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A really tragic ending for this Yankee

Less than a week after the New York Yankees lost game 4 and the series to the Detroit Tigers, ending their short 2006 postseason appearance, the team ? and the world of baseball ? has been struck by tragedy. When the clouds of smoke cleared around the Upper East side apartment building, the site of a light aircraft crash Wednesday, news of the death of New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle made its way to team-mates and friends across the league.

Lidle, 34, was flying a four-seat plane when, accidentally, it hit a 52-story building off the east River. A major security scare followed the incident in the first hours, as it brought memories of the 9/11 attack. Lidel, who started his professional career with the Mets in 1997, and became a Yankee in a summer trade, appeared in the Yankees final game of the season as a relief pitcher. His nine-year career record was 82 wins and 72 losses with the two New York teams, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Toronto and Cincinnati.

An amateur pilot, Lidel owned the four-seat Cirrus SR 20 plane. "All of baseball is shocked and terribly saddened by the sudden and tragic passing of Cory Lidle," said MLB commissioner Bud Selig. Jason Giambi who reunited with his high school teammate, after playing on the same team in Oakland as well, expressed his shock, saying "I am just devastated to hear this news."