Jason Giambi, who was a teammate of Lidle in both Oakland and New York, was also a teammate of the pitcher at South Hills High School in West Covina, Calif.
"Right now, I am really in a state of shock, as I am sure the entire MLB family is," Giambi said in a statement. "My thoughts are with Cory's relatives and the loved ones of the others who were injured or killed in this plane crash.
"I have known Cory and his wife Melanie for over 18 years and watched his son grow up. We played high school ball together and have remained close throughout our careers. We were excited to be reunited in New York this year and I am just devastated to hear this news."
Several of Lidle's teammates said that he discussed his favorite hobby often, telling tales of his time in the air. Yankees reliever Mike Myers was scheduled to fly from New York to Atlantic City with Lidle on an off-day last month, but their plans were canceled at the last minute.
"I know Cory had a passion for it and really loved flying," Myers said. "He was excited about his new hobby. It's very tragic. It's hard to believe."
A native of Los Angeles, Lidle was reportedly flying his plane home to California when he crashed. His wife and child flew home via a commercial airline.
"Cory was a true family man and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family," said Tim Hudson, the Braves pitcher who was a teammate of Lidle in Oakland. "A lot of us have lost a teammate, but they have lost a husband and father, and that's tragic."
"We are deeply saddened by this terrible tragedy and mourn the loss of a member of our extended family," said a statement issued by the Devil Rays, where Lidle played part-time in 1999 and 2000. "We join the Yankees and the entire MLB community in extending our deepest sympathies to his family."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||