifth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Kile earned the first playoff victory of his career in Game 2 of the 2000 NLDS against the Atlanta Braves. However, he suffered two losses in the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, which the Cardinals ultimately lost in five games.
In 2001, Kile continued his strong performance, recording a 16-11 record with a 3.09 ERA. The Cardinals made the playoffs again, losing to the eventual World Series champions, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the NLDS. Kile was the starting pitcher for Game 3 of that series and received a no-decision. Despite pitching 227.1 innings that season, he did so with an injured shoulder that required surgery after the Cardinals were eliminated. He spent the offseason rehabilitating and was fully ready for the start of the 2002 season. Notably, throughout his 12 seasons as a major league pitcher, Kile never spent time on the disabled list.
By June 2002, Kile had a 5-4 record with a 3.72 ERA and had become a trusted team leader, earning the respect of his teammates. His last game was an interleague matchup against the Anaheim Angels on June 18, where he pitched 7⅔ innings, scattering six hits and allowing only one run. He departed the game in the eighth inning to a standing ovation, and the Cardinals won 7-2, moving into first place in the National League Central Division, a position they maintained for the remainder of the 2002 season.
3. Personal Life
Darryl Kile's personal life was centered around his family. He proposed to his wife, Flynn, in 1991 when they were both 22 years old. They were married on January 11, 1992, and together they had three children. During the baseball season, Kile and his family resided in Clayton, Missouri. In the offseasons, the family owned a home in Englewood, Colorado. At the time of Kile's death, the family was in the process of relocating their offseason residence to San Diego, California.
4. Death
Darryl Kile's unexpected death occurred on June 22, 2002, in Chicago, where he and the St. Louis Cardinals were staying for a weekend series against the rival Chicago Cubs. On the day of a scheduled game, during pregame warmups, team personnel noticed Kile's absence. Hotel staff entered his room and discovered him in his bed, under the covers, deceased from a heart attack.
His death, which came just four days after that of longtime Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck, was ruled to be from natural causes. An autopsy revealed that Kile had an enlarged heart, with two of his coronary arteries 90% blocked, and a blood clot present in one of these arteries. While there was initial discussion about potential drug-related causes, the autopsy findings definitively concluded that his death was natural. This was further contextualized by his family's medical history; Kile's father had also died from a blood clot in 1993 at the age of 44, suggesting a genetic predisposition.
The news of Kile's death was relayed to the public by Cubs catcher Joe Girardi at Wrigley Field. Tearfully, Girardi announced at 2:37 PM CDT, over a regional Fox broadcast, that the afternoon's game versus the Cardinals had been canceled due to "a tragedy in the Cardinal family." He asked for respect and prayers for the Cardinals' family, stating that the specific details would eventually become known. The canceled game was later rescheduled and played on August 31, which the Cardinals lost 10-4. Cardinals pitcher Jason Simontacchi, whom Kile had mentored, was visibly emotional during that makeup game. Later in the 2002 season, when the Cardinals clinched the Central Division championship, teammate Albert Pujols carried Kile's number 57 jersey, hanging on a hanger, onto the field during the team's celebration, a poignant tribute to their fallen leader.
5. Tributes and Legacy
Following Darryl Kile's death, numerous tributes, memorials, and an annual award were established to honor his memory and character, ensuring his enduring legacy within Major League Baseball.
5.1. Memorial Events and Monuments
The St. Louis Cardinals honored Darryl Kile by placing a small "DK 57" sign in their home bullpen. This sign was later moved to the new Busch Stadium and remains there today as a permanent tribute. The team also wore "DK 57" on their caps, and chalk and markers were provided in the Busch Stadium concourses for fans to write similar messages on their own caps. During the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Cardinals pitcher Matt Morris, a close friend of Kile's, wrote "DK 57" on his hands and held them up when his name was announced, further honoring his teammate.
The Houston Astros also honored Kile with a memorial plaque installed along the left field wall at Minute Maid Park, placed beneath the 1997 Central Division Championship banner, which marked Kile's final season with Houston. A "DK 57" sign is also prominently displayed on the wall in left-center field. The Colorado Rockies have a circular memorial near their bullpens featuring "DK 57" on pinstripes.
5.2. Darryl Kile Good Guy Award
In 2003, the Darryl Kile Good Guy Award was established to commemorate Kile's esteemed character. This award is presented annually to one player from the Houston Astros and one player from the St. Louis Cardinals. The recipients are chosen by the Houston and St. Louis chapters of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA), respectively. The award recognizes players who best exemplify Kile's qualities: "a good teammate, a great friend, a fine father and a humble man." The first recipients of the award were Jeff Bagwell of the Astros and Mike Matheny of the Cardinals.
