I’m sitting here watching the St. Louis Cardinals play the Milwaukee Brewers on ESPN and the Cardinal’s player’s heads are not in the game. They’re making errors, base running mistakes and poor pitches, that’s because their minds as well as their hearts rest with their departed teammate Josh Hancock. The Cards are playing with a heavy heart tonight just two days after Josh Hancock, a relief pitcher, was killed in a car crash not far from Busch Stadium where the Cardinals play.
On Saturday night Josh Hancock drove his SUV head on into a parked tow-truck that was assisting a broken down car. The Police and Medics determined that Hancock died on impact, just 18 days after his 29th birthday. The investigation continues, but there were no signs of alcohol in the vehicle, and skid marks prove that Hancock was awake, as he tried to avoid the tow-truck.
Although Hancock was a Boston Red Sox product I am sad to say that I had never heard of him until yesterday when I heard the tragic news. From what I have heard and read Hancock was a joy to be around. A player that spent most of his career in the Minors, Hancock tried to make the most of his time in the big leagues. Hancock’s hard work and determination paid off last season when he was included on the Cardinal’s post season roster. Although Hancock did not pitch in the Cardinal’s World Series triumph over the Detroit Tigers, he was deserving of a World Series ring just as much as anyone else on that team.
My heart really does go out to the Cardinals. This is the second time since 2002 that the Cards have had to lay a teammate to rest. The Cardinals experienced a similar tragedy when pitcher Darryl Kile died in his sleep in a Chicago hotel room. Kile died of coronary atherosclerosis, which resulted in a heart attack. Kile was only 33.
I always respect the Cardinals as team, and I have always respected the city of St. Louis as a smart and loving baseball town. They really are the one group of fans that will wrap their arms around a fan from an opposing team. For those Bostonians who were lucky enough to go to St. Louis to see the Sox win the 2004 World Series, all of them came back glowing about the St. Louis fans.
I remember reading an article about a group of Cardinals fans that came up to Boston for game 2 of the World Series. They stopped into a Boston bar to grab a few drinks before the game. While many of the Sox fans in the bar heckled the opposing fans, two kind hearted Bostonians called them over to have a drink. After an hour or two about talking about Baseball one the of Cardinals fans asked one of the Boston fans for his phone number, telling him he would give him a call if he could get tickets for the upcoming games in St. Louis. The Boston fan gave the man his number, not expecting a call, and thinking, “this guy has had too much to drink.” Two days later that Boston fan got a call from St. Louis, it was his bar buddy telling him he had go the tickets, and to catch the next flight out to St. Louis. How many fans would do that for an opposing fan during the World Series? The Cardinals organization even opened the ball park gates for non-ticket-holding Red Sox fans, so they could see the final innings of the World Series vivtory. They are just a classy organization.
Tony Larussa, who is one of my favorite Managers in the game, was the one that was given the horrifying task of calling Hancock’s family. Larussa then told Hancock’s father the devastating news at 4 o’clock sunday morning. In St. Louis those same loving fans have lined the ball park gates with flowers, jerseys, Cards caps, and posters commemorating Hancock’s time with the Cardinals. Tonight and for the rest of the season the Cardinals wear #32 on their jersey’s sleeve. And in the Bullpen hangs a #32- Josh Hancock jersey. Physically the Cardinals are playing baseball tonight, but it may be a long time until we see the Cardinals play with a clear mind.
Video: La Russa on Hancock’s death
2 responses so far ↓
stacey // April 30, 2007 at 5:45 pm
wow…that was a really good blog on Josh Hancock, that’s really sad. I’m not a big sports fan, but it’s nice to see that although they are so competetive, athletes come together in times like this. you have a really good blog, you should really consider keeping it. You write so much, add a lot of links, and add extra things that I wouldn’t even think of.
winstolv // May 1, 2007 at 5:01 am
1) MLB is NOT a sport, it is TV entertainment. Corked bats, illegal gambling, pine tar, steroids, cortisone and stimulants.
2) Tony LaRusaa was recently arrested for drunk driving and now this crash too?
3) The cover story of a relief pitcher with poor vision seems to be morphing into a more plausable drunk driving explanation
4) Drinking, amphetamine and stereoid absue are rampant in MLB. Everyone knows that.
5) It is a shame that Josh had car keys that night.
All MLB players and staff should ride in taxis, othererwise we can expect more drunk driving.