Earlier today, I saw online that there was a small plane that crashed into a building in Manhattan. That's basically all I knew at the time. When I logged back on to the internet a few hours later, the headline said that Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle may have been involved.

It's been confirmed. Lidle was piloting the small plane, which he bought during the last offseason. Both he and his flight instructor were killed. Lidle and his instructor were flying the plane to California, where Lidle lived with his wife and son.

Lidle has only been with the Yankees for a few months. He came to the Yankees as part of a trade at the end of July in which the Yankees got Lidle and Bobby Abreu in return for four minor leaguers.

I remember watching Lidle's first game as a Yankee. He won. It was a day game after a night game, so the backup catcher, Sal Fasano, was catching. Fasano had also just joined the team, having also come from the Phillies (not with Lidle and Abreu, though). I remember thinking how lucky Lidle was that he was pitching to a catcher who had caught for him before. All catchers are different, and this way, Lidle did not have to worry about whether or not he had fallen into a good rhythm with Posada yet.

Lidle was definitely not the solution to the Yankees pitching problems. But he tried his hardest, and he did what he could. And from what I've been reading, it seems like everyone liked him, nad everyone thought he was a good guy. This is definitely a big loss for the Yankees, and an even bigger loss for all of his family and friends.

Rest in Peace, Cory Lidle
March 22, 1972 - October 11, 2006