5.3. Jersey Number (No. 57)
Darryl Kile wore jersey number 57 throughout his professional career. Following his death, the Houston Astros have not assigned number 57 to any other player, and as of the end of the 2024 season, Kile remains the last player to wear the number for the franchise, effectively creating an informal retirement of the number.
The St. Louis Cardinals were the first of Kile's former teams to re-issue the number. In 2021, it was given to pitcher Zack Thompson during spring training. Thompson subsequently wore the number during his major league debut in 2022, nearly two decades after Kile's death. The Colorado Rockies also kept the number 57 out of circulation for an extended period until it was issued to Tommy Doyle in 2023. While none of his former teams have formally retired the number, its limited re-issuance underscores its significance in Kile's memory.
6. Records and Awards
Darryl Kile's professional baseball career was marked by several significant statistical achievements and awards, reflecting his talent and consistency as a pitcher.
6.1. Yearly Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | G | GS | CG | SHO | GF | W | L | SV | PCT | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | HOU | 37 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 | .389 | 689 | 153.2 | 144 | 16 | 84 | 4 | 6 | 100 | 5 | 4 | 81 | 63 | 3.69 | 1.48 |
| 1992 | HOU | 22 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0 | .333 | 554 | 125.1 | 124 | 8 | 63 | 4 | 4 | 90 | 3 | 4 | 61 | 55 | 3.95 | 1.49 |
| 1993 | HOU | 32 | 26 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 0 | .652 | 733 | 171.2 | 152 | 12 | 69 | 1 | 15 | 141 | 9 | 3 | 73 | 67 | 3.51 | 1.29 |
| 1994 | HOU | 24 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 0 | .600 | 664 | 147.2 | 153 | 13 | 82 | 6 | 9 | 105 | 10 | 0 | 84 | 75 | 4.57 | 1.59 |
| 1995 | HOU | 25 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 570 | 127.0 | 114 | 5 | 73 | 2 | 12 | 113 | 11 | 1 | 81 | 70 | 4.96 | 1.47 |
| 1996 | HOU | 35 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 0 | .522 | 975 | 219.0 | 233 | 16 | 97 | 8 | 16 | 219 | 13 | 3 | 113 | 102 | 4.19 | 1.51 |
| 1997 | HOU | 34 | 34 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 0 | .731 | 1056 | 255.2 | 208 | 19 | 94 | 2 | 10 | 205 | 7 | 1 | 87 | 73 | 2.57 | 1.18 |
| 1998 | COL | 36 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 17 | 0 | .433 | 1020 | 230.1 | 257 | 28 | 96 | 4 | 7 | 158 | 12 | 0 | 141 | 133 | 5.20 | 1.53 |
| 1999 | COL | 32 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 0 | .381 | 888 | 190.2 | 225 | 33 | 109 | 5 | 6 | 116 | 13 | 1 | 150 | 140 | 6.61 | 1.75 |
| 2000 | STL | 34 | 34 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 9 | 0 | .690 | 960 | 232.1 | 215 | 33 | 58 | 1 | 13 | 192 | 8 | 1 | 109 | 101 | 3.91 | 1.18 |
| 2001 | STL | 34 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 11 | 0 | .593 | 956 | 227.1 | 228 | 22 | 65 | 3 | 11 | 179 | 6 | 1 | 83 | 78 | 3.09 | 1.29 |
| 2002 | STL | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 0 | .556 | 364 | 84.2 | 82 | 9 | 28 | 1 | 8 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 35 | 3.72 | 1.30 |
| MLB Total (12 seasons) | 359 | 331 | 28 | 9 | 2 | 133 | 119 | 0 | .528 | 9429 | 2165.1 | 2135 | 214 | 918 | 41 | 117 | 1668 | 97 | 19 | 1099 | 992 | 4.12 | 1.41 | |
Bold indicates league leader
6.2. Major Records and Honors
- MLB All-Star Game selection: 3 times (1993, 1997, 2000)
- No-hitter (September 8, 1993, against the New York Mets)
- 20-win season (2000)
- Cy Young Award voting: Finished fifth in the National League in 1997 and 2000
- Baseball Hall of Fame ballot: Appeared on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003, receiving seven votes before being eliminated from future consideration.