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New York Yankees relief pitcher Cory Lidle left the field during Game 4 of the American League Division Series playoff baseball game in Detroit, Michigan, on October 7, 2006.
New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle was involved in a plane crash in New York on Wednesday afternoon.Lidle was onboard a small propeller plane that crashed into a high-rise apartment building.His flight instructor, Taylor Stanger, was also onboard the plane.Both men were killed in the crash.
For many New Yorkers, the day was a fearful reminder of September 11, 2001, when planes crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg held a news conference soon after yesterday’s crash to announce that it was not a terrorist attack.Authorities have not determined which passenger was flying the plane.
“It’s very tragic, ” Bloomberg said.“We have to say a little prayer for those we lost.” The world of Major League Baseball was shocked when news spread that Cory Lidle was involved in the crash.A Major League pitcher for nine years, Lidle had been a member of the Yankees since July.He pitched in a postseason game against the Detroit Tigers just a few days before the crash.
“This is a terrible and shocking tragedy that has stunned the entire organization,” said George Steinbrenner, owner of the Yankees.
Jason Giambi, a fellow Yankee, had known Lidle for years.The two were teammates on the Oakland Athletics and even played on the same team in high school.“Right now, I am really in a state of shock, ” Giambi wrote in a statement to the press.“We were excited to be reunited in New York this year, and I am just devastated to hear this news.” For many Yankee fans, Lidle’s plane crash brought back memories of Yankee catcher Thurman Munson’s death in a plane crash in 1979.
The Flight
Lidle and Stanger left a small airport in Teterboro, New Jersey, around 2∶30 p. m., on Wednesday.The plane circled the Statue of Liberty and then headed north up the East River, along the eastern shore of the island of Manhattan.The plane veered off its path as it approached East 72nd Street, crashing into the high-rise apartment building at about 2:45 p.m.Residents in and around the building said they heard a huge explosion.Many people saw large flames coming from the windows high above the street.Pieces of debris from the plane and the building fell to the street as the fire spread.Mayor Bloomberg said 11 firefighters were injured while fighting the fire.