My Baseball Thoughts: The Season, so far and Josh Hancock and The St. Louis Cardinals

I am at a loss. Plain and simple.

My favorite team, The 2006 World Series Champions, St. Louis Cardinals, are not playing like World Champs right now. They have starting pitcher problems, no one is hitting, except for a couple guys, their relievers are doing good, Rolen, Pujols and Edmonds are starting to come around BUT you can't win ball games when you can't score a lot of runs. Good thing this season lasts 162 games. They are going to need them.

And now this.

On Sunday, April 29th, 2007, Relief Pitcher Josh Hancock was driving his SUV, on his way home, and crashed into a flat bed tow truck sitting on the side of the road on Highway 64 in St. Louis.

Hancock's 2007 Ford Explorer hit a tow truck at approximately 12:35 a.m. CT and the pitcher died at the scene, possibly at the moment of impact. It's the second time in a five-year span that the Cardinals have lost an active player. Darryl Kile passed away on June 22, 2002.

He was killed instantly.

He was not married, had no kids but leaves behind a grieving mother and father. Also left behind were his fans and several friends and colleagues, namely The St. Louis Cardinals.

His baseball team.

Now I never met Josh. I did see him play. Not live, just on TV. The guy could pitch. He helped this team win The 2006 World Series. From what I've read, he didn't gripe about what his role on the team was, but accepted it with every fiber in his body.

Here are some quotes from StlCardinals.com:

Cardinals principal owner Bill DeWitt Jr., general manager Walt Jocketty, manager Tony La Russa and Mokwa addressed the media at Busch Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

"The pain our organization feels today is unspeakable," said DeWitt. "Josh was a great competitor with a strong will to win. His fellow Cardinals will tell you that Josh was a consummate teammate with a terrific spirit that served him well on the mound and in the clubhouse."

Hancock joined the Cardinals in February 2006. He quickly became a valuable member of the St. Louis bullpen, pitching 77 innings in his first season with the Cardinals. He performed a variety of roles for the Cardinals, from occasional short relief to sometimes less desirable jobs like long relief in games that threatened to get out of hand.

"The respect that we all had for his ability to take the significant or the save-our-staff type of role was a real measure of him personally and professionally," said La Russa. "He was a lot of fun and a terrific teammate. So trust me when I tell you this is brutal to go through."

Hancock appeared in eight games for the Cardinals in 2007, posting a 3.55 ERA, and pitched three innings in Saturday afternoon's game against the Cubs. He was well-liked as a fun-loving, easy-going person.

"Josh had a lot of friends in that clubhouse," Jocketty said. "You talk about it being a family, and it is a family. And it's very difficult."

Team members assembled in the clubhouse prior to the news conference to share thoughts and memories of their late teammate.

"One of the things that's really painful here is that Josh, in this town, his family was his teammates," La Russa said. "We know a little bit about his brother and sister, and mother and dad. But here's a guy that really enjoyed and was a very strong part of the family here at the ballpark and away from the ballpark. So that's a big miss, a big hole that's going to be there."


On Sunday afternoon, I cried. Even now, I feel like crying. OK, I am. I have been a Cards fan for quite some time now. Over 30 years. I have watched them win and lose. I have watched them LIVE and on TV. I have been there through the good days and I have been there through the bad days. I cried almost 5 years ago when Darryl Kile passed away on June 22, 2002. As of that time, he was my favorite player on that team. He had a 12-6 curve ball that literally fell off the table and disappeared when he threw it. I still have my Cards hat with the #57 on it. Now I have had to add another one. #32

I honestly believe that The St. Louis Cardinals CAN make it through all of this. They are, as of this date, currently 10-15, 5 1/2 games out of first.

They need time to get through this. Unfortunately, they won't have the time to really grieve about his death. They are going to have a memorial for him on Thursday, May 3rd, on their off-day. That will be their grieving day.

Then, Friday, it's back to baseball and back to work.

I can't really begin to put my feelings down on this blog because I just don't have the time to do it. I would be here to infinity if I did that.

All I can say is: Josh will NEVER be forgotten. His jersey hangs in their dugout and in their locker room for the rest of the season.

Guys, remember your friend, your buddy and your colleague. Play the rest of this season for him and yourselves. Go out each day and play ball to the best of your abilities. Win or Lose, ALL of your fans will be behind you 100%. Don't sweat the small stuff. Life is too short to worry about everything.

To everyone or anyone who read this, hug your family and tell them you love them, each and every day because you never know what is going to happen in life.

It's going to be a long season.

Josh,
Godspeed and God Bless.

Sincerely,

Double D- A St. Louis Cardinals Fan for LIFE.

Peace Out and God Bless