Night Owl Cards

Nineteen years ago today, Darryl Kile tossed a no-hitter against the Mets in the Astrodome. He walked only one batter, but it was costly. Two batters later, Kile threw a wild pitch. Catcher Scott Servais thought the ball had hit the batter and didn't chase it. First baseman Jeff Bagwell ran in and tried to throw runner Jeff McKnight out at third, but threw wildly and McKnight scored. And that's how Kile threw a no-hitter in a 7-1 game. Of course, Kile is now known less for the no-hitter and more as a member of that club of sadness, baseball players who died while their careers were still active. A number of notables are in that group. Thuman Munson, Roberto Clemente, Ray Chapman and Addie Joss. More recently there's been Greg Halman, Nick Adenhart, Josh Hancock and Joe Kennedy. I am of an age where those who departed this earth in the late 1970s had the greatest impact. I was too young to be devastated by the death of Clemente or Astros pitcher Don Wilson. ...