Time will tell how Cards respond to heartache

ST. LOUIS -- If grieving a death in the sports world is nothing new, the St. Louis Cardinals are finding that mourning is getting mighty old. And only time will tell how they respond to their double whammy of heartache.

The Cardinals, their faithful and their city last week looked to move on after fondly saying farewell to Jack Buck, the Cardinals broadcasting legend whose death Tuesday at age 77 was a blow perhaps softened by his months of ill health.

But Saturday proved to be a punch in the gut to the Cardinals, who lost one of their own in his prime.

Right-hander Darryl Kile's death in a Chicago hotel room rocked the Cardinals, leaving many to wonder whether the loss could unhinge the NL Central's leader or embolden the team to play inspirationally in memory of the towering pitcher, gone at just 33.

Whether Kile's passing becomes a mountain of motivation or too much of a burden to bear should become clear in two or three weeks, after each player and coach on his own terms digests the death, Washington University psychologist Richard Wetzel said.

Unlike Buck's death, "I'm sure nobody was prepared for (Kile's), so it's much more shocking. People may respond to it more strongly," Wetzel said. He believes the death of the athlete described as a clubhouse leader "will affect the season quite a bit."

"He was a significant pitcher, and I think it will weaken the team's chances to some degree," Wetzel said. "Somebody else will have to pick up the ball and carry it for him. Some will grow and develop from this; others will be in shock. I don't know enough about who will be which.

"I suspect that people will try their best to not have this affect them too much, but it may be very difficult for them."

An autopsy Sunday in Chicago showed that Kile likely died from a blockage of a coronary artery, a medical examiner said.

"It'll be a long grieving period, especially coming so shortly on the heels of Jack Buck's passing," Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said Sunday of losing Kile, who on Tuesday night -- the night Buck's body gave out -- pitched St. Louis into first place in the NL Central.

"This was tough to take," Bartow added Sunday, when the team held a 30-minute memorial service for Kile at the team hotel.

Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said that while he expects "a real tough mourning period" by the Cardinals and their fans, "we have to be strong, battle through this and find a way to go on."

Other teams have said as much before -- and didn't recover.

When Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died of heatstroke a day after collapsing in a sweltering training camp workout last summer, teammates sobbed over losing the 27-year-old Pro Bowl giant who was among the team's most popular -- and funniest -- players.

"There's nothing that can prepare you for something like this," Cris Carter, then a Vikings receiver, said at the time.

The Vikings spiraled to a 5-11 season -- the franchise's worst in 17 years -- and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1995.

The Kansas City Chiefs weren't much better off during the 2000 season without nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Thomas, who died in February of that year of complications from injuries suffered in an auto wreck 16 days earlier.

Kansas City went on to lose its first two games and stumbled to a 7-9 finish that cost coach Gunther Cunningham his job.