Josh Hancock dies in car crash

[lavell12]

Sad news for baseball and the Cardinals, St Louis relief pitcher Josh Hancock died in a car crash on Friday night. Their game against the Cubs has been cancelled.

Sad news.

[LSU31always]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/pre...t=.jsp&c_id=stl (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070429&content_id=1936551&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl)
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals were informed this morning by the St. Louis Police Department of the tragic death of pitcher Josh Hancock, 29, who was killed in an auto accident on westbound Highway 64/40 within the city limits.
Cardinals' Manager Tony La Russa informed Josh's father of this tragic event. Major League Baseball representatives have also been notified and tonight's 7:05 p.m. game with the Chicago Cubs has been postponed.
The Cardinals and the St. Louis Police Department will make a brief statement to the news media at 3 p.m. CDT in the Busch Stadium interview room.
Hancock, who is single, has been a member of the St. Louis Cardinals since February of 2006 and helped the team to its 10th World Series title last Fall.
The Cardinals ask that all fans join the team in offering their prayers and condolences to Josh Hancock's family on this very sad day for the Cardinals and Major League Baseball.
Rest in peace.

[Zack]

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals were informed this morning by the St. Louis Police Department of the tragic death of pitcher Josh Hancock, 29, who was killed in an auto accident on westbound Highway 64/40 within the city limits.http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20070429&content_id=1936551&vkey=pr_stl&fext=.jsp&c_id=stl

Sad story. He pitched 3 innings of relief yesterday. The game is postponed for tonight.

[Chief Knockahoma]

what horrible news...

[jschafer5]

That's terrible. My thoughts/prayers go out to his friends and family.

[CaptainCrunch]

R.I.P.

[Floyd]

Terrible news. R.I.P.

But this is just weird..

Hancock shows up late
By Rick Hummel
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/27/2007

Reliever Josh Hancock, after pitching three innings on Tuesday, probably wasn't going to appear in Thursday's game, but he almost didn't make it, anyway.

Hancock admitted he had overslept on his new comfortable bed, and thinking the game was starting later than it was (12:10 p.m.), didn't get up until the "20th call" he received from anxious teammates.

With righthander Darryl Kile dying before a game in Chicago five years ago, the Cardinals don't take it lightly when a player doesn't show up at the park on time.

Reliever Jason Isringhausen, the only pitcher still on the club who played with Kile here, said, "(Hancock's) phone always shuts off. Everybody was trying to reach him. That's why it's so different here because of what happened with Darryl. So everybody worries. That's got more to do with it than oversleeping.

"We were all a little nervous. We don't care if you're late. That happens. We want to know that you're OK."

Manager Tony La Russa said only, "It's not worth discussing. It's personal and not baseball-related."

But Hancock said he expected to be fined.


http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/6DD32DFE615BEB86862572CA0013E95A?OpenDocument

[Zack]

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/2904/hancockjpg2iw8.jpg

[F_man8326]

Both Kile and Hancock were scheduled to play the Cubs on the day of their deaths.

Both times the games were postponed.

R.I.P.

[lmartin6]

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/2904/hancockjpg2iw8.jpg

Love the artwork, Zack. Very nicely done.

What a sad day for the Cardinal and baseball family, altogether. You really gotta feel for St. Louis here. To lose two pitchers mid-season within a 5 year span, that's just horrible. God bless the team, and more importantly the Hancock family

[ATlinVA]

Truly a sad thing. I feel terrible for the whole Cardinals organization as lightning struck twice.

I think i heard that Hancock was a teammate of Tim Hudson, but i'm not sure if this is true.

[McCarroll21]

Hudson was drafted out of Auburn in 1997, Hancock out of Auburn in 1998. Not sure if they were teammates because I'm not sure if Hancock was a 4 year guy or out of JUCO and all that, but it's very likely they could have been.

[Nasadega]

That's horrible news, I don't know what to say...

[gobravez]

Hudson learns of two tragedies
Hancock's death comes on heels of grandmother's passing

DENVER -- There was nothing but tragedy in Tim Hudson's Sunday morning.
First came the news from his wife that Hudson's grandmother, Vera Mickle, had died. That wasn't a totally unexpected development, as she had been ill for some time. But the next piece of terrible news was a surprise.
Braves director of media relations Brad Hainje called Hudson in his hotel room with the news that St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Josh Hancock -- a college teammate of Hudson's at Auburn -- had died in a car crash.
"I didn't want Tim to be blindsided by the news, so I called him," Hainje said. "The news hadn't been released yet. He was stunned. He told me that he had just gotten off the phone with his wife, who told him his grandmother had died."
So Hudson will pitch with a heavy heart on Monday, when he will make his scheduled start at Turner Field against Philadelphia.
"My grandmother's funeral is Tuesday, in Columbus, Ga.," Hudson said. "I'll have to find out about Josh's and see if I can get there."
Hudson and Hancock were teammates on the 1997 Auburn baseball team, when Hudson was a senior and the Southeastern Conference Player of Year, and Hancock was a freshman. "We only played together one year," Hudson said. "But we would see each other in the offseason. There is a good alumni program at Auburn. Everybody who played gets together, goes to games, tailgates, spends time hanging out. I saw [Hancock] every offseason. He will be missed."


http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070429&content_id=1936984&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl

[Chopaholic]

I hate to be the one speculating here, but this is a time line of events according to the press releases that have surfaced.

