Geographically, the community that makes up major league baseball spreads far and wide, but, emotionally, it could not be more intimate. Especially on opening day.
That was apparent yesterday when news came that Cindy Lloyd, the wife of Expos pitcher Graeme Lloyd, had died earlier in the day in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., of complications from a 14-year battle with Crohn's disease.
Lloyd has started the season, which opened at Olympic Stadium last night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, on the 15-day disabled list because of a shoulder injury. He had remained in Florida after spring training. His wife's death was sudden and unexpected, team physician David Simon said. Crohn's disease is a chronic condition that causes ulceration of the intestine.
The capacity crowd of 51,249 stood for a minute of silence in tribute before the game. A date for the funeral has not been set.
Lloyd joined the Expos in December, signing as a free agent after spending last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. And his new teammates were as heartsick over the news as a former one.
Expos manager Felipe Alou was informed of the death by general manager Jim Beattie.
"Jim called me at 9 [a.m.]and said there has been a lot of things that have happened to us," Alou said. "He said there was the umpire [John McSherry dying on opening day]in Cincinnati and the Columbine [shooting] and now this. But we have to play the game.
"Some of the guys talked to him and we're supporting him. We're going to send some players there to the funeral."
Cindy, a native of Philadelphia, was 26. She married the lanky 32-year-old Australian left-hander in January of 1998.
Before Lloyd, who was 5-3 and had a 3.63 earned-run average last season, signed with the Expos, he and Cindy travelled to the team's training complex in Jupiter, Fla., to meet with Alou. They went out to dinner several times with Alou and the Expos' principal owner, Jeffrey Loria.
"I have to say that she was very instrumental in him signing with us," Alou said.
Shawn Green, who is now a member of the Dodgers but shared the Blue Jays' clubhouse with Lloyd, was shocked when informed of the news. He said he had socialized with the couple several times in Toronto.
"She was a nice lady," Green said. "She always liked to have fun and she laughed a lot.
"I knew something about her being sick, but never knew how serious it was. She always had a lot of energy.
"That is really shocking -- really shocking and really sad."
Last April 23, when the Blue Jays had a weekend series with the New York Yankees, the Lloyds spent a Friday evening at Dorrian's, an upscale Upper East Side pub that was the pitcher's favourite watering hole during his time with the Yankees.
It is run by Keith Zlomsowitch, Lloyd's best friend and the best man at his wedding. And on this night a year ago, Lloyd, ever the gregarious Australian, hopped behind the bar to mix drinks and pull glasses of draft beer for a small group of friends. Cindy sat on a barstool much of the night, laughing and joking and obviously enjoying life.
Expos catcher Chris Widger knows exactly the depth of his teammate's suffering. Widger's sister has lived with Crohn's disease for the past 20 years.
"I know what they've gone through," he said. "There's a lot of pain, a lot of medication and a lot of operations involved. I don't know her really well, but if she's anything like Graeme, she's a great person."
"We don't know how long it's going to take him mentally to get back," Alou said, adding that Matt Blank, who was called up to replace Lloyd while he is on the DL, will remain with the club until Lloyd is ready to return.
Beattie said the player will be allowed all the grieving time he needs.
"He's on the DL, so he should be able to take the time to deal with it. I would think anybody's policy is to let him take as long as he wants to deal with it."