Cards gather at Busch to mourn Hancock's death

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STLtoday - Sports - Cardinals

BY JEFF GORDON and BILL BRYAN
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
04/29/2007

The Cardinals gathered Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium to discuss the death of relief pitcher Josh Hancock in an automobile accident and to mourn his passing.

“We just got together to discuss . . . there were comments and memories shared that were really meaningful to everybody in the room,” manager Tony La Russa said.

General manager Walt Jocketty said: “Josh had a lot of friends in the clubhouse. You talk about it being a family, it IS a family, believe us.”

“It’s an extended family,” La Russa said. “You have your family at home, you have your family in the clubhouse.”

Hancock, though, was single. “Josh, in this town, his family was his team,” La Russa said.

“Personally and professionally, he was a lot of fun and a terrific teammate.”

Crash details

Hancock, 29, was killed early Sunday in an accident on Highway 40 (Interstate 64), just east of Compton Avenue.

Hancock's Ford Explorer slammed into the rear of a tow truck that was parked in the far left westbound lane shortly after 12:30 a.m. The tow truck driver, who was seated in the vehicle at the time, was unhurt.

He told police that his emergency lights were on, and that he honked his horn when he saw the Explorer approaching in his rear view mirror. St. Louis police chief Joe Mokwa said the truck driver saw Hancock's SUV swerve just before it hit the tow truck.

Mokwa said it appeared Hancock was driving at or just above the speed limit, and there were no alcohol containers in his vehicle.

"We may never know what occurred," Mokwa said. "It appears that he just merely didn't see the tow truck."

At the time of the accident, the tow truck driver was assisting a motorist from an earlier accident.

Hancock was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sunday's game called off

The Cardinals canceled Sunday night’s game against the Cubs, and will reschedule it for a date later this season.

They will resume the season Monday in Milwaukee -– wearing commemorative No. 32 patches. The team also planned a memorial for the bullpen, which already features a tribute to Cardinals pitcher Darryl Kile, who died in June 2002.

La Russa spoke glowingly of Hancock’s selfless nature and his willingness to do whatever was needed. He got some important late-inning opportunities for the Cardinals, but he also got his share of mop-up assignments that were not glamorous.

In fact, that was the nature of his final assignment as a Cardinal on Saturday in an 8-1 loss to the Cubs.

“We had a difficult game,” La Russa said. “It was not a great assignment. He pitched three innings when we’re down 7-0. We didn’t get embarrassed and it was because of him.”

Cardinals pitcher Braden Looper said: "This has obviously been a very difficult time. Josh was a great teammate and a great friend to everybody, and he was a key part of our success."

Cubs pitcher Jason Marquis, a friend of Hancock's and his teammate last season in St. Louis, was shocked by the news. Hancock was one of several Cardinals who attended Saturday's pregame ceremony in which Marquis received his World Series ring.

"It was a nice gesture on the part of the team, and he was one of the guys out there," Marquis said. "I happened to see him walking out of the ballpark after the game. He was like, `Hey, I'll see you tomorrow.' It's a tough situation."

Marquis described Hancock as a fun-loving, generous person, liked by everyone on the club.

"Playing with Josh last year was a treat, especially the season we had," Marquis said. "He's a friend and will always be in my heart. My thoughts and prayers are not only with him but with his grieving teammates."

News of Hancock's death began to circulate around the majors on Sunday morning. Seattle Mariners pitcher Jeff Weaver, who won the World Series clincher for St. Louis in October, got a call from Cardinals reliever Randy Flores.

"I never really had a phone call like that before. It's kind of mind-boggling. Just a few days ago I had talked to him on the phone, touching base again because we were pretty good friends at the time," Weaver said. "We spent a lot of time together. It was just hard to believe."

Weaver said Hancock called him three or four days ago just to chat, and asked if Weaver had received his World Series ring yet.

"He was quiet, kind of soft-spoken, but definitely a good guy," said Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan, the NL championship series MVP with St. Louis last year. "It's a sad day. Your feelings go out toward his family and his teammates now. That's tough to get through."

On Thursday, an off day for the Cardinals, the team will travel on a charter jet to Tupelo, Miss., to attend Hancock’s funeral.

Kile tragedy recalled

“Obviously, this is difficult for all of us, especially for those of us who were here five years ago when we lost Darryl Kile,” Jocketty said.

In June 2002, Kile was found dead in his Chicago hotel room as the Cardinals were preparing to play the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Kile, 33, died of a coronary artery blockage.

“Trust me when I tell you,” La Russa said, “this is brutal to go through.”

Three days before Hancock's 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 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."

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said: "All of baseball today mourns the tragic and untimely death of St. Louis pitcher Josh Hancock. He was a fine young pitcher who played an important role on last year's World Series championship team."

Hancock was remembered at ballparks around the country. The Cleveland Indians observed a moment of silence before their game against the Baltimore Orioles, with Hancock's picture displayed on a giant scoreboard.

"It's terrible, another terrible event," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who was the Colorado hitting coach when Kile was a part of the Rockies' staff in 1998 and 1999. "The young man had done so well last fall and had a promising career. It's just terrible."

Hancock's career

Hancock was a key member of the bullpen that helped the Cardinals win the World Series last season, leading the team's relievers with 77 regular-season innings pitched.

He pitched for four major league clubs. Hancock went 3-3 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 after pitching three innings in Saturday's game vs. the Cubs at Busch.

Hancock joined the Cardinals before the 2006 season. He has pitched for Boston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati.

He made his offseason home in St. Louis and 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 was a native of Cleveland, Miss., and played high school baseball in the Birmingham, Ala., area. In 1997, Hancock helped Auburn advance to the College World Series.

"Josh was a part of arguably the best pitching staff and arguably the best team ever to play at Auburn. It is a shame whenever anyone dies, especially someone as young as Josh, in a tragic accident," said Auburn coach Tom Slater, an assistant at the school when Hancock played there.

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Josh Hancock, Relief pitcher , No. 32
Full Name: Joshua Morgan Hancock
Born: April 11, 1978
Died: April 29, 2007 (age 29)
Birthplace: Cleveland, Miss.
Height: 6 feet, 3 inches
Weight: 205
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
College: Auburn
MLB debut: Sept. 10, 2002, for the Boston Red Sox
Final game: April 28, 2007, for the St. Louis Cardinals