A rainy night in New York

Alex Belth expresses his feelings over the tragic plane crash last night.

The first time I remember seeing my father cry when I was a boy was the day after Thurman Munson died. When they had a ceremony for Munson at Yankee Stadium, my father sat in his chair in the living room and sobbed. I was nine at the time and just couldn't understand why he was so upset. After all, he didn't even like the Yankees. He explained to me that sometimes it is sad when a person dies, no matter who they are, even if they did play for the Yankees. When I got older, I understood what he was telling me. But it wasn't until my trip home on a chilly, wet, October night, that I really felt what he meant.

And Steve Goldman looks at Corey Lidle's improbable professional career.

When Lidle became too expensive for the A's, general manager Billy Beane traded him to the Blue Jays. From then on he was, at best, an average pitcher. Yet, when Brian Cashman acquired Bobby Abreu on July 31, he insisted that Lidle be part of the deal. Lidle had a history of pitching well after the All-Star break, and Cashman thought that the Yankees might ride that history to a solidified fifth spot in the rotation. It was a worthy gamble, though it only partially paid off; Lidle pitched well in over half of his Yankees starts, but he was exceedingly vulnerable to the long ball, allowing 11 home runs in 45 1/3 innings, a rate that Joe Torre found too daunting to allow Lidle to start in the first round of the playoffs.

Still, the season completed a journey for Cory Lidle, from non-drafted high school graduate to must-have acquisition for the New York Yankees. Though his stay with the Yankees was undoubtedly not what he would have wished it to be, the final note was a triumphal one.

CORRECTED, to get Goldman's name right. Note to self: there are two baseball prospectus writers -- Kevin Goldstein and Steve Goldman -- try to remember that.