RIP Josh Hancock

[TheTomster 0]

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Josh Hancock, a key member of the bullpen that helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series last season, was killed in a car crash early Sunday.

 

The Cardinals postponed their home game Sunday night against the Chicago Cubs.

 

Police said the 29-year-old Hancock was alone in his 2007 Ford Explorer when he struck the rear of a tow truck at 12:35 a.m. The truck was in the left lane assisting another vehicle that was involved in a prior accident, officer Pete Mutter said.

 

Hancock was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tow truck, whose name was not released by police, was in the truck at the time of the crash but was not injured.

 

The medical examiner's office said Sunday morning that an autopsy had been scheduled. The Cardinals and police were expected to make a statement later in the day at Busch Stadium.

 

Hancock's death is the second of a Cardinals player in less than five years. Pitcher Darryl Kile was found dead in a Chicago hotel room in June 2002. The 33-year-old Kile died of a coronary artery blockage.

 

Hancock, who pitched three innings of relief in Saturday's 8-1 loss to the Cubs, played for four major league clubs. He went 3-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 62 regular-season appearances for the Cardinals last season and pitched in three postseason games. He was 0-1 with a 3.55 ERA in eight games this season.

 

Three days before his death, the Cardinals got a scare that some teammates said reminded them of Kile's death -- Hancock overslept and showed up late for a day game in St. Louis. Hancock told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch he thought the starting time was later and didn't get up until the "20th call" from anxious teammates.

 

"We were all a little nervous," closer Jason Isringhausen said earlier this week. "We don't care if you're late. That happens. We want to know that you're OK."

 

Hancock made his offseason home in St. Louis. He was the only player to attend the premiere of a DVD documenting the Cardinals' unlikely run to their 10th World Series championship after winning only 83 regular-season games.

 

Hancock joined the Cardinals in spring training last season after the Cincinnati Reds released him for violating a weight clause in his contract. He had been a starter the previous year with Cincinnati, but missed 133 games because of groin and elbow injuries. He also pitched for Boston and Philadelphia.

 

Associated Press Writer Betsy Taylor contributed to this report

 

-Yahoo News

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

SHIT.

 

Hancock pitched two seasons for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He had a nice season last year and had finally established himself. A real shame.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

From MILB.com...

 

There aren't many words that can explain away a tragedy.

 

The baseball world was rocked Sunday morning when news spread of the death of St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Josh Hancock.

 

The 28-year-old was killed in a car accident in St. Louis, leaving behind family, friends and stunned teammates, struggling to find the right thing to say.

 

"I guess the Lord has a plan for all of us, but sometimes we don't understand that plan," said Indianapolis Indians right-hander Marty McLeary, who played with Hancock in 2001 and '02 in Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Pawtucket.

 

"Here you have a Major League pitcher in his late 20s, and his life is cut short. A lot of us are asking why. This is a really difficult time for anyone who knew Josh. It makes you appreciate every day to its fullest."

 

McLeary and Hancock came through the Boston organization around the same time, with McLeary taken in the 1997 draft and Hancock going in the fifth round in 1998. The two were on the same pitching staff at Class A Augusta, helping the GreenJackets to a South Atlantic League championship in 1999.

 

Hancock was a key cog in that Augusta rotation, starting 25 games and going 6-8 with a 3.80 ERA.

 

"I just remember Josh being a great competitor," McLeary said. "He located his fastball really well and threw a 12-to-6 curveball."

 

Jim Rushford, an outfielder with the Triple-A Ottawa Lynx, also recalled Hancock as being a steady presence on the starting staff. He played with Hancock at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre after Hancock was traded from Boston to the Philadelphia Phillies before the 2003 season.

 

"He was a very good pitcher," Rushford said. "He was part of a pitching staff that was the best in the league most of the [2004] season. We had the best record at the All-Star break in the International League, and he was one of the main components."

 

Hancock spent two seasons in the Red Barons' rotation, posting a 3.86 ERA in 2003 and a 4.01 ERA in 2004, before being traded to Cincinnati on July 30 of that year. He spent most of the rest of his career in the Major Leagues, stopping briefly in Triple-A Louisville in 2005.

 

"Josh had done a nice job in the Major Leagues," McLeary said. "He was an important part of St. Louis' championship team in 2006. I think he was throwing the ball really well this year, too, and this whole situation is just so unfortunate."

 

Kristen Zimmerman is a staff writer for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

 

Good to hear from Jim Rushford, who is really one of the great guys in Minor League Baseball.

[Jericholic82 0]

This is just sad. You gotta feel for the family. RIP

[Guest Richard McBeef]

An unfortunate case of Flash pop-up ads.

[Failed Bridge 0]

so evidently Hancock almost got into an accident a few days before the fatal crash as he was driving drunk. If he was stupid enough to repeat the error then oh well. I've no sympathy at all for people willing to drive around drunk.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Tony La Russa is getting to be a real jackass here. He's threatening reporters now. I know it's his thing to be defensive of his players (hi Mark), but he's getting carried away now. It's too bad this guy is falling apart the way he is, because I've had a lot of respect for him as a manager. I think my prediction that he's out at the end of the year is looking valid.

[Failed Bridge 0]

ya, I found it mildly entertaining that he threatened to start swinging a fungo at reporters that kept asking more of the Hancock/alcohol situation.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

Mildly entertaining in that way that watching the demise of a once-great man is entertaining, yeah. If he loses it any further, he's going to start flinging his feces at people to show he's the alpha male.

