August 1, 2001: Pro Bowl offensive tackle Korey Stringer dies of heat stroke, a day after collapsing at the Minnesota Vikings' training camp in Eden Prairie. He was 27.
Korey Damont Stringer was born on May 8, 1974 in Warren, Ohio, outside Cleveland. At Ohio State University, he played on an offensive line with future Hall-of-Famer Orlando Pace, blocking for 2 All-American running backs, 1995 Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George and Stringer's future Vikings teammate Robert Smith.
The Vikings selected him in the 1st round of the 1995 NFL Draft. In 6 seasons, out of a possible 96 regular-season games, he played in 93 and started in 91. He was a member of the Vikings team that went 15-1 in 1998, but lost the NFC Championship Game. He was selected for the Pro Bowl after the 2000 season, and signed his appearance check over to a youth football program in Warren.
Minnesota is famous for being cold, but when the Vikings opened their 2001 preseason training camp at Winter Park in suburban Eden Prairie on July 30, it was around 100 degrees. Stringer was unable to complete the first practice session, due to exhaustion, and did not participate in that day's afternoon session, but he vowed to return the next day to complete the morning session, which was conducted in full pads. Although he vomited 3 times, he did complete the morning practice session on July 31, which lasted 2½ hours, but walked to an air-conditioned shelter after the session, where he became weak and dizzy. At 11:30 AM, when practice ended, the heat index had reached 99 °F. It peaked later that day at 110 °F, with a high temperature of 90 °F.
Stringer was taken to Immanuel St. Joseph's-Mayo Health System Hospital, in Mankato, Minnesota, where his body temperature was 108 °F upon arrival. He was unconscious from the time he was admitted until his death at 1:50 AM on August 1. An autopsy confirmed that Stringer died from organ failure resulting from heat stroke.
His death brought about major changes regarding heat stroke prevention throughout the NFL. It also addressed complications of pressuring players to "bulk up" to well over 300 pounds. Stringer, who at the time of his death was 6 feet 4 inches and weighed 335 pounds, was at the lowest weight he had ever been in his pro career. Many professional football teams now train in light color uniforms, water and shade are made readily available, and a team doctor is at practice sessions at all times.
The Vikings retired his Number 77, and named him to their Ring of Honor.
*
August 1, 2001 was a Wednesday. These Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees beat the Texas Rangers, 9-7 at Yankee Stadium. Derek Jeter, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch and Alfonso Soriano hit home runs. Sterling Hitchcock, sent to Seattle in the trade that brought Martinez and Jeff Nelson to New York, had been reacquired, and was the winning pitcher in this game.
* The New York Mets beat the Houston Astros, 8-2 at Enron Field in Houston. (Due to Enron's ignominious bankruptcy, the ballpark was soon renamed Minute Maid Park. It is now Daikin Park.) The game went to extra innings at 2-2, but in the top of the 10th inning, Astros reliever Michael Jackson was bad. He was dangerous. After striking out Jay Payton, he gave up singles to Lenny Harris, Tsuyoshi Shinjo and Matt Lawton, a home run to Edgardo Alfonzo, and singles to Robin Ventura and Mike Piazza. Former Met Octavio Dotel was brought in to relieve, and he gave up a double to Todd Zeile, before striking out Mark Johnson and Payton to end it. The Mets scored 6 runs on 7 straight hits, with no help from walks, errors, wild pitches or passed balls.
* The Anaheim Angels beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-2 at Fenway Park in Boston.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 6-5 at Camden Yards in Baltimore. Cal Ripken, in his final season, went 1-for-4.
* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-1 at the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre) in Toronto.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-5 at Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) in Cleveland.
* The Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers, 7-1 at Comerica Park in Detroit. Ichiro Suzuki, having a great "rookie season" for the Mariners, went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals, 7-6 at the new Comiskey Park (now Rate Field) in Chicago.
* The Florida Marlins beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4 at Miller Park (now American Family Field) in Milwaukee. Derrek Lee doubled Cliff Floyd home with the winning run in the top of the 10th inning.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-0 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Darryl Kile allowed 8 hits over 8 innings, but no runs, and Dave Veres pitched a perfect 9th to complete the shutout, beating Greg Maddux. Mark McGwire hit his 573rd career home run, tying Harmon Killebrew on the all-time list. He hit 10 more, but injuries forced him to retire after the season. A by-product of steroid use, perhaps.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies, 8-1 at Coors Field in Denver, in a game limited by rain to 6 innings.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-5 at Bank One Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix.
* The San Diego Padres beat the Chicago Cubs, 4-3 at Qualcomm Stadium (formerly Jack Murphy Stadium) in San Diego. Tony Gwynn, in his final season, collected a pinch-hit RBI double. Sammy Sosa went 1-for-3 with a walk.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-5 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Ken Griffey Jr. hit a home run.
* And the San Francisco Giants beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-1 at Pacific Bell Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco. Barry Bonds hit the 46th of his eventual 73* home runs.
No comments:
Post a Comment