Thursday Morning 5:30am: Hancock inches past a stop sign and is clipped by a semi truck. No sobriety test is given. But his SUV has to be towed. Link (http://www.belleville.com/167/story/23484.html)

Thursday morning, JH lets his phone ring 20 times before answering it. Misses the pregame. Told press he thought it was a late game. Gets fined and chewed out by Tony. He tells Dave Campbell he was hung over.

Saturday evening: JH at another Bar and is observed by others refusing to take a cab. Gets into his rental car and takes off.
Link (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/stories.nsf/cardinals/story/E60CF4326FCA8483862572CE00145F0A?OpenDocument)
Early Sunday morning: Piles into the back of a parked tow truck on the side of the road.


This just does not sound good. Obviously there is some hearsay involved, but I bet in a couple of days the real story will come out.

[McCarroll21]

Yeah, I put together some pieces and told one of my friends to not be surprised when more comes back than just a car wreck. I hate to speculate in this situation too, it's already bad enough, but much like the Aybar situation, things aren't adding up nicely.

[MSU Bulldog]

No matter what we may think happened or what physical state Hancock was in at the time of the crash, we should be respectful of his family and not spread any rumors or hearsay on this site until the toxicology report findings are revealed. If the speculation turns out to be true. The media will drag them all through the mud. I like most of you have questions.

[Chopaholic]

Just a time line of events. You can draw your own conclusions. No where do I "speculate" or give my opinion to what really happened. Other than to say it did not look good. I hope that there is nothing found in his blood.

As to spreading rumors, all of my sources have been printed in newspapers, I just put them together chronologically. It is not like I just pulled these things out of the air.

[MSU Bulldog]

I apologize if you think that was directed toward you. I meant it to be more of a broader statement to those that would post "yeah he was hammered when he ran into that wrecker". I read and appreciate your post on the matter. I had thoughts that alcohol could possibly be involved as well. As you said, obviously a lot of hearsay is involved.

Again, no offense was intended to anyone.

[Chopaholic]

Your right, that would be disrespectful. I probably should have not posted for that very reason. My post might turn the conversation that way.

[MSU Bulldog]

Your post was very informative for those of us who know how to take it for what its worth. It shows us what direction this tragic event appears to be heading.

[Chopaholic]

Wow, This is crappy (http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-cardinals-hancock&prov=ap&type=lgns)

Not only was he nearly twice the legal limit, he was speeding, on his cell phone, and may have been at some point in the night smoking pot. It says that the tow truck was in a driving lane. They should not be able to do that without putting out some type of signals. But that does not make it any less Hancock's faught.

Any respect issue in my mind is thrown out the window. I feel bad for friends, family, and teamates, but this guy was a loose cannon.

[Rick]

The Commissioner should look into this case . There is way too much drinking in baseball . Here's some more info on St. Louis Cardinals and drinking :

1. Tony La Russa was arrested in spring training for drunk driving. Was he suspended for that ?

2. The Cardinals serve liquor for the players in the clubhouse after games . Not a good idea .

3. Josh Hancock was drinking in Cardinal announcer Mike Shannon's restaurant all night before the accident and witnesses said he was obviously drunk . If Hancock had hurt anyone else that night, they likely could have sued Shannon for selling liquor to an obviously drunk customer.

The Cardinals need to clean up their act .

[MSU Bulldog]

Any respect issue in my mind is thrown out the window. I feel bad for friends, family, and teamates, but this guy was a loose cannon.

You're right.

His funeral was in my hometown. There were 60 media request to be there. It was like blood in the water.

[lmartin6]

If Hancock had hurt anyone else that night, they likely could have sued Shannon for selling liquor to an obviously drunk customer.


How? He's in the business of selling alcohol, people drink alcohol to get drunk. It isn't illegal to get drunk, and it isn't illegal to continure drinking while drunk, it's illegal to drive while drunk. I'm sure Mr. Shannon in no way whatsoever forced Hancock to get in the car and drive. If bartenders/owners got sued for getting people drunk, there would be no bars anywhere.

[McCarroll21]

It was reported that Hancock denied the request of a taxi and chose to drive anyway. If a taxi was offered by the bar, the bar is clear of all responsibility.

[BravesfaninNC]

Let hope that something good can come out this.That will make people stop drinking and driving

[McCarroll21]

Let hope that something good can come out this.That will make people stop drinking and driving
You would think the organization would have put some major thought into how to prevent this from happening when their manager was arrested for driving under the influence.

When your "leader" is arrested for it, and you make no changes, I don't think they'll put much into the death of a player for the same thing. All I've seen out of Jocketty is that so and so made the wrong decision, and while that's true, thats two guys in two months.

[raider]

If the bar knew he was drunk and continued to serve him, even though he turned down the taxi, they are legally responsible. Of course all that would have to be proven.

I feel sorry that he wasted his young life. But by no means will this stop people from drinking and driving.

[jschafer5]

The Cardinals have banned drinking in the clubhouse.

[McCarroll21]

The Cardinals have banned drinking in the clubhouse.
Their manager should have done that after he was arrested for driving drunk.

[MSU Bulldog]

Their manager should have done that after he was arrested for driving drunk.

Maybe he didn't want to sound like a hypocrite. :rolleyes:

[jschafer5]

Their manager should have done that after he was arrested for driving drunk.

I'm pretty sure it was Jocketty that banned it, but yeah, it should have been banned after tony was drinking and driving. The Cards have been having their share of drinking problems.

[d-backsfan123]

R.I.P. Josh Hancock only dieing at the age of 29 he was taking from the world way too young my thought go out to his family and friends