[Guest Queen Leelee]

So, Hancock was driving around at .16 alcohol level, had marijuana in the car, and was talking on a cell phone. Fucking piece of shit. Got exactly what he deserved.

 

Glad he didn't hurt anyone else.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

He wasn't just on the phone, he was texting a stripper.

 

Interesting car accident, though, because usually when you crash your car, the tow truck comes to you, but this time, he came right to the tow truck and saved a step.

 

Unfortunate death, of course, but I don't think the Cardinals organization should be hasty in glorifying this guy with unissued uniform numbers and memorial sleeve patches and memorial bullpen signs, like with Kile. Similarly, I don't want to see any more message boards with ridiculous signature banners that say

 

IN MEMORIUM [sic] JOSHUA MORGAN HANCOCK 1978-2007

FOREVER A CARDINAL IN OUR HEARTS

WE ARE ALL CARDINALS TODAY AND ALWAYS

NEVER FORGET

OH AND VIRGINIA TECH TOO

 

This fella fucked up big time, and that's why he died. Of course, it didn't help that we're probably dealing with a case in which the police could've corrected his behavior on a prior occasion, but turned a blind eye because he was a Cardinal.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

So, Hancock was driving around at .16 alcohol level, had marijuana in the car, and was talking on a cell phone. Fucking piece of shit. Got exactly what he deserved.

 

Glad he didn't hurt anyone else.

And not wearing a seatbelt.

 

It's almost like one of those education films. "Don't do what Danny Don't Does."

[Guest Smues]

Wow I didn't know he wasn't wearing a seatbelt. So we've got:

A. On a cell phone

B. Drunk

C. Not wearing a seatbelt

D. Speeding (68 in a 55MPH zone)

and possibly E. High (the article I read said that the tests for marijuana in his system had not come back yet.)

And he was driving to another bar. Man any sympathy I had for this guy disappeared pretty quickly. I also didn't realize that the truck he hit was parked on the side of the road.

[Slayer 0]

I'm guessing there won't be any "Heaven needed an average relief pitcher" banners for this one

[vivalaultra 0]

The bar that Hancock was at right before the crash was owned by former Cardinal and current broadcaster Mike Shannon. They had security video of the crash on some website. It's not like...graphic or anything. Looking at it, you can see Hancock's headlights come speeding right towards the tow truck and then they just disappear. It doesn't look like he slowed down at all.

[MFer 0]

So, Hancock was driving around at .16 alcohol level, had marijuana in the car, and was talking on a cell phone. Fucking piece of shit. Got exactly what he deserved.

 

Glad he didn't hurt anyone else.

He wasn't just on the phone, he was texting a stripper.

 

Interesting car accident, though, because usually when you crash your car, the tow truck comes to you, but this time, he came right to the tow truck and saved a step.

 

Unfortunate death, of course, but I don't think the Cardinals organization should be hasty in glorifying this guy with unissued uniform numbers and memorial sleeve patches and memorial bullpen signs, like with Kile.

 

 

 

This fella fucked up big time, and that's why he died. Of course, it didn't help that we're probably dealing with a case in which the police could've corrected his behavior on a prior occasion, but turned a blind eye because he was a Cardinal.

I agree that Hancock was being an idiot and could've hurt someone else. Still, I don't think his family, friends, and the Cardinals would appreciate it if he was portrayed in the media as a piece of shit and that he deserved to die. I'm sure that the Josh Hancock they knew was not a bad person, just a good guy who made a huge mistake.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

What are you gonna do about it, swing a fungo bat at me?

[MFer 0]

I wasn't intending to but...

 

The point I'm trying to make is that people who were closer to Hancock probably see him in a different light than you guys do. I don't care what you guys think of him. I'm just stating a probable reason why the Cardinals organization is likely to honor him in some way and why athletes are usually portrayed in the media in a more positive light right after they die regardless of what the circumstances are.

[Guest Richard McBeef]

I'm sure he was just like any immature single ballplayer, and it showed.

[Annabelle 0]

you booze

you lose

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I'm guessing there won't be any "Heaven needed an average relief pitcher" banners for this one

 

*Insert folder subject* that makes you think of Josh Hancock.

[Failed Bridge 0]

I don't want to see any more message boards with ridiculous signature banners that say

 

IN MEMORIUM [sic] JOSHUA MORGAN HANCOCK 1978-2007

FOREVER A CARDINAL IN OUR HEARTS

WE ARE ALL CARDINALS TODAY AND ALWAYS

NEVER FORGET

OH AND VIRGINIA TECH TOO

DOWHOME KILLED JOSH HANCOCK TO RUIN THE VIRGINIA TECH DEBUT.

[CanadianChris 0]

The room is spinning...

[Failed Bridge 0]

"I fully support the Cardinals. I froze when I read what Czech wrote. It was incredibly offensive at best. I would never support the death of a drunk relief pitcher no matter his BAC level. I have friends driving tow trucks and based on some rumors they've been telling me recently, I wouldn't take comments like that lightly. I just want the day to be over and will pray for the safety of Tony LaRussa."

[Guest Richard McBeef]

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

Czech wins the thread.

[Sly 0]

I'm glad I wandered into this thread.

[Guest Smues]

Where did you read that he was texting a stripper? All I've read said that he was talking on the